PC Industries

Web inspection's ultimate aim is to eliminate waste. How can printers maximize a system's reject reduction potential? by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor Given the chance, what package printer would not be interested in running its presses up to 50 percent faster, while reducing waste by up to 11 percent? According to a recent research survey of BST PRO MARK customers, the right video inspection systems make this possible, says John Thome, VP, marketing. "Sixty-five percent of the respondents said these systems allow them to significantly increase their press speeds," he says. "While the average customer said they were running about 20 percent faster, many

As evidenced by these application examples, package printers have put web inspection systems to work for a broad spectrum of reasons, from meeting customer or end-use requirements, to establishing a general competitive advantage, to achieving process efficiencies. See for yourself. By Susan Friedman, Editor Fast-forward for flexpack quality A general push toward quality assurance has taken hold in the flexible packaging segment, reports Koby Shtaierman, vice president, marketing and sales for AVT. He hears more printer requests to see the web at all times, to provide process control and quality assurance for big-name brands such as Frito Lay and Coca Cola. Flexible

Experts debate the role of electronic line shafts in register control. By Susan Friedman Earth-shattering advances, break-through innovations? Well, not exactly. Developments on the register control front are a little more low-key at the moment. "Not a lot has happened [recently in register controls], other than improvements in human-machine interface to make life easier," notes Jack Woolley, president of PC Industries. "Refinements will be subtle, small, and ongoing." However—if the focus is expanded to include progressions in press motion control systems, specifically the electronic line shaft and its ultimate implications for register control, the discussion becomes a little more animated. Some suppliers believe electronic

Variation in web inspection systems lets converters see just what they want to see. By Susan Friedman Whether package printers' fiercest print nemesis is skip-out, smudges, streaks, register or color, the web inspection market is teeming with improved approaches to sending defects packing, whether the budget is basic or no-holds-barred. In the narrow-web market, Brian Tithecott, marketing manager for Focus Automation Systems, reports strong sales to pharmaceutical, health and beauty, and prime label printers with a need for high quality, and in the case of pharmaceutical printers, perfection in each impression. "Wide-web printers," he notes in comparison, "are looking at inspection to improve yields.

Sophistication across all levels of web inspection technology make it a manageable investment for package printers. By Susan Friedman Why buy a Mercedes when you can reliably, stylishly get from Point A to Point B in a Honda? The infusion of sophistication across all levels of web inspection technology makes this analogy ring true for many package printers' purchasing decisions. "The largest base for video web inspection technology will continue to be simple, inexpensive video systems for general web viewing, while new image-based technology is being developed to bring value-added features to more sophisticated web printing processes," observes Paul Burrows, product application engineer at