Advanced 100% inspection technology "reimagined from the ground up"

Sussex, Wisconsin - QuadTech, Inc. today introduced a new Inspection System for Packaging and Converting printers, setting a new standard for advanced defect detection. The modernized 100% Inspection System is built on QuadTech's popular ICON^TM integrated platform.

"This is far from an incremental upgrade to an existing technology," said Stephan Doppelhammer, QuadTech Market Manager for Packaging. "We gathered extensive user feedback to reimagine-from the ground up-a better process for the detection and disposition of defects. The result is a very powerful, very intuitive tool. We think printers will immediately understand the efficiencies to be gained, and will be excited about the value they can add to their operations."

New Advancements

Created for QuadTech's ICON integrated platform, the new Inspection System utilizes a 64-bit software architecture. A wider array of advanced algorithms is used to analyze the printed substrate, detecting a variety of defect types such as ink spots, register/color variation, content issues, and streaks.

QuadTech's unique algorithms automatically adapt the system to changing press conditions, ensuring optimal inspection at all critical phases of press operation including startups/restarts, splices, and all normal running speeds.

A new high definition wide screen user interface supports larger image sizes for defect analysis and easy access to inspection features. The modern, intuitive user interface provides press operators with powerful new capabilities-such as masks and multiple defect sensitivities-while ease-of-use is dramatically improved. A live, color-coded roll map allows operators to quickly identify different types of defects, and make fast decisions about defect severity and remedy.

The new "future-proof" architecture leverages leading software and hardware development platforms. The expandable hardware architecture has the ability to scale up to eight cameras per system, providing superior image quality on larger fields of view. Each system can be configured to meet a printer's specific needs. The Inspection System also offers optimal dual-side inspection with customizable resolution, and specific features such as front-to-back register monitoring.

Other Features

With QuadTech's proprietary, temperature-controlled LED lighting, printers can view the printed substrate at the lowest level of granularity to identify defects and prevent costly waste. Highly stable light output results in clean, high-quality inspection images for superior inspection performance. Custom lighting designs are available for a variety of specific applications, including standard, reflective, trans-missive, and UV.

At the beginning of every print run, a "Golden Template" reference image is acquired. Every subsequent printed copy is compared to the Golden Template, resulting in a fixed, repeatable quality standard. The system tolerates web wander and stretch, detecting slow-growing defects using one Golden Template for the full print run.

To track defects for removal later in the workflow, the Inspection System stores all inspection and production data in a roll map database. Defects can be tagged physically or electronically, then communicated to the converting controller to automatically locate defective material for removal.

Mr. Doppelhammer continued, "Our Inspection System is a critical tool for fast discovery and correction of problems during the run. In combination with our Data Central® and Waste Management technology, printers can ensure that defective product will never reach the end user."

QuadTech and the new Inspection System can be seen at drupa 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany in Hall 15, stand D50.