Kennesaw, Ga. – Heidelberg's Prinect Inspection Control inline print defect detection system has received a 2010 InterTech Technology Award presented by Printing Industries of America.

In the past four years, Heidelberg has earned the coveted Printing Industries of America InterTech Technology Award for six innovative, game-changing technologies. This award marks the fourth year in a row in which Heidelberg has been recognized for technologies including the Prinect Press Center with Wallscreen and Intellistart (2009), Prinect Inpress Control (2008) and Speedmaster XL 105 (2007), all of which have since proven their staying power in the marketplace as integral features of Heidelberg's Speedmaster press platform.

Since 1978, the year InterTech Technology Award was introduced, Heidelberg has accumulated 30 InterTech Technology awards representing the company's record of innovation across the print media landscape. From prepress and workflow to the pressroom and bindery, Heidelberg's technology leadership is further validated by its worldwide installed base and underscored by legions of loyal customers.

Said James Dunn, President, Heidelberg USA, "Heidelberg once again is honored to have received a 2010 InterTech Technology Award, its sixth in four years. At least as gratifying as the awards themselves is the knowledge that the innovative technologies they represent have found acceptance and widespread adoption among our customers. Markets and priorities may shift, but the need to develop creative practical solutions to the problems printers face every day is never-ending. Heidelberg relishes its leadership role in advancing the state of the art for the benefit of its customers."

"Our judges were impressed with the high resolution of the system that allows it to be used in many different applications, and the quality control being tied back to either a master image or to a PDF. The use of inspection control is of increasing importance in the graphics arts industry and this technology will allow its use in new markets," said Mark Bohan, Printing Industries of America Vice President, Technology and Research.

Automatic Early Warning System
Prinect Inspection Control was developed primarily to address the need in pharmaceutical, specialty, and package printing to detect and correct printing defects prior to distribution. It is the industry's first, internally integrated, in-line defect detection system designed to locate printing and material defects (hickeys, marking, scumming, scratching, etc.) in real time and at the full rated speed of the press on each and every printed sheet as it passes through the coating unit of the press by comparing every printed sheet to a digital reference. Upon detection, the system provides audible and visual alerts and inserts a tab in the delivery pile to indicate the first occurrence of the defect(s). If the defect clears itself, then an additional tab is inserted into the delivery pile to mark the last defective sheet and accurately define the range of defective printed materials. Equally impressive is the fact that the intuitive user interface for Prinect Inspection control is operated through the Wallscreen of the Prinect Press Center, a 2009 InterTech Technology Award recipient.

Integration Eliminates Production Steps
Defect detection typically is performed visually by experienced quality control personnel who evaluate random sheets pulled from the delivery. Off-line systems are also available; however, these systems introduce another step in the production workflow process that can be avoided when the use of a fully integrated solution is deployed. In contrast, Prinect Inspection Control is the industry's first and only print defect detection system that is an internally integrated component of the press, dedicated solely to the detection of printing and material defects. It is fully integrated with prepress workflow, making inspection highly productive due to minimal set-up times. The technology incorporates two very high-resolution cameras mounted within the coating unit of the press, and in very close proximity of the printing nip, with the advantage of being able to find defects introduced in the coating. Upon completion of printing, Prinect Inspection Control generates detailed reports that can be printed on any network printer and stored indefinitely for re-verification or proof of quality.

Although the main function of the technology is to identify and notify the operator of printing and material defects, it is also within the scope of Prinect Inspection Control to detect certain color deviations; however this function is best performed by a dedicated color measurement system such as Prinect Inpress Control, Image Control, or Axis Control.

Prinect Inspection Control is available on Speedmaster press models: XL 105, CD 102, CX 102, and soon, the XL 75, in both straight and perfecting configurations.