Hod-Hasharon, Israel, February 19, 2004 – Advanced Vision Technology Ltd (AVT) further consolidates its position as market leader in process control and quality assurance for the packaging, converting and label printing market with a host of innovative features for its PrintVision range of machine vision-based inspection solutions. AVT is a highly specialized company that remains focused on developing solutions for web printers. These are developed through conversations between the company and printers and are designed to meet multiple objectives: - Reliable quality assurance and process control - Cost-effective to install and operate with a rapid ROI - Operator friendly – without requiring constant supervision - Waste Reduction - Build profits by reducing the cost of quality The latest PrintVision range of solutions marks a milestone both in AVT’s development as a supplier, and as a ‘new era’ for printers who now have more and better tools for meeting the demands of their customers. AVT will have seven operational systems on its stand demonstrating the benefits and ease of use of its PrintVision platforms which are at the heart of its systems. AVT's solutions for packaging at the show are: the PrintVision/Jupiter; the PrintVision/Argus with a color LCCD camera; and the PrintVision/Apollo. Solutions for narrow web and labels applications include the PrintVision/Jupiter-Compact and the PrintVision/Helios Color with the Closed Loop option as well as the enhanced offline verification tool, ProoFit. Also at the booth, AVT will demonstrate new features, such as PrintFlow and PrintFlow Manager Software, that extend the reach of AVT’s systems to the managerial level where supervisors, quality assurance managers and production managers can evaluate press performance and print quality. More improved options include RiteSeal 100% cold seal inspection, pRegister for register pre-setting and control, ABCV - Automatic Bar Code Verification, and I?Eal for delta-E color measurement. New Features Launched at drupa 2004 PrintFlow & PrintFlow Manager PrintFlow is an optional tool used in conjunction with any one of AVT’s PrintVision automatic web inspection solutions. The enhanced PrintFlow option features a versatile, standard SQL database platform. PrintFlow has been reconfigured to provide comprehensive job information including the ability to study defects by type, frequency, duration, and even view images of the master and defect images. Operators can edit the report, accepting or rejecting detected defects, can print the report and keep it as a file for further use. The new PrintFlow Manager extends the benefits of PrintFlow to print managers (supervisors, quality assurance managers, production managers, etc.) enabling them to view and process information from the databases on each PrintFlow-equipped PrintVision solution on the site’s network. Using PrintFlow Manager, production can be monitored and comparisons made between jobs, job histories, presses, inks, substrates and other criteria. Reports can be created using all the information from the database(s) to provide both printer and customer with the most useful information. WorkFlow Link WorkFlow Link is an add-on feature that establishes an important link between the press and the rewinder in a PrintVision production environment. WorkFlow Link integrates with PrintFlow and PrintFlow Manager and enables increased control over waste removal from a printed roll while reducing the time of preparing a finished roll. Used with a PrintVision system on press, WorkFlow Link will place a mark on the web at pre-determined intervals. These marks can be numbers or bar codes printed in the trim area, or on the reverse of the web or self-adhesive labels that are applied to the web. When the printed roll is delivered to the rewinder, the WorkFlow Link information is sent to the rewinder. A reader on the rewinder ensures that the physical web is synchronized with the defect information contained in the roll report – even if sections of the roll have been removed as a part of the Quality Assurance process. Using the markings on the web, WorkFlow Link controls the rewinder, slowing it down and stopping the web at the beginning of the defective area on the splicing table, ready for removal. PrintVision/Helios – Closed Loop Label printing is a sector where quality assurance is essential to answer the application requirements. Furthermore, the cost of quality is a critical factor in achieving profitability. PrintVision/Helios handles quality assurance when installed on finishing equipment and drives the cost of quality down when handling process control on presses by ensuring register, color, eliminating faults, and inspecting die-cutting and matrix removal. However, the demands of the market mean that printers require even further assurance that the jobs they are running are verified. The closed loop option for PrintVision/Helios is used during make-ready to verify that the job in preparation is the correct one, and to shorten the make-ready time. This is done by comparing on-line the printed image to a previously captured or produced reference, such as an image from a previous run of the same job or information (file) from the pre-press. By automatically tracing and highlighting the differences, the closed loop capability of the PrintVision/Helios assists the press operator to verify the correct job and to quickly get the press into the right settings of register, color, etc. As a result of its market presence and high investment in R&D, every solution of AVT introduces additional capabilities and functionality. Drupa 2004 is the first time that all these innovations and enhancements will be exhibited together. The acceptance of AVT’s technology and approach to process control and quality assurance will be further demonstrated at drupa by the presence of AVT systems on the stands of leading packaging and label press manufacturers and suppliers of finishing equipment. More than 750 AVT systems are now installed around the world at companies ranging from international packaging groups to specialized label printers. This growth is a result of two key approaches which were part of AVT’s initial vision: superior R&D, and solutions that are designed with printers. This understanding of the packaging and label printing markets, and the production workflows of these sectors, has enabled AVT to provide tools that address real problems using state-of-the-art, open-architecture technologies.