Sussex, Wisconsin, USA – QuadTech, Inc. will highlight its enhanced portfolio of press control technology at CHINA PRINT 2013, New China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, 14- 18 May (stand: E2 245). The company has new innovations for the commercial web-offset, packaging and newspaper printing sectors.

Randy Freeman, Vice President and General Manager of Packaging at QuadTech, comments: “We are very excited to be taking part in China Print, as it is the major print exhibition for a region in which the prospects for growth are strong. In particular, the continued fast-pace growth of Chinese consumer purchasing power is benefiting the packaging converting industry.”

“There has been a lot of investment in packaging and converting equipment that can deliver more complex packaging and label designs, and major brand owners seek an identical look for their products globally,” Mr. Freeman continues. “As a result, print suppliers must deliver identical results throughout the print run and from one print run to the next. Therefore, QuadTech has developed solutions for on-the-fly spectral color measurement, register control and inspection on a range of substrates, removing manual input of the print quality control process.”

For packaging printers, the new Color Quality Solution simplifies color preparation in packaging printing. This provides a standard spectral color measurement throughout the ink dispensing and printing stages. It includes in-line spectral data obtained from QuadTech’s SpectralCam™, ink formulation data from X-Rite and ink dispensing technology from Huber Group or other ink dispensing system suppliers. 

Also for the package printer, QuadTech’s Color Measurement System with SpectralCam™ HD enables continuous, in-line monitoring of virtually all web-fed package materials with QuadTech's patent-pending web stabilizer technology. It captures images at 2500dpi, meaning defects barely perceptible to the human-eye can be pinpointed and remedied without production stoppages. In addition, systems utilize the QuadTech Inspection System, which inspects the entire substrate width 100% of the time throughout the entire press run with the Golden Template Comparison. Every printed copy is compared to the Golden Template, which is a chosen printed copy as close to the original artwork as possible, resulting in a fixed and repeatable quality standard.

Significant developments enabling the commercial printer to adapt to shorter print runs and drive quality levels higher include QuadTech’s Color Control System with Instrument Flight® and SpectralCam™, which ensures uniform color over the entire print run, including the delicate gray and overprints. Its spectral-based sensor gathers colorimetric and densitometric data across a fast-moving web from a continuous color bar. This data is used to calculate to L*a*b* and densitometric values and is then analyzed by System Brunner's enhanced Instrument Flight® + L*a*b* to facilitate the highest levels of accuracy in color control and gray balance.

QuadTech’s Digital Ink System has also been added to the portfolio for web offset printers as well as its color, register and inspection controls. The system replaces conventional ink fountains with computer-controlled ink injectors. This ensures the precise volume of ink required in each control zone is consistently present, at all press speeds, resulting in accurate density control across the printed image.

Another new addition to the newspaper portfolio is the addition of automated, on-the-fly water control management to the Color Control and Web Inspection System with AccuCam™. This automatically adjusts ink and water levels at full press speed to reduce the occurrence of common newspaper printing problems such as scumming (catch up), creasing, transposed plates, plate crack-outs, and tramlines.