Inspection and control review

AB takes the fly's eye view

Following its recent acquisition of Flytec, AB Graphic International is now offering the fleyeVision Standard, electronic print face inspection system.

With the range extending from systems based on area scan to line scan camera technologies, the fleyeVision product line is designed to provide 100 per cent print face inspection capabilities. The PC based systems with “extensive” error logging and document features are supplemented by number and bar code inspection units. Designed as a stand-alone system, fleyeVision Standard can be retrofitted to any inspection machine at any time, the company states.

Once the machine has been powered up, reference images with printing tolerances are taught into the system. A 100 per cent inspection of the printed output is launched with the start of the electronic controller. When a flaw is detected, the machine slows down and the web stops with the defective image in a predefined position. Any further errors occurring in this phase are stored in memory in the background.

As soon as the defective image has reached the stop position it is displayed on screen for correction by the operator. Any additional errors stored in memory are sequentially processed in the same way. On equipment with reverse winding, any detected flaw is automatically returned to the camera field of vision and the corrected error re-inspected once the system restarts. Inspection speeds up to 250m/min can be achieved.

The company states that the fleyevision Standard offers a natural fit for its range of label converting lines and, in particular, the Omega Digicon for digitally printed webs that can be incorporated with almost any kind of digital print engine.

Comments Tony Bell, sales director of AB Graphic International: “We have a particularly close working relationship with HP Indigo. Many Digicon installations worldwide are equipped with their digital printers. We can supply the Digicon with all the usual label converting options in line as well as off-line RFID insertion and other specialist applications. The incorporation of the fleyeVision inspection systems is an important advancement in our ability to supply the industry with complete converting systems from a single source supplier.”

Auto preregister pushes productivity up

The TruColor TG4000 Series inspection system from Georgia, USA based TruColor Vision Systems includes an automatic pre-register control (TruRegister) suitable for both gearless and geared presses. “It has proved to yield extremely quick and efficient makeready register control for reductions in waste and set-up time and increases productivity,” says company president and ceo Jim Doerr. “It has been reported after initial installations that converters are in-register in under a minute, and are saving over a 1,000ft of material per job.”

TruRegister is claimed to offer automatic sensor adjustment and does not require manual positioning by the operators. This automatic adjustment also leads to a reduction in set-up time and contributes to substantial time savings, adds Jim Doerr. “Requirements for fully automated (versus manual operator adjustments) control and inspection in clearly a trend for the future.”

Tension meter offers the simple life

A digital tension meter recently added to Magpower's line of torque and tension control products can be used to display web tension where access to control parameters is not required.

The company says the meter is a low cost method of displaying web tension in areas of the web where access to a tension control unit is not required or convenient for the operator.

The digital tension meter (DTM) features a simple LCD readout with 15.2mm bright red digits and a selectable decimal point. A high impact plastics case and sealed front panel is claimed to ensure operation in wash-down or dusty environments.

The DTM features DIN rail mounts and simplified wiring connections for easy installation.

Magpower is part of the Maxcess International family of companies.