100% guaranteed print and packaging quality, even at maximum speeds
In this industry, machine vision systems provide an economical method to realise a 100% optical inspection of printed material in machines that often run 24/7. This technology enables quality control of paper products such as newspapers, magazines, promotional inserts, labels, folding boxes, package inserts as well as value prints and printed packaging products just as quickly and reliably as foils or metal sheets.
Depending on the task, they can check complete print images, barcodes, 2D codes, Braille or perform optical character recognition (OCR) or optical character verification (OCV) as well as detect misprints, deviations in edge trim, colour differences and much more.
A typical task in the printing industry – related to the field of “variable data inspection”, is the inspection of consecutive serial numbers, which can also be carried out with the help of machine vision. Of course, imaging technology also supports the control of printing machines, e.g. by rapid detection of web breaks and interrupting the production process accordingly.
The challenges for quality control in the printing industry are becoming increasingly strict, such as the inspection of demanding materials like printed electronics (printed circuits) or coatings on metal or other materials in or after the printing process. One of the most critical markets is the pharmaceutical and medical sector, where traceability in printed products and packaging must be guaranteed due to legal regulations.
Given these circumstances, the use of machine vision in the printing industry is almost a must in order to meet today's customer requirements in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness. Applications for this technology can be found in all types of printing, such as gravure, offset, flexo and screen printing.
In the printing industry, as in other application areas of machine vision, STEMMER IMAGING collaborates with numerous partners and system integrators who are familiar with the particularities of this market and have many years of experience in implementing machine vision systems.
Drawing on our own expertise and the know-how gained from numerous applications, we are your perfect partner for all questions relating to machine vision in the printing industry.