BMPA Carton Forum kicks off first seminar with a look at need for Automated inspection.
The Bombay Master Printers Association’s Carton Forum, launched in June 2015, hosted a specialists session for its members on understanding visual inspection systems and how they can help peak production constantly with consistency.
23 Nov 2015 | 3750 Views | By PrintWeek India & Priya Raju
Held in conjunction with Autoprint Machinery, its managing director, CN Ashok while showcasing the Checkmate 50 offline inspection system, focused his presentation on the aspect of “change” and how inspection systems can produce scientific data that is undisputed.
Ashok said, due to the complexities associated with printing, defects can originate at any of the process steps. “What inspection systems can do is record data that will enable your workforce to evaluate where the faults are, and based on those, take preventive actions”.
The “make in India” Autoprint Checkmate 50 is an offline inspection machine for print defects, foil, embossing, Braille and varnishing errors. The machine is manufactured at the Autoprint’s Coimbatore plant, and the camera imaging technology is by Lucid Imaging, Bangalore.
Autoprint has installed three Checkmate 50, one at a Bengaluru beta site, second at Bhiwandi-based Paramount Packaging and the third at Baruch-based Yamir Packaging. The fourth will soon be installed at a packaging company in Mumbai, informed Ashok.
The technical team of KG Suresh, joint managing director at Autoprint and Anand Chinnaswamy, managing director at Lucid Imaging, Autoprint’s partner in the project, gave a glimpse of what and how the Checkmate functions.
Suresh said that the Checkmate 50 can inspect at a speed of 250 meter/min (Around 70,000 cartons/hour -150mm height) with 100% accuracy. “It’s a fast makeready kit that can be achieved in five steps beginning from the feeder. It eliminates the need for manual sorting, a time-consuming task.”
The system is fitted with three cameras - the main a 4K colour, the second a B&W camera for foil/embossing/braille and varnish checks, and the third camera at the bottom, said Chinnaswamy.
He added, "The system’s unique LED lighting is specially designed to inspect metpet cartons with accuracy and speed. The software ensures good defect detection sensitivity while maintaining high production yield and repeatability. In addition, most features of the software setup process are automated ensuring that any user can setup the system quickly and accurately. The reports from the system helps the user understand where the defects are lower and from where it comes from."
While a standard report can be generated, there are options for generating special reports, should the packaging companies needs, for example, submitting reports to their clients, etc.
Surendra Tulsiyan, director at Paramount, who was present at the session, expressed satisfaction of the system installed at his plant in Bhiwandi. “While we can produce 100% accurate cartons, it has also enhanced the vigil among the operators at various processes. Now that the system indicates where the problems are, each one wants to be flawless. That a major advantage for us," he said.
During the interactive session, the members of the carton forum asked questions, which were answered by team Autoprint and Lucid Imaging.