The ‘talk to me’ concept integrates software and equipment on the print shop floor. “Communication between equipment is becoming increasingly important, considering the growing shortage of skilled operators. Automating the various processes, from pre-press to printing through to the final post-press stages, is a benefit to operators and business owners,” said Vijay Pareek, managing director at Genius Flexo System, the representative for MPS in India.

The management information system (MIS) is the link between all systems and software on the print shop floor. CERM or Labeltraxx (MIS) sends the job information via pre-press to the MPS press, and receives machine information back from the press. Together with the AVT inspection system, a quality report can be retrieved from the MIS. “This report can also be used for all other connected equipment, to share information about the various processes,” said Pareek.

To guarantee product quality, the AVT 100% inspection camera checks the default in print results compared to the print job file, which is taken from the pre-press. “The inspection system connects the press with the post-press department,” said Pareek.

In the process control stage, AVT Presco measures the pressure settings of the anilox and print sleeves. Together with Apex, MPS developed Smart Anilox equipped with RFID.

Pareek explained, “It tracks virtually everything. When you are printing a job it can tell you the quantity of inks used, it checks for correctness of the anilox, the amount of pressure between the anilox and plate, it tracks the number of kilometres the sleeve has run. It pre-empts any mishaps.” He added, “Besides, there is the feature of job recall, to the extent that it will alert you on using exactly the anilox that was used for the job that is being re-run.”

Pareek informed that two new MPS presses have been shipped and will soon be installed at Print Care and Sky Pack. The to-arrive press will be Sky Packs’ second MPS press.