The label and narrow web printing market is more challenging than ever. The customers are demanding higher quality standards, while print products are becoming increasingly extensive and complex. At the same time, fierce competition means tighter margins and little room for error and waste.

Advance Vision Technology’s (AVT) PrintVision (PV)Helios II, is the automatic inspection system for the label and the narrow web printing systems. The system provides process control and 100% quality assurance capabilities throughout the printing process up to finishing. Installable on any press and rewinder, PV Helios II identifies defects on the labels as soon as it occurs, thereby reducing the wastage, improving the quality and providing the 100% quality assurance. PV Helios II is well suited for quality-critical products including pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food and drink labels.

Reifenhauser India in 2000, launched this product in India and since then more than 25 units have been installed all over India. These includes installations at Webtech Industries, Wintek Flexo Prints, Sel Jegat Printers, Ajanta Packaging, Universal Print Solution, Global Printing, Pragati Flexo, Interlabels Industries, Barcom Industries, Reydunn Labels, Syndicate Labels and Essel Propack.
 Sudhir Samant, business head at Reifenhauser India who represents AVT systems in India, says: "The PV Helios II gives additional benefits as it saves time and increases the profit margins."

Complete control
The operators have complete control with the PV Helios II. During set-up, the system can automatically distinguish between the label and the matrix areas by defining the label contour. It also can distinguish between text and graphics on the label, enabling easier set-up of parameter sensitivities. For printers working for international brands, or on other jobs requiring fine detail and precise printing, the PV Helios II provides an unparalleled level of quality assurance. Designed to meet the specific needs of label printers, PV Helios II will detect flaws in matrix removal, die-cutting registration, missing labels, character defects and other job deficiencies.

Samant says: "The system will accurately inspect labels of any size, on any label stock, including paper, reflective materials, transparent films and foils as well as flexible materials. The PV Helios II is designed to OEM configuration, and takes into account the limited space in a pressroom or on a finishing line."
Samant adds: "The PV Helios II provides a guarantee of quality when used on a rewinder. The PV Helios II will stop the rewinder when it detects a fault, then will move the defect to the operator’s location where he can inspect the fault both on the roll and on the system’s monitor. Whether on a rewinder or on press, the operator may zoom in to inspect and analyse the fault more closely."

Defect classification
Defects are classified to aid remedial action on press, or removal on the finishing line. The PV Helios II’s digital defect buffer enables printers to view defects and compare them with the master at any time, with less need for the rewinder’s mechanical buffer. Online job reports with faults images are generated to provide a record of the run, including defect analysis of the faults encountered. Information can be provided in a single, easy-to-read screen, and comprehensive roll reports are generated, detailing where the fault started, where it ended, the type of fault it was and in which lane it occurred.

Customer speak
Webtech Industries the Mumbai-based label printing company has installed nine inspection systems.
Amar Chhajed, director at Webtech Industries, says: "The speed and accuracy of the PV Helios II system has ensured us error-free labels even during the peak periods. It compares the master artwork with each and every printed label, which is an advantage. The system ensures delivery of high quality product. With full automation, it’s easy to set up and operate."

Interlabels Industries which operates from three locations: Chennai, Vasai (near Mumbai) and Baddi (in Himachal Pradesh), has invested in the AVT Helios inspection system.

Gautam Kothari, managing director at Interlabels Industries, says: "We want to deliver the highest quality product delivered at the agreed time. This is where this system plays a major role. The system ensures that the Interlabels, has the capacity to meet the ever growing demand for the quality labels."
Bengaluru-based Wintek Flexo Prints has invested in the fourth AVT system.
Gururaj Ballarwad, managing partner at Wintek Flexo Prints, says: "The three key factors will never change in printing industry: quality, price and service. AVT help us to supply the right quantity with right quality control within a given time."

Add-on module
PV Helios II offers a wide range of optional, add-on modules that enable the system to fully meet the growing needs of stringent quality parameters.

The new feature of ProMIS communicates valuable information between production MIS systems to the inspection platform, JobRef enables automatic verification to the original PDF file, and the barcodes and variable data module ensures 100% inspection of UPC codes, data matrix codes, and variable numbers.
During LabelExpo 2010, for the first time, AVT launched the new mobile application which will be applicable on the Apple’s iPhone. Samant says: "The new iPhone based application is called iPrint. This enables AVT users to get information from the production floor directly to their iPhones, regardless of where they are. This application is compatible with iPod Touch and the new iPad."

On-press
At the printing stage, PV Helios II serves as a powerful process control and quality assurance tools for in-line inspections. The system immediately detects a wide range of defects, including colour variations, mis-registration and mis-prints. When the system detects the defect, the printer is alerted and can correct defects in real time, thereby eliminating waste and saving time and materials. The Helios’ reporting mechanism, PrintFlow, automatically stores all detected defects for process control analysis and improvement, and provides quality information for downstream repair on the finishing machine.

Rewinder
Once the job reaches the finishing stage, PV Helios II delivers 100% quality assurance. Requiring a quick and simple setup, the system enables the rewinder to operate at full speed, while automatically detecting any fault. Fully integrated with the finishing machine, PV Helios II stops the rewinder at the defects’ location. The operator can review the defects on screen and determine appropriate action, while the label is driven to the inspection table.

Samant says: "On-line, the system inspects the labels at the high speed of 80-100 meters per minute."
He adds: "With the help of this system, the wastage is reduced and the amount of good labels is monitored and displayed continuously assuring quality labels are produced and no re-prints are needed. The machine automatically alerts the printer on a print problem and on the nature and location of the defect. spot where the defect has occurred. The printer can rectify the problem immediately and continue with the production."

With the PV Helios II, printers can assure themselves and their customers that the labels delivered will be both of a quality acceptable to the customer and profitable for the printer.

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Specifications

• Full control over rewinder and finishing
• Online indication of the amount of good material printed
• Matrix and die-cut area locating mechanism
• Special detection features for characters, die-cut register, and matrix peeling
• Flexible detection control with 8 different thresholds, and the ability to create, save, and load inspection profiles
• Built-in archiving and reporting

Contact
Sudhir Samant
Reifenhäuser (I) Marketing Ltd, 229, Udyog  Bhavan,
Sonawala Road,
Goregaon (East)
Mumbai - 400063

 

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The Alternatives

Perfecto LabelSpect 400
The design of this inspection rewinder includes a electronic web guiding system which ensures that the finished rolls are perfectly wound and the Shark Lex camera system provides 100% inspection.

Contact   
BST Sayona
Tappan Patel
91 22 28549725
tpatel@bstsayona-india.com
www. bstsayona.in

Flytech 150
The Flytech 150 can inspect single-lane web widths of up to 250mm and has the option to be fitted with inkjet technology, allowing sequential numbering, barcodes and sell by dates to be applied in one pass.

Contact   
Creed Engineers,
Ranesh Bajaj
+91 1242 370936
rbajaj@creedemail.com
www.creedengineers.com