Note: This article appeared in 2020. You can find our current inspection solutions under Inspection.
In 2020, PrintsPaul from Eschweiler near Aachen took over distribution of the LabelMaster series from the manufacturer Luster. The systems inspect print quality on almost any material and can be adapted to your own production via modules and software.
The series is designed for label inspection, for example for cosmetics, food, beverages and pharma. It can be integrated into existing processes. Finding defects early reduces waste and production costs. Holographic, opaque and clear-on-clear labels are also inspected.
Software with its own defect classification
The scope of delivery includes the PrintingPlus software. It detects the smallest defects, assigns them to defect types and so simplifies evaluation in day-to-day operation.
Three types of inspection
Inline on the press
The system sits directly on the press, whether flexo, letterpress or digital. A 4K camera checks the web immediately after printing. Light and sound signals report serious defects so that the team can intervene at once. Camera and light source are interchangeable and can therefore be adapted to the material. A single reference image is enough for set-up; no time-consuming teaching is required.
Offline on the rewinder
For final inspection, the system sits on a rewinder. When a defect occurs, the machine stops at the right position and defective labels are removed or replaced. The LabelMaster-F series inspects at up to 300 m/min.
Workflow with central evaluation
Inspection and defect correction are separated. The system on the press sends the defect data to a server that stores quality reports for up to six months. A separate rewinder loads the data and stops at critical positions. This separation significantly increases work efficiency.
Modules for special tasks
- CodeHERO checks barcodes, 2D codes, sequential numbers and OCR, up to 400 codes per second.
- ColorHERO monitors up to 20 colour patches simultaneously and reports deviations from ΔE 2.
- ProofHERO assembles images into a proof and processes PDF, JPEG, TIFF and BMP.
- GradingHERO classifies defects, tracks them and produces quality reports.
For tension-sensitive materials such as electronic labels or textile labels, there is a version with particularly low web tension, and for sheet processing a version with a cross cutter.
