Siddhomal and Sons began as a modest paper merchant in the early 20th century in New Delhi. Its offshoot Siddhomal Paper Conversion Co is a manufacturer of flexible packaging materials for blue-chip clients worldwide. With escalating demands for improved print quality, high efficiency, and reduced wastage of expensive raw materials, the flexible packaging printer and converter has found it necessary to automate its quality monitoring and defect detection process.
Rotogravure printing is subject to common printing defects including perforations, voids, streaks, missing prints, and color variation. Usually press operators visually monitor the print web for these defects and take corrective action manually. However, when rotogravure presses are run at high speeds (several hundred meters per minute), detecting print defects with the unassisted human eye is impossible and taking corrective action is equally difficult. Thus defects and variations lead to rejections, and excessive losses including the cost of materials.
Like many flexible packaging converters, Siddhomal Paper Conversion also struggled with these problems, and was on the lookout for a print defect monitoring system. After looking at several options, it decided to invest in ATE’s ViewAXIS Mega, a next generation web video system. Suitable for any type of roll-to-roll application or packaging substrate, ViewAXIS Mega enhances print quality by helping to eliminate defects and variations. In addition it offers ease of installation and retrofitting to presses already running on the shop floor.
Ajit Kasliwal, plant head of Siddhomal Paper Conversion’s Noida plant says, “The ViewAXIS Mega performs its desired functions. Ours was the first installation for this product and ATE was prompt in sorting out the initial niggles. I have been associated with ATE for over 2 decades and the thing that I appreciate is that the company delivers what it commits. We have now placed an order for a second ViewAXIS Mega for another press – hence the repeat order is our best testimony.”
The ViewAXIS Mega print vision system employs a modular design and uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver sharp and accurate stationary images at high print speeds. Its area scan camera provides high-resolution digital images with numerous web viewing options for high operational flexibility. The bright white-light LED strobe unit ensures low power consumption. Smooth travel along the motorized traverse and magnification in regions of interest adds to operational flexibility. Magnification, split screen comparison, image rotate and flip feature modes help in instant error identification. The split-screen feature allows comparison of cross marks printed on both the edges of the substrate – an important monitoring parameter.
The icon-based graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch-sensitive ViewAXIS web video process diagram monitor makes it easy for operators to learn and use the system. Users can also predefine critical positions over areas of interest (that are stored in the system’s memory), and monitor these areas continuously. An automatic constant scan mode helps operators monitor the web step by step. A unique feature of the ViewAXIS Mega is manual iris control for dynamic exposures which allows operators to control the amount of light falling on the camera sensor, to improve image quality.
