ISRA Vision adds additional functionality to inspection solutions
ISRA Vision, the world’s leading supplier of surface inspection systems, has added additional functionalities to its two proven inspection solutions for metal coating and printing: CoatSTAR, the system for 100% inspection of coated sheets before printing and at the backside of the sheet; and DecoSTAR, the system for 100% printing inspection of metal sheet decorations. The new features promise even greater production efficiency.
Additional optimisation for coating inspection
CoatSTAR is used to inspect coated metal sheets and guarantees faster processing due to 100% defect-free material use from the preparation to the final result. The system now has two new functions:
Using Flipped-Sheet-Detection, CoatSTAR’s inspection system detects if a metal sheet has been accidentally flipped over during processing so that the uncoated side faces upwards. This would lead to defective production later in the process. However, through the new function, the inspection system is able to detect this potential defect at an early stage, so that incorrect further processing can be ruled out and resources saved.
Advanced-Sheet-Movement-Compensation is CoatSTAR’s new algorithm that can exclude false defects that were previously highlighted during the inspection. These occur due to the movement of the metal sheets, as the speed of production on the conveyor belts sometimes causes the sheets to slightly bend. This bending can cause the inspection to send false alarms. However, as the movements are due to production, being able to ignore them is an advantage. The new algorithm reliably detects these false errors so that they can be ignored. This significantly enhances the production efficiency and eliminates false alarms caused by sheet impurity.
Additional increase in production efficiency in metal printing
ISRA Vision’s DecoSTAR inline inspection system ensures perfect printing quality on metal sheets and minimises print waste. This system has also now been equipped with two valuable new functions.
Auto-Detect-Color-Bars allows colour bars to be detected automatically. The feature places measurement points automatically and guarantees reliable color monitoring in production printing from the first sheet. If required, this functionality can also be used during the setup process. Today, color monitoring during setup requires offline measurement processes and therefore the setup time to be significantly reduced if done online. Color fidelity across the entire batch is also improved.
DecoSTAR’s PDF-Comparison allows the printed image to be compared to a reference PDF document. Here the challenge lies in very similar motifs, such as identical images or logos with different serial numbers or identical motifs with different service contact details for specific regions. Previously, defective production could occur when very similar motifs were printed, as the printed plates were not exchanged as required. PDF-Comparison allows this process to be steered in a targeted way, thereby noticeably reducing errors in the metal sheet production.
The new functions of the CoatSTAR and DecoSTAR inspection solutions significantly increase the efficiency of the production process for coated and printed metal packaging. This ensures that the systems pay for themselves even sooner, while users strengthen their company’s market position and secure a crucial competitive advantage. Moreover, the systems conserve resources and make a key contribution to the sustainability of production.
