(L-R) Richard Pullan of Kingsway and Mark Hyde of AB Graphic
AB Graphic International has sold a third Omega SRI slitter inspection rewinder, the latest specification in the SRI series, to Lincolnshire-based Kingsway Printers.
The new model supplied includes 100% print face inspection camera and Omega Autoslit terminal for automatic positioning of the scissor slitting blades.
Kingsway managing director, Richard Pullan, was introduced to the new SRI during its launch at Labelexpo in Brussels last year and was highly impressed with the capabilities of the FleyeVision camera inspection system and new Autoslit terminal.
The new machine has a servo-driven unwind and is suitable for web widths up to 330 mm. The extras specified by the company included a second web guide, FleyeVision camera inspection, auto cut, automatic slitting and bulk waste rewind.
‘Our usual method of inspection is stroboscope with visual inspection of the web,’ explained Mr Pullan. ‘This limits our running speed and the operator has to rely on the printer flagging the web. The FleyeVision camera system now allows us to confidently run at much higher speeds knowing that it will identify flags or print issues, stopping the web immediately. The sensitivity of the camera inspection can be adjusted so that the web does not continually stop due to very minor print issues. Since testing the camera we have found it to be very accurate and this has given our operators greater confidence. The camera system is particularly good for some of the long run length work we produce due to the increased speed that can be achieved.’
The Autoslit system is designed to permit automatic positioning of the scissor slitting blades. Rather than having to manually adjust these, the system scans the web for the label gaps and automatically puts them all into the correct position. Alternatively the gap sizes can be entered into the computer to place the blades into position. This is ideal for butt cut labels that have no gaps.
‘The Omega Autoslit system is an amazing piece of technology and I believe we are the first UK company with this equipment on an Omega SRI,’ said Mr Pullan. ‘Since the installation, we have had a software upgrade which allows different slit widths to be entered. We print a lot of short run digital work and previously, positioning the blades was very time consuming. The new system now reduces set up time significantly and is also very accurate. The SRI has not only met our expectations, but will also improve our productivity. The technology will help us maintain our high quality standards and further reduce the chance of any unacceptable print leaving the factory. We currently have two Omegas from AB Graphic and the changes and improvements versus the older models were immediately apparent.’
