Finishing equipment manufacturer A B Graphic International (ABG) has launched its automated workflow technology for the label industry, ABG Connect.
ABG Connect aims to increase workflow automation by connecting all stages of the print and finishing process as one. The technology, which has been under development for nearly a decade, offers a fully automated print-finishing process, bringing with it a host of commercial and efficiency benefits. During its evolution, partnerships with self-adhesive labels converter, Mercian Labels, and MIS company, Cerm, has resulted in the creation of a plug-and-play option that uses the latest industry-standard JDF/JMF messaging format to connect a customer’s management information system to their ABG finishing line.
One of the main advantages of ABG Connect is the increase in productivity and operator efficiency it can provide. From beta testing, efficiency savings of ‘up to 75%’ are now achievable on a single machine. With redeveloped software and a new system architecture platform, ABG Connect provides a streamlined, user-friendly approach to maximising production capabilities. Additional benefits include time savings from a fully integrated zero-point inspection option, ABG’s automated camera inspection technology which requires zero operator input during set-up, and ABG Connect that offers automated job changeovers.
ABG Connect also delivers live production data direct from the finishing machine into an MIS. This allows for accurate reports to be generated directly from the machine, thereby showcasing the high levels of productivity possible.
While Cerm MIS has been integral to the development of this, with Cerm an ABG Premium Integration Partner, ABG Connect can be fully integrated with any MIS system including any home-grown XML-based solution, making it a flexible, adaptable and integrated machine automation product.
Mark Norman, ABG’s technical director, commented, ‘ABG Connect is the pinnacle of development work at the company and we’re proud of the advantages we see this generating for customers. For us, it really is an ‘automated revolution’, and to be leading the way in automated print finishing feels like a natural place for ABG to be.’
