Consumables

Efficient print inspection for corrugated board

Thursday 26. August 2021 - Flawless thanks to automatic 100 % inspection in digital printing. Packaging made of corrugated board continues to gain ground and has long since proven itself capable of handling even the most demanding applications.

In combination with the possibilities of digital printing, the recyclable material offers a wide range of design options, from customised products to series production. High quality is also expected for this printing process.
The 100% inspection system CartonSTAR from ISRA VISION for checking the print image on corrugated board can now also be used in digital printing thanks to a further development.
Classically, corrugated board is printed using the flexographic printing process. However, due to the preparation costs, this printing process is only worthwhile for quantities in the low four-digit range. In view of the increasing demand for individualised packaging and quickly changing small series, digital printing is therefore increasingly being used. The advantage is obvious: since there is no make-ready process in digital printing, small print quantities down to batch size one are possible. This means that digital printing has a cost advantage, especially for small and medium print runs, and that with very good print quality.
Flexible partner in digital printing
The 100 % inspection system CartonSTAR for continuous quality and process control can be used both in the “post-print” and the “pre-print” area, and its flexibility makes it the ideal partner in digital printing. The system can be easily integrated into the digital printing workflow via suitable interfaces and covers all the requirements of an inspection solution intuitively and in detail. In addition to classic print defects such as register accuracy, missing motifs or colour deviations, CartonSTAR also detects common defects in digital printing such as mottling, banding, stripes or streaks.
Particularly powerful and reliable are the adjustable defect detection and classification through the integrated compensation of the material surface. The so-called “defect classifier” distinguishes precisely and quickly between quality-relevant defects and irregularities that have their origin in the inhomogeneous surface structure of the corrugated board and thus avoids unnecessary waste. Immediate defect detection allows defective prints to be sorted out at an early stage (optionally also fully automatically). This prevents the further processing of faulty sheets, conserves resources and saves costs in the production process.
Robust and reliable
CartonSTAR itself has a very compact design and is therefore easy to integrate into any machine. All ISRA components are extremely robust and also protected against heat, dust and high humidity. The highly efficient and long-lasting ISRA LED lighting enables maintenance-free operation of the system for years. The “Condition Monitoring” monitors all important system functions live and thus prevents unpleasant surprises.
Conclusion
Thanks to the automatic, highly efficient 100% inspection with CartonSTAR, companies can be sure that only flawlessly printed goods leave the premises. Quality reports make each individual job traceable and give customers peace of mind; at the same time, they help to avoid errors in the long term and optimise the overall process. In addition, the amount of rejects is reduced and resources are used more efficiently, which lowers production costs in view of constantly rising raw material prices.