An enhanced version of QuadTech’s colour control and web inspection system will automate dampening water control, the company says.
To be launched at DRUPA in May, the feature will reduce occurrence of common newspaper printing problems such as scumming and fan-out, by automatically adjusting ink and water levels.
What can be a time-consuming, labour-intensive task becomes the latest variable to be controlled with the system. Product manager Greg Wuenstel says the development will not only ensure optimum quality throughout the print run, but will also further reduce labour, and help printers realise ink savings.
Poor ink-water balance leads to problems such as scumming and wastes ink. “Automating this process ensures consistency and eliminates the probability of human error, which can lead to overcompensation of ink or water settings and overuse of ink,” says Wuenstel.
The QuadTech system with AccuCam is an image-based, closed-loop system, which uses a proprietary six-channel spectral sensor for CIELab based control.
Director of engineering Vince Balistrieri says the first iteration provided a, more accurate and consistent method of controlling colour. “By forming development partnerships with newspaper printers such as Sankei Shinbun (Osaka, Japan) and Newsprinters (Knowsley, UK) we’ve worked together to push the technology forward,” he says. “Water control and the continuing addition of inspection capabilities are the direct result of these relationships.”