Baldwin Vision Systems (BVS) is showcasing the latest developments and new features for its growing portfolio of defect detection and color management technology at Labelexpo Americas.

The new Vision Systems business unit of Baldwin Technology Company, Inc. unites former brands PC Industries, QuadTech, and Web Printing Controls into a “print technology powerhouse,” according to Isaam Lutfiyya, director of global sales and marketing for BVS.

“Visitors to our booth will get a first look at some truly exciting new technical achievements,” says Lutfiyya. “It is clear now that combining engineering talent and resources is already bearing fruit, bringing proven technology to the next level.”

One “first look” is the Guardian R, a new real-time quality monitoring and reporting tool for the Guardian PQV advanced 100% print inspection. Guardian R uses a central server to monitor, collect, and display real-time inspection data for multiple presses and jobs—and even across multiple plants—on a simple, uncluttered dashboard user interface.

Lutfiyya comments, “This data-connecting technology allows printers to track and compare many different production metrics. Press managers can monitor changes as they happen, and make highly-informed decisions about print quality, defect management, and even operator-to-operator performance. This is a unique competitive advantage, in that it’s truly the first product of its kind to tie together how you manage your processes, your print customers, and even your people. You’re empowered to quickly identify any mechanical issues, process inefficiencies, or even tailor your operator training to eliminate defects. This new platform opens the door to build even more functionality into the system.”

Additional enhancements to the Guardian PQV include automated setup and automated job changeover, limiting operator intervention for a more efficient and accurate inspection process. The system provides true 100% print inspection for pharmaceutical, converting, label, flexo, wide, and narrow web applications. Other defect management solutions featured at the show include Guardian OLP PDF proofing and offline inspection, Guardian LSI inspection, and GV-500 Series digital web viewers.

Color management workflow technology featured at booth 1339 includes ColorTrack software, which automates the process of delivering absolute consistency from press-to-press, shift-to-shift, and plant-to-plant. Significant advancements being demonstrated include options for customized “out of tolerance” alerts, capabilities to reduce changeover time and leftover ink, precise calculation of required ink quantities during job setup, per-job monitoring of real ink costs, and the ability to manage conditions across different processes, presses, and facilities to guarantee brand color fidelity. New data gathering, production monitoring, and reporting tools will enable quality managers to deliver full production overviews to print buyers and brand owners. These enhancements provide even greater control for highly accurate, fast, press-side correction of ink formulations.

Color Measurement with DeltaCam delivers affordable, accurate inline spectral measurement to achieve absolute color consistency. Packaging converters can utilize automated, full spectral value measurement—in agreement with ISO standards—on film, paper, or board, ensuring that all printed products are within their customers’ color specifications. Using InkWeigh software and scales, press operators can eliminate trial and error by weighing and tracking ink corrections at the press for each client, each job. Printers can fully track ink inventories for the creation of new recipes, for managing leftovers, for ensuring full traceability, and for optimizing ink storage to greatly reduce waste and cost.

Scheduled demonstrations of color management solutions have been taking place at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00 each day of the show. Personal demonstrations of both defect management and color management solutions will be given on request.