Efficient, reliable quality control

bsb-label GmbH is one of two pilot customers where BST eltromat was able to put its POWERScope 5000 video surveillance system through its paces in practical use. As a manufacturer of high-quality roll labels, bsb-label covers a particularly wide range of market requirements. Letterpress, screen, flexographic and digital printing - with its ten printing machines using different technologies, the Bielefeld-based roll label specialist can pull out all the stops for its customers when it comes to labelling, marking and decorating products. "In eight of our ten printing machines, web guiding systems from BST eltromat guarantee perfect throughput of the materials to be printed," notes Brigitte Alers, managing partner of the company. "In addition, we use video systems from this manufacturer to control the print quality in three of our machines." BST eltro-mat systems are also used at bsb-label in the high-speed die cutters from Feldbaum + Vogt and in the finishing machines from Grafisk Maskinfabrik.

The collaboration between the two companies dates back to 2008. Back then, bsb-label had the existing web edge control and video monitoring systems in its narrow web flexographic press from the Swiss manufacturer Gallus ECS 340 replaced with solutions from BST eltromat. Over the years, the partnership intensified and reached a temporary peak at the end of 2014 with a SHARK 4000 LEX 100% inspection system. This is used in a converting machine that bsblabel primarily uses to inspect large label rolls. SHARK 4000 LEX is provided with masters, which the 100% inspection system uses to check whether all labels on the rolls correspond to the references and whether the grids have also been peeled off correctly. If this is not the case, the errors are manually removed from the process.

Real partnership
In spring 2016, BST eltromat finally asked whether bsb-label was one of two companies in the world interested in beta testing the POWERScope 5000 digital video monitoring system, which was brand new at the time. In August 2016, this was installed in the Gallus ECS 340, which bsb-label uses to produce a wide range of different roll-fed labels. "Many customers expect us to check their products one hundred percent. Flawless label rolls are a prerequisite for them to be able to fully exploit the productivity of their machines," says Peter Bellmann, head of the printing department at bsb-label, emphasising the outstanding importance of quality assurance in the production of roll labels. In view of this market requirement, the most modern technology is just good enough here. Therefore, a practical test of the new POWERScope 5000 fitted perfectly into bsb-label's concept.

The POWERScope 5000 was developed from scratch by BST eltromat, whereby the responsible team analyzed and questioned the individual technical details of the previous version POWERScope 4000. Starting with the crosshead on which the camera is mounted and positioned in printing presses, through the camera to the software including the user interface - all core components were to be improved. At the drupa 2016 trade fair, BST eltromat finally presented the new system for narrow and medium-width printing processes.

Ease of use further improved
In view of the diversity and complexity of market requirements, bsb-label places great value on the ease of use of its production systems. "BST eltromat has reduced the user interface of the new video monitoring system to the essential functions and thus made it particularly clear," says Daniel Diesselhorst, who is responsible for strategic purchasing at bsb-bentlage, acknowledging the progress made with the POWERScope 5000. The company's machine operators only need to enter a few order parameters in the menu, such as the format lengths and widths. They can do this either via the quick-access keys on the external keyboard or via the multi-touch monitor. The external keyboard can be flexibly installed in printing presses depending on spatial conditions and customer requirements.

In addition, the POWERScope 5000 takes work steps away from the machine operators. "For example, we can save camera positions, including image sections, zoom and other settings, and recall them at any time. The camera then automatically moves to the desired positions. Our machine operators need no more than one to two minutes per job to set up the system," says Bellmann. With three to five job changes per day on this machine, this means enormous time and cost savings over the course of the year.

Quality always under control
With the split-screen function, machine operators can compare live images from production with reference images on the 21.5 inch wide multi-touch monitor and compare them with the live images. The electronic zoom allows distortion-free enlargement of the image sections. This enables the machine operators to view specific details of the printed labels, such as the quality of the register, and to reliably detect any irregularities thanks to the excellent image quality of the video system. Even the die-cutting contours are clearly visible on the images. The digital camera offers high resolution, while the high-performance LED flash illuminates the material webs evenly. The LED technology offers the advantage that its illumination intensity will remain stable over the long term. And with the electronic zoom, too, there are no more wear parts that might have to be replaced later depending on the stress on the camera.

New tasks again and again
Admittedly, the test has been completed for quite some time. Nevertheless, bsb-label keeps approaching BST eltromat with new requirements. Bellmann: "We like to use the opportunity to be able to express wishes." For example, one customer requires a gap of exactly ten millimeters between the beginning of the image on the labels and their edge. BST el-tromat is currently working on a solution that will enable bsb label's machine operators to see at a glance and reliably whether they are complying with this customer requirement. "The development department at BST eltromat regularly contacts us to ask if we have any new requirements," says Alers, praising the company's commitment.

Eventually, bsb-label will also convert other of its printing presses to the new video monitoring system. The compact design of the camera unit will play a role in this decision, as it offers the advantage of taking up little space in the printing machines. In addition, bsb-label is considering the use of a wide-range sensor from BST eltro-mat in the near future. These sensors with measuring ranges of up to 460 mm offer the possibility, for example, of optimizing web guiding with changing web widths - this is where the sensors of classic web edge guiding systems reach their limits.

Print quality is no longer a headache
Diesselhorst: "We have always asked our customers about their requirements and only then invest in the appropriate machine technology. "Ultimately, many customers are not interested in the machines on which their products are manufactured. For them, only the results are important. Especially with just-in-time deliveries directly to the customer's production, constant quality is also a criterion of reliability. "We have aligned our production process in such a way that our customers can also produce reliably during their night shifts," Diesselhorst notes. "With the high production speeds of our presses, our printers need systems that reliably detect the quality of the print, including the register. The systems from BST eltromat work so well that we no longer have to worry about print quality," says Bellmann, summarizing bsb-label's experience with its supplier's technology. Faulty labels no longer reach the customer. For particularly demanding customers, such as those in the automotive industry, the systems also make it easy for bsb-label to document the quality assurance process.