Saica Group, headquartered in Zaragoza (Spain), is a leading European company in the manufacture of recycled paper for corrugated board. At its Wigan (UK) facility, the company produces various types of printed corrugated board packaging. These include boxes for biscuits or cereals for well-known brands. The company prioritizes high print quality and exact color match as these are crucial for brand representation at the point of sale. With the help of ISRA VISION’s CartonSTAR 100 % inline inspection system, Saica Pack Wigan has significantly improved the quality of their printed corrugated board packaging and minimized customer complaints. This system, equipped with the innovative LiveSheetView feature, has been instrumental in meeting the increasing demand for flawless printed packaging.
CHALLENGES
When the company invested in a new BOBST DRO 6-color printing machine in 2020, they also decided to incorporate a state-of-the-art inspection system to continuously monitor production, detect defects reliably, and sort out defective sheets before further processing. This decision was driven by their commitment to delivering top-quality products to their customers.
SOLUTION
The CartonSTAR system from ISRA VISION, optimized for post-print production of printed corrugated boards, was their choice. This system can detect typical defects such as color deviations, missing print and color, register defects, streaks and splashes, and delamination of the cardboard material, even at high production speeds. Its intelligent defect classifier can be configured to distinguish between ‘relevant’ and ‘irrelevant’ defects based on individual customer requirements, thereby increasing production throughput, reducing material consumption and waste, and enhancing sustainability. The CartonSTAR system offers numerous benefits such as substrate compensation to prevent false alarms, automatic ejection of defective boards, and a high-quality classification tool. It also verifies the correct print job and checks the printing plates. The system is capable of handling a maximum line width of 2,800 mm and a maximum line speed of 150 m/min.
The system’s integrated job management facilitates finding the basic settings for repeated jobs, speeding up the setup process of the print machine and inspection system, and ensuring consistency of the print result with different orders. It also generates a comprehensive job report showing all events, diagrams, and defect galleries, which is useful for internal quality management and for documenting the quality of every single print job to Saica Pack’s customers. “Although the introduction of the CartonSTAR inline inspection system initially slowed down production, it is now widely accepted by the operators”, comments Wigan’s Print Manager Glynn Jackson. “By constantly monitoring production, the system helps to locate the origin of defects and allows quick reaction and addressing of the root cause of the problem. This not only improves the quality of the end products but also contributes to material and cost savings.”
During the printing process, the LiveSheetView function ensures that the operator can observe the printing process even more closely using precise live images. The print image currently being inspected is displayed on a separate monitor. It is possible to zoom in and out of the current image at various zoom levels in order to take a closer look at specific areas during ongoing production. The image size corresponds to the length of the print panel and the width of the material. In summary, the 100 % inline inspection system from ISRA VISION has proven to be an asset in Saica Pack’s daily operations. It ensures constant production monitoring and immediate removal of defective sheets before further processing, providing assurance that customers only receive high-quality and defect-free products.
Advantages of printed corrugated board inspection with CartonSTAR
Substrate compensation to avoid false alarms: The inhomogeneous surface of corrugated board can be mistaken for defects, leading to false alarms. CartonSTAR prevents this, enhancing inspection accuracy and ensuring even the smallest, low-contrast defects—such as smearing—are detected.
LiveSheetView Option: The LiveSheetView function displays the inspected image on a separate monitor, providing a live feed of the sheets during the printing process. This enables operators to quickly detect and address issues like fogging or printing waste. The zoom feature also allows real-time monitoring of register alignment.
High quality classification tool: The classification software distinguishes between major and minor defects, automatically categorizing them into classes. Custom actions can be assigned to each class, such as ejecting panels or stopping the machine. This boosts the yield of saleable material while enabling evaluation and insights for process optimization.