Virtual.Drupa 2021: Isra Vision showcases PrintSTAR inspection system

 “For example, inline you can inspect your print, while a second camera bank checks the applied varnish or any other surface of the web. Unlimited configurations are possible and even a registration check between the different surfaces is possible,” he said.

What should the Indian printers do to improve their production methods, and how can Isra Vision help in this? “The key is reduction of time and waste,” Maugeri said. “We have to consider that each defective product creates waste, but on top of that, the time that you invest for a reprint is time that you do not dedicate to another product. Our systems relieve customers from that pain, because we detect at appearance so that counter measures can be taken immediately. Also, PrintSTAR comes with makeready features that helps you to reduce the makeready time and create waste during this process with register control, a 100% spectrophotometric colour measurement called ColorSTAR, and many others.”

Looking ahead, Maugeri said, against all expectations, in the recent times, the company has encountered a high demand and interest in its products. This is a result of the high consumption of printed goods during the pandemic, especially in food and pharmaceutical packaging, he said. “Our customers claimed about high workloads, but never about a decline in orders. Certainly, there have been markets that suffered from the pandemic, especially if you think about tickets, flyers and other giveaways,” he added.

The pandemic is also driving eCommerce. But, Maugeri said, “E” is not the whole story. “Certainly, the way suppliers sell and promote their products has changed, but don’t forget that at some point, the goods need to be packed before transportation. The look and feel of a product package have never been as important as nowadays. 

He gives the example of corrugated printing. Four-five years ago, the industry was dominated by the brown box. “In the past two years, based on the growing demand coming from that market, we developed our CartonSTAR inspection system and the designs that we see running daily underneath our cameras are way more than just a brown box. Printed displays with seven colours, TV boxes with a high-resolution design, gift boxes and many other products that require a defect-free quality and consistent colour.”

So, zero-defect policy is definitely a thing. Printing quality has been always important, but the frequency of requests for higher requirements has increased drastically. He added, “In the past, we were able to launch a product and provide this standard to our customers for at least five years. Nowadays, it feels like the demand for higher resolutions, faster speeds and higher accuracy is growing daily. Nonetheless, this is a great development for us and a proof for the importance of our products in that market.

And the next big thing for graphics and packaging segments? Renewable materials and consumables will have a huge impact on these segments,” Maugeri said, adding, “In the long term, people will not buy if there’s not at least a tree on the package or similar that indicates that this material will not damage the environment.

Slowly but steady this will also have an impact on the graphics and thus the design itself. If we think about sustainability, the first thought is immediately spent on plastic packaging and foils. But don’t forget that the applied inks and coatings are not as healthy for our nature as we might think. Today, we connect products with a poor print automatically to “cheap” and thus not good. Colorful designs, heavy packaging and thick material feels and looks good, but in a future society, I believe that products with only one colour applied onto a biodegradable paper bag will be a status symbol.”