Nilpeter, a leader in flexo printing, and automation specialist B&R have jointly developed an innovative vision system designed to reduce waste, improve quality, and minimize labor. This system sets a new benchmark for maintaining color registration accuracy, even with ultra-flexible materials.
The vision system, developed through extensive collaboration between Nilpeter and B&R’s research and development departments, offers high-speed register capabilities that maintain precise color registration on flexible materials. This system is particularly effective on the Nilpeter FA-26 and other FA-Line machines, ensuring consistent print quality during both acceleration and deceleration.
B&R’s integrated solution provides microsecond synchronization between motion and vision, with a camera continuously capturing and processing images in real time. This allows for immediate detection and adjustment of print alignment variations, ensuring consistent quality. Additionally, B&R’s smart sensor, featuring a multi-color flash and integrated processing, facilitates precise color registration by quickly analyzing images and making real-time adjustments.
The vision system includes a job-reload feature that ensures perfect registration from the start of each job, supported by a comprehensive job database that defines specific criteria for each task. This reduces waste and maintains high quality across all prints, benefiting both the company’s bottom line and its environmental sustainability goals by positively impacting CO2 emissions.
Fallback systems within the vision solution ensure that registration marks are detected regardless of color combinations. Furthermore, the system is fully integrated with data collection capabilities, enabling Nilpeter to provide quality badge reports, which help customers make informed decisions based on accurate, reliable data.
Carsten Clemensen, Chief Technology Officer at Nilpeter, emphasized the significance of the new system: “We envision a future where machines are either completely self-contained or operated by a single person managing multiple units. This approach addresses the industry’s critical skills shortage and guarantees improved, consistent quality with every print.”
Jacob Buhl, regional vision expert at B&R, added, “The groundbreaking vision system exemplifies B&R’s commitment to seamlessly integrating vision solutions into machine operations. Together with Nilpeter, we’re not just advancing printing technology – we’re revolutionizing it.”