Vision

Vision Solutions

Mailtech provides the industry’s first turnkey read & print system which provides on-line printing of variable information in-line with an inserter, card attacher or finishing equipment while eliminating buffering of data and manual reconciliation of multiple pieces when a jam or defect occurs. IntegraJET combines industry leading camera reading, matching, piece tracking and printing abilities to reduce job set- up and reconciliation while providing industry best read rates.

Vision and Inspection Solutions

Process Control
Using Vision
Our inspection solutions interface with production equipment to stop, divert, mark or track defective items for variable documents, labels, plastic cards and smart packaging print production

In any print production process, errors can occur due to equipment failures, human error or environmental conditions. This becomes a major issue when processing critical documents (statements, bills, invoices, and policies), variable data labels (shipping, authentication and tax stamps) and plastic cards where 100% job integrity and print quality is paramount.

Also, many printed items such as postal sorted mail and plastic cards (telephone SIM cards) need to be batched/bundled/trayed for easy dispatch and shipping.

When a print defect or integrity error is detected by the camera inspection system, it is essential that the correct item is diverted, marked or flagged in the most appropriate and efficient manner to minimize the impact on the on-going production process. Whether the item is sheet fed or on a continuous web, precise process control must be maintained throughout using robust integrity management, item tracking and close integration with the equipment. This ensures that the right item is identified and either the equipment is stopped, an alarm is sounded, or the item is diverted and presented to the operator to mark, tab or flag the item for later off-line inspection and correction. This management of defects minimizes the loss in productivity, time and wastage, and therefore the direct impact on operational costs and profitability.

Typical Requirements

• Reliable reading, identification, verification and matching of a multitude of symbologies on printed items at high speeds including, 1D & 2D barcodes and OCR of text.
• Ability to track items, verify sequence and match information against a database or the original print run input file for complete integrity verification
• Ability to detect print quality defects such as voids, streaks, ink marks, print registration or colour deviations
• Flexible and configurable options to precisely stop, divert, jog, mark or tab suspect items in the shortest possible distance for high-speed sheet or web devices
• Effectively alert the operator through using traffic light and/or audible alarms warnings
• Ability to integrate with all major printers/presses, inserter, label converter, card attaching and personalization and variable/flexible packaging equipment
• Ability to generate detailed error reports and location roll rolls maps which can be used by ADF, MIS or in-house factory control systems as well as by automated reprint systems and offline web inspection/correction stations.
• Ability to provide bolt-on divert stations, inkjet marking or tabbing solutions
• Productivity solutions for batching/ bundling/ traying for streamlining despatch and shipping
• Ability to provide ongoing, real-time information and detailed production/Audit reporting
• Flexibility to easily change process control configurations to adapt to changing customer requirements

Solutions for Process Control

Whether an item has a defect, or a production run needs to be batched or bundled in a controlled way, Lake Image Systems offers a range of solutions to meet your needs.

We specialize in process control solutions for the high-speed production of variable documents, mail, labels, plastic cards and flexible packaging. The most appropriate process control solution depends upon a wide range of parameters (such as speed and width of belt, size of item and defect, whether sheet or web fed, bundling/traying needs etc.) and type and make o the equipment being used.

Discovery Multiscan is a suite of bolt-on camera and scanner based integrity verification and reporting solutions which integrate on new or legacy printing, inserting, bindery, plastic card or finishing equipment.

Automated Read, Ink Print and Verify for mail, labels, cards, packaging & RFIDs items on high-speed finishing & personalization equipment.

It tracks each item through the finishing equipment from an initial read and database verification to final print, providing a higher level of document integrity. Discovery READ&PRINT utilizes the latest thermal print-head technology which provides unparalleled performance, quality, flexibility and cost performance.

Integrated, Turnkey Solution – from one vendor

Discovery READ&PRINT is provided as an integrated package from one vendor which includes all necessary hardware equipment, inkjet address printer and software tools followed up with exceptional installation, training and maintenance services. This equates to all components operating seamlessly together reducing integration time and costs and more importantly, you only have one point of contact for all your support needs.

• Envelope Inserters– in-line printing of addresses and variable marketing messages
• Cards Attachers– Personalise plastic cards and carrier documents all at full production speeds.
• Polywrap Lines– Direct addressing on the outside of each pack.
• Stitchers– In line personalization.
• Label Converters – Automated verification for label inkjet printing
• Web– Print serial numbers and PIN’s with guaranteed match at full web speeds.
• RFIDs– Read, Encode, Print and Verify high volume RFID Label production

Read Tools

Comprehensive reading tools for extracting and decoding printed barcodes and OCR text

The Discovery suite includes a comprehensive range of reading tools for extracting and decoding data within images for subsequent processing by Discovery’s control, integrity, inspection and reporting applications.  

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

Fully font trainable, The Discovery OCR Tool offers the easiest operator setup features on the market. However, performance and functionality is not compromised, with industry-leading read rates and capabilities.

Features include:

• Gap Filler: compensate for break up in characters and print
• Format: Extract and process specific characters from a full character string
• Touching: Compensate and read touching character sets
• Auto-Teach: Train and save multiple versions of each character during the training process, at different threshold values, to compensate for print variation

Linear, QR and 2D Barcodes

The Discovery Barcode Tool is a sophisticated barcode verifier which can locate and decode a wide variety of linear, QR and 2D barcode technologies for further processing. Using state of the art decoding algorithms the tool operates at rates in excess of 50 codes per second, allowing for rotation and varying lighting and image conditions. Fully configurable data formatting allows for flexible code structures, optimizing machine control applications, simultaneous sheet-feeder collation, selective feeding and matching functionality.

Postal Barcodes

Discovery supports a wide range of postal barcode symbology for exit scanning integrity and control applications. The tool features auto-setup routines for total ease of use and operation.

OMR

For applications where clients or machinery constraints require OMR capability, the Discovery OMR tool is designed to provide accurate calibration, set-up and decoding of most OMR code formats.

Barcode/2D Grading

In-line barcode grading functionality to international standards.

Cameras & Scanners

Print inspection camera & scanner technologies for the Print Industry

The Discovery platform can acquire data from a wide range of scanner and camera devices. Our GigEread range of integrated inspection camera, illumination and optics modules can be implemented alongside standard camera technology and a wide range of serial input devices such as Barcode or 2D scanners, RFID scanners, Magnetic stripe and Chip readers etc. Linescan cameras can provide high-resolution images for high-speed web and sheet applications, while our award-winning MaxScan technology provides true 600DPI full-colour imaging for webs and sheets up to 926mm wide.

Standard Camera

Where specialist illumination or optics are required to achieve unusual fields of view and scanning areas, or images of glossy or reflective products, Discovery can interface with most available imaging technologies. With the constant introduction of new cameras to the market resolutions in excess of 2592 pixels x 1944 pixels can be achieved, or speeds in excess of 100 images per second, giving Discovery the performance necessary for the widest range of applications

Area Scan cameras:

Up to 12 camera inputs per processor:
GigE and CameraLink interface,
Resolutions in excess of 5MP, mono, colour, UV, with speeds in excess of 100fps

GigEread integrated imaging modules
GigEread Modules are designed to take away the mystery of imaging and illumination. Each module is designed with a specific application in mind. The GigEread approach to imaging provides the ultimate flexibility of proven camera technologies, with integrated optics and lighting, providing long-term consistency and stability. All GigEread cameras feature fixed focus and illumination for ease of use, setup and long term stability.

Line Scan Cameras

The Discovery platform can support a wide range of both color and black and white line scan camera technologies. Ideal for continuous print and web applications, a Line Scan camera can acquire an image of the entire width of a web or document without the need for camera movement between jobs. With up to 16,000 pixels of horizontal resolution, Line Scan allows multiple inspections to be performed providing 100% variable data integrity and print quality.

Barcode / 2D Scanners and other serial devices

With a highly flexible serial input configurator, Discovery Multiscan can interface with most serial reading and scanning devices such as:

• Barcode scanners (moving beam and fixed beam laser and LED)
• 2D scanners
• Mag-Stripe Readers
• RFID Readers

Scanners can be used in combination with cameras, providing a truly versatile and upgradeable solution.

Print integrity software tools to verify correct print production

Discovery’s Integrity suite includes a comprehensive range of sequence and file-based verification tools. Documents and printed items can be checked against a predefined sequence, or the original print file to confirm its integrity and to report on its status.

• Missing/Duplication Verify Check database for missing or duplicate items.
• Static Verify Base stock verification.
• Sequence Check Incremental inspection of sequence numbers.
• Sequence Audit Incremental sequence against a data file.
• File Audit Complete integrity inspection against the original print run input file.
• Match Controller Match Multiple personalized inserts, plastic cards or print data fields.
• Batch Controller Batch, stack or mail sort control
• Data Logging Fully configurable data logging of all available inspection data
• Integrity ReportsProvides complete audit trail and productivity reporting

A revolutionary scanning device for ultra-crisp, uniform, high-resolution imaging.

The inspection and verification of integrity marks and security features are common requirements for a wide range of web and sheet-based products, such as statements, bills & invoices as well as for bank notes, cheques, lottery tickets and software security labels. Requirements include checking the presence, position and integrity of applied features such as barcodes, QRcodes, foils and hologram devices and base paper inserts such as security threads and watermarks.

Reading these integrity marks and security features accurately and reliably is paramount for any inspection or integrity control system. Although standard line scan cameras produce extremely high-resolution images, they require a lens to project the image onto the sensor and need significant headroom to see the entire sheet or web. These requirements create issues for certain applications and devices.

Discovery Maxscan is a revolutionary new scanning technology which uses a unique sensor, lens and illumination arrangement that enables the unit to operate at a close working distance while maintaining clear, sharp image definition over its entire length.

The MaxScan is an exciting new addition to the Discovery family. Our Discovery MultiScan Manager pulls together the images and data from a wide variety of cameras, including the new MaxScan contact scanners, and enables the implementation of any number of Discovery software tools to read, control, inspect, verify, log, track and report – providing 100% quality inspection and print data integrity. Sophisticated image processing software and our new 64bit OS, enables MultiScan to read and quickly process the extremely large (1GB+) images that are typically created by MaxScan. Our 20 years of imaging expertise has enabled Lake Image Systems to be one of the first vendors to offer the MaxScan solution.