What is so Unique about VCortex' solution?
VCortex has chosen a very unique development approach: only VCortex has designed a whole system, from sensor to vision processor, with sheet-fed offset color control in mind. This is why we can offer the best system available.
The use of all presently available cameras for sheet-fed presses has many disadvantages. VCortex has designed its own integrated sensor.
This device is installed under the walk way near the impression cylinder and monitors the whole area of every sheet.
This unique approach enables us to present a very cost effective multi-functional system.
Our approach provides in one device:
Color control
Color Registration
Inspection
Viewing
Other advantages are:
100% color control: all the ink keys are controlled simultaneously all the time, thus having the fastest color setup.
Slim design that fits every sheet fed press.
No moving parts.
Only 2mm height color-bar.
Color control with half tones (in addition to full tones!).
No need for special register marks.
Much higher Resolution than equivalent cameras.
Designed for the highest press speed in the market.
Flexible cost: Less cost for smaller press width.
True OEM installation: Press vendor easily installs device - no mechanical calibration is required.
Sophisticated vision algorithms, which are part of the device, enhance color measurement reliability
Details
Almost all systems that have been developed for print quality inspection or color control are based on off-the-shelf cameras. The developing companies integrate these cameras and add their specific software and algorithms.
Using this approach for Sheet-fed offset presses has the following disadvantages: As the paper is stable only on the impression cylinder, where there is not enough space for such cameras, the cameras are installed high above the printing tower or, far away, on another tower. This configuration lowers optical resolution (or is very expensive if several cameras are used to cover full width of every sheet). This also makes it difficult to adjust the camera with the illumination (which is located near the paper), and limits the operator's activities while working on the walkway.
No other company offers quality inspection and color control within the same systems. No other company offers viewing (i.e. presenting printout images on a monitor, during printing) within a color-control device. Due to environmental uncontrolled stray light, a remote camera that may be suitable for image inspection makes it impossible the accurately measure color density.
VCortex has taken a completely different direction.
We have developed our own sensor that includes in a very slim rule: a line of many thousands of detectors, sophisticated illumination and electronics.
VCortex technology also enables processing the information in a very sophisticated way that:
Ignores irrelevant print defects that other methods erratically interpret as color changes.
Identifies trends in color changes.
Analyzes half and mid tones (in addition to other system's full tones.)
Uses a 2 mm color-bar.
