4Packaging recently installed its second Q-Trac station from Kaspar Walter – an automated system for detecting cylinder defects and minimizing downtime in gravure printing presses caused by surface imperfections on cylinders.
“With the Q-Trac station, we’ve been able to identify and resolve 20% of cylinder defects at an early stage, preventing delivery delays and production interruptions for our customers and print shops. On average, this affects more than 31 gravure cylinders per month,” explains David Möller, CEO of 4Packaging.
He adds, “Imagine being able to detect all internal defects that would normally be found only during the final inspection, right at the beginning of your production process. Think of the effort you could save by not having to trace the root cause throughout your entire process chain. Q-Trac takes care of these complex tasks for us. For everyone involved in the gravure process chain, this means fewer interruptions and a smoother, more reliable production flow.”
Q-Trac – an innovative system for quality control
Q-Trac was developed by Kaspar Walter to address the challenges in cylinder manufacturing and significantly improve efficiency and quality.
The system automates the measurement of cylinder diameter, surface roughness, and engravability – a process that takes about four minutes. The comprehensive surface inspection for defects on the copper layer takes approximately four to eight minutes, depending on the cylinder size. This ensures precise and consistent measurement results, eliminating the need for manual checks, which are prone to human error. Additionally, Q-Trac guarantees regular and accurate calibration of measuring devices without operator intervention, further enhancing data consistency.
To accurately detect the type and size of a defect, Q-Trac utilizes various lighting logics and advanced imaging algorithms. These algorithms automatically detect quality-relevant surface defects.
Q-Trac scans the copper surfaces of cylinders and detects production-relevant defects early on, significantly reducing rework. The measurement data and detected defects are transmitted in real-time to the Cyon system and clearly displayed on a screen in graphical form, enabling immediate analysis and decision-making.
Most defects, such as bumps or microscopic holes, occur on the copper surface. Defective cylinders are sorted out early in the production process and are quickly re-coppered, avoiding the need for them to go through engraving, chrome plating, and surface finishing. This prevents late defect detection and saves both time and costs.
All detected copper surface defects are visualized and archived in the so-called Q-Trac Map. This map not only serves as a database for all inspection results but also provides a solid foundation for future analyses and optimizations. Over time, the system learns to distinguish between allowable surface changes and actual defects, determining whether they are within or outside the defined tolerance range.
About 4Packaing
The company, based in Dissen, Germany, has a leading position in the field of digital reproduction and the manufacture of gravure and embossing dies. Founded in the year 2000, the independent family business with around 130 employees has grown continuously since then. As a system supplier, 4Packaging offers complete solutions from a single source, from packaging design to the production of gravure and embossing dies and print approval. In order to fulfil this holistic approach, 4Packaging employs experts not only for the production of printing plates, but also for all stages of the rotogravure production process – from data preparation (in artwork and central reproduction) to cylinder production (engraving/laser technology) and actual print production.
4Packing installed the first fully automated gravure tool production line across all stages in their sector. According to the company, they we are the only manufacturer able to produce large quantities on directly laser-cut copper cylinders, using the latest versions of all machines used in cylinder manufacturing. Also of note is their own Smile Studio, which looks at the development process of products and designs from an innovative perspective: instead of time-consuming printing, photorealistic three-dimensional visualisations are created, presenting the end product in a very short amount of time.
