The Digital Transformation in Gravure Cylinder Manufacturing
von Ansgar Wessendorf,
Equipped with six screens, the Cyon cockpit displays the key performance and quality data of each process step in inline gravure cylinder manufacturing in real time. In front of the cockpit (from left): Christoph Gschoßmann, CEO of Kaspar Walter; Ronny Siegel, Vice President of Sales at Kaspar Walter; and Ansgar Wessendorf, Editor-in-Chief of the trade magazine VerpackungsDruck & Converting. (Source: Ansgar Wessendorf)
Digitalization has become an indispensable part of modern industrial production. In the field of gravure cylinder manufacturing, companies are increasingly compelled to address new technological and organizational challenges. In an industry traditionally defined by precision and efficiency, digital innovations are essential for competing in the global market. This article explores the key challenges of digital transformation in gravure cylinder manufacturing and introduces Cyon by Kaspar Walter, a solution specifically designed to meet these demands.
Why is digitalization essential?
“The integration of digital technologies into production workflows is one of the greatest challenges facing gravure cylinder production today. It’s not just about digitizing existing processes, but about seamlessly connecting and standardizing them. Digital systems for machine control and digitally mapped workflows are central to achieving this. Without consistent digitalization of all processes, gravure cylinder manufacturers cannot attain the desired efficiency or quality required in today’s competitive landscape,” explains Christoph Gschoßmann, CEO of Kaspar Walter.
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The interconnection of production stages—plating, surface processing, and engraving—requires standardized interfaces to ensure smooth communication between systems. These connections are critical for optimizing the coordination and synchronization of production workflows. Comprehensive data collection and analysis enable the definition of top-tier quality standards and facilitate informed decision-making. Intelligent algorithms can suggest specific solutions to users and help prevent process deviations proactively.
Cyon digitizes and connects the entire process of gravure cylinder manufacturing (Source: Kaspar)
Skills shortages labour and high expectations
In addition to technological transformation, cylinder manufacturers face other significant challenges, such as a shortage of skilled workers for machine operation and process management. “It’s still common today for the monitoring and analysis of plating systems, as well as the calculation and adjustment of chemical consumption, to be performed by a qualified, experienced plater. Unfortunately, there is little new talent entering this profession,” notes Christoph Gschoßmann.
Another key focus is the principle of “First Time Right,” which aims to execute all processes flawlessly on the first attempt to avoid costly rework and additional testing procedures, such as gravure cylinder proofing. Achieving this requires high precision and continuous process optimization.
Digitalization, standardization, and optimization
To address the challenges of digital transformation, Kaspar Walter has developed Cyon, a modular software solution currently comprising seven modules. It is a highly integrated digital platform for the continuous, data-driven optimization of cylinder production. Cyon connects the entire machine platform of the Heliograph Group, offering users complete transparency across the production chain. Optimization is achieved by continuously adjusting production processes based on collected data and the extensive expertise of Kaspar Walter, the Heliograph Group, and their customers.
The Cyon system tracks and stores all relevant production data in real-time, enabling comprehensive error analysis and precise investigation of process deviations. This data foundation supports the continuous improvement of productivity and quality in cylinder production. The digital standardization of processes enhances production reliability by minimizing deviations and harmonizing workflows, ensuring consistently high cylinder quality.
Digitally connected production environment
Cyon integrates machines and solutions from the Heliograph machine platform into a powerful, comprehensive solution that covers all aspects of cylinder manufacturing. Combined with Q-trac and Certified Engraving (CE), it offers an optimal solution for automatically capturing and documenting the entire production process. Q-trac acts as an intelligent, self-calibrating, and highly automated quality control system for inspecting the copper surface before engraving, while Certified Engraving monitors and documents engraving quality.
The Cyon dashboard generates real-time overviews and provides key performance and quality data (Source: Kaspar Walter)
Current quality control challenges
Quality control in cylinder manufacturing often relies on diverse, non-standardized, manually operated measuring devices. Christoph Gschoßmann comments: “The calibration of these devices is usually irregular and highly dependent on the operator’s skills. This contributes to variability and unreliability in measurement data, ultimately impacting the consistency and quality of production.”
Manual, time-consuming entry of measurement results into systems further complicates the process and limits the availability of critical data for decision-making. As a result, engraving and surface defects in gravure cylinders are often detected too late, leading to wasted resources and significant additional costs.
Currently, cylinder proofing is still necessary to identify defects in geometry, surface, and engraving, ensuring defective products are not delivered. However, proofing occurs at the end of the production chain—after the cylinder has been chrome-plated—resulting in delayed reactions to quality issues. Proofing also incurs substantial costs due to the need for proofing equipment, various substrates, inks, skilled personnel, and additional time. The risk of cylinder damage during transport to the proofing location further adds to these challenges.
The lower section of the Cyon cockpit screen visualizes a copper surface defect in the Q-Trac Map for evaluation in two display modes. The upper section shows the exact position of the defect on the cylinder (Source: Ansgar Wessendorf)
Financial Impact
The financial repercussions of such inefficiencies are significant. For a gravure cylinder manufacturer producing approximately 15,000 cylinders annually with a defect rate of 7.5%, this results in 1,125 cylinders requiring re-manufacturing each year, incurring costs exceeding €100,000. A large portion of these defects stems from plating or surface issues, along with engraving errors and transport damage. “With the capabilities of Cyon, Q-trac, and Certified Engraving, users can reduce the defect rate by at least half,” explains Christoph Gschoßmann.
Cylinder manufacturing without proofing
Digital transformation presents gravure cylinder manufacturing with complex challenges but also offers immense opportunities. Kaspar Walter’s Cyon solution empowers companies to overcome these challenges while significantly enhancing manufacturing efficiency and quality. Through the integration of digitalization, standardization, and optimization, Cyon lays the groundwork for future-proof production. The future of cylinder manufacturing will be digitally connected, and Cyon is the key to unlocking this new production landscape. “By integrating Cyon with Q-trac and Certified Engraving, companies can optimize their processes to such an extent that proofing may become obsolete in the future,” concludes Christoph Gschoßmann.
