Bobst has launched oneInspection, an integrated and evolving set of quality control solutions to proactively meet brand owners and converters’ needs, making zero-fault packaging a reality in the labels, flexible packaging, folding carton, and corrugated board industries. Bobst said the new quality control would also offer significant value to packers, retailers, and consumers as part of the packaging value chain.

oneInspection ensures an end-to-end data-driven quality process specifically tailored for each industry, which can be deployed in both new and existing production lines. It is a core enabler of the Bobst vision to shape the packaging world’s future and a core component of Bobst Connect – an open architecture cloud-based platform delivering solutions for pre-press, production, process optimization, maintenance, and market access.

“Brand owners and converters are faced with increasingly tight margins and timelines, which places huge amounts of pressure on quality control,” said Alexandre Pauchard – group R&D head. “We have launched oneInspection to alleviate these pressures. Most companies no longer have the luxury of quality control personnel carefully checking their packing and filling processes. That is why our solutions are highly digital, automated, completely reliable, inline and offline. They offer peace of mind for converters and brand owners alike.”

The current solutions for each industry are as follows:

Labels

Print Tutor Max – a system specifically designed to measure and control the color for DigiColor.

iQ 500 – a 100% inline quality control system checking each individual label for quality, color, codes, text, and register.

Flexible packaging

Hawkeye – an optical density and pinhole detector monitoring system.

Digital inspection table – a quality center that enhances the operator’s skills with augmented reality overlays while gathering photographic evidence for audit, ensuring trust and top production quality for flexible packaging production.

Folding carton

• New Accucheck – a 100% inline quality control system checking each individual blank for quality, color, codes, text, and register.
• iQ 400 – a 100% inline quality control system for web-fed folding carton production.
• Corrugated Board
• iQ 300 – a 100% inline quality control system for corrugated production
• Premium gap control – a system controlling the folding process of all finished boxes at full production speed.
• Digital inspection table – a quality center that enhances the operator’s skills with augmented reality overlays while gathering photographic evidence for audit, ensuring trust and top production quality for corrugated packaging production.

According to Bobst, these solutions provide data-driven quality control processes, eliminating human errors. They offer digital reporting for quality tracking and unique and robust image processing algorithms for perfect Inspection. They also provide new capacities, such as:

• Machine learning, available on the new Accucheck and iQ 500 systems, which enables easier and faster machine setup
• Accurate proprietary PDF functions developed on the iQ 500, which allow precise conformity checks and shorter setup times
• Optimized overall production, due to close-loop functionalities with the Hawkeye and the Print Tutor Max, which guarantee quality and maintain a high level of productivity
• Increasing connectivity and workflow integration for fact-based decision-making, such as OEE statistics on the new Accucheck and iQ 500 products.

The oneInspection systems will reportedly benefit from these new capacities and gradually integrate them to enrich their offers. Ultimately, oneInspection will provide a range of end-to-end quality control solutions, which will close the loop from artwork design to the final product through Bobst Connect, resulting in reduced production recalls and waste.

“oneInspection moves quality control into the digital age,” said Pauchard. “It perfectly reflects our vision to shape the future of the packaging world through four key pillars of connectivity, digitalization, automation and sustainability, in this instance by aiming at delivering a new range of equipment and solutions that leverage digital intelligence, software and cloud-based platforms.”