Danvers, MA (January 10, 2012) TECHKON – the innovation leader in densitometers, spectrophotometers and software solutions for the global print and packaging communities, announced today that Rose City Printing and Packaging, a commercial packaging company with locations in Vancouver WA and Gresham OR, has installed three new SpectroDrive® automated color measurement scanning systems. Two of the three systems employed custom 60” tracks to meet specific production requirements in their advanced printing facility. The SpectroDrive will enable higher productivity, faster makeready and a substantial savings in consumables, while significantly reducing waste – a high priority for this “Lean Manufacturing” site.
The Techkon SpectroDrive, with its automated color and density measurement capabilities is the perfect solution to substantially increase press productivity by ensuring consistent print-to-print accuracy throughout the press run. The system consists of two components: the motorized measurement system which scans the complete color bar on a printed sheet within seconds; and the Techkon Expresso software, which simultaneously receives the spectral measurement data wirelessly on a PC where all the relevant information for controlling the printing press is displayed.
Key advantages of the Techkon SpectroDrive system are:
- Speed – scanning a 40″ press sheet in less than 8 seconds
- Dual Functionality – multi-tasking as an automatic scanner or as a hand-held device for “spot check” measurements
- G7 Compliance – with recommended ink key specific adjustments of C,M,Y densities to obtain neutral values according to the G7 specification
- Flexibility – allowing the ink zone control strip to be printed and measured anywhere on the press sheet
- Accuracy – measuring density and color with the InkCheck feature, which suggests ink key specific density changes to obtain highly accurate color
Techkon’s superior design and technology made it the obvious choice for Rose City top management when outfitting their 62,000sf state-of-the-art printing plant in Gresham OR. The speed advantage alone of the SpectroDrive scanning spectrophotometer has improved overall productivity, meeting the high expectations of packaging customers such as, Trader Joes, Krusteaz, Kirkland, Tazo Tea, and Ghirardelli. The measurement of an entire 60” color bar in less than 10 seconds and the swift display of highly accurate spectral color data at their fingertips, allows press operators to react quickly to changing pressroom conditions. Press operators have also found the Techkon Expresso software very intuitive and easy to navigate, and with the ability to analyze post press data, they can continuously deliver a quality product that exceeds their packaging customers’ expectations.
“Rose City Printing and Packaging was able to adopt the SpectroDrive scanning system very rapidly and bring it online in a short period of time thanks to a collaborative installation plan,” states Bob Byrnes, Director of Technical Services. “Very often, Techkon is approached with unique customer requirements in regard to system configuration and implementation, and is able to respond with the right combination of technical resources to execute the plan successfully for our packaging printers.”
In this case, the color measurement system was pre-staged in Techkon USA’s Danvers, MA headquarters, where technical support consultants loaded the software on new touch screen computers (provided by Rose City). A Techkon technical support team then went onsite to install the three SpectroDrive systems, and provide assistance with the touch screen computer configuration, as well as onsite customized training for press operators throughout multiple shift changes. Techkon set up color bars for Rose City which were printed and tested by TECHKON in-house. In all, Techkon spent four days onsite: two days in the Gresham Plant and two days in the Vancouver Plant providing intensive support.
“Techkon’s support was key in why Rose City chose the SpectroDrive,” reports George Adam, Techkon President. “While Techkon’s design is sophisticated, ergonomically friendly, and well thought out, it was our ability to integrate the data generated by the SpectroDrive into the Rose City data management system that enabled faster set-up and accurate job information. There is no doubt that the implementation of the SpectroDrive system will ensure higher production and consistent production for Rose City Printing and Packaging.”
In addition to Techkon SpectroDrive®, Techkon offers a wide array of color measurement solutions that includes: Techkon SpectroDens®, Techkon SpectroDensXL®, Techkon SpectroPlate®, Techkon SpectroJet® and Techkon SpectroEdge®. More information at: www.techkonusa.com/
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About Techkon
Techkon is the innovation leader in densitometers, spectrophotometers and color software solutions for the global print community. With a track record of 28+ years of continued technological excellence, Techkon products are chosen for their high degree of measurement accuracy, repeatability, reliability and ease of operation in all sectors of the printing industry. Techkon’s innovative color measurement solutions have lead to highly successful implementations by leading OEM press manufacturers and large commercial printers, yielding dramatic gains in quality, productivity and cost savings.
Techkon. . . We measure color and more.
