Many industries are turning towards automation to benefit their businesses now and into the future. In the printing industry, automation is gaining popularity due to enormous production workflow efficiencies realized once adopted. Automation reduces the risks of errors that are inherent in manually controlled processes. Removing these obstacles promote improvements to your production goals. Introducing automated workflows is a way to improve print management and the production process with operational efficiency.
Read on to learn more about controlling and optimizing the printing production process with automation.
Benefits of Automation
We discussed screen room automation last year and have been keeping our eyes on the printing industry. Printing businesses gain various benefits from adopting automation. Even when incorporating small levels of automation, or even semi-automation, printing businesses see production speeds and operational efficiencies increase.
Increased Productivity
It’s no secret that machines are fast and reliable. Automation means production speeds increase, and more products can be produced and sold in a shorter period. There has been a great deal of research on the results of automation in the printing industry; Strategies for Leveraging Automation to Enhance Performance reports automation gives tangible benefits, such as operation financial health and operational efficiency. Improving the production process for screen printing means businesses have more time and focus on dedicating to expanding their product line or satisfying their customers.
Decreased Labor Expenses
With an automatic workflow, employees are freed up to utilize their time in other areas of a printing business. Owners can also save money by skipping training on the manual processes and replacing it with an overview of the automation process since some labor will still be required.
Error Reduction
As mentioned earlier, there is a risk of mistakes happening with manual processes, and humans can make mistakes even when they are thoroughly well trained and experienced. Automation will reduce the number of errors in the production process, and if an error still occurs, detecting when and what happened will be easier. Another benefit is that when machines make errors, adjustments to settings can be a simple correction to get production speeds back up to higher levels.
Increased Quality
With fewer errors being made, the production process benefits the customers of a printing business as well. A print job going well means you have one more satisfied client to recommend your printing business to, and the increased print production workflow means you can acquire more business. An automatic workflow is a highly profitable path to take your business to the next level!
Automation in the Prepress Process
It is important to remember that there are a limited number of automation products available for the printing industry, and the ones that are available still require some labor. There are products that reduce labor by removing hands-on efforts. Inline exposure and developers—such as the V-LUX In-Line, or the V-LUX bundled with an Inpro Combi—improve exposure and developing efforts.
The V-LUX In-Line from EXILE Technologies increases efficiency and reduces labor efforts by producing consistent results that are unmatched by the manual screen process. Operators need only to place the screen onto the conveyor after printing the computer-to-screen equipment, and its exposure is ready in as little as 10 to 30 seconds. From there, the screen goes on the moving belt to the developer station for a dual pressure rinse, and it produces excellent results in about one minute, even on low mesh counts.
V-LUX bundled with an INPRO’s Combi-Eco Developer and Hi-Pressure Washout system also offers solutions with automation. It has a similar process to the V-LUX In-Line, but INPRO’s Combi-Eco offers a developing solution to act as a high-pressure washout system for screen reclaim while taking only 70 to 80 seconds.
Automating reclaim stations improve throughput when reclaiming screens while reducing manual labor. The Spyder does the same for the electronic prepress portions of the screen preparation process, and we are proud of how our latest technology has been shaking up the industry.
EXILE Technologies has the Spyder II and Spyder III CTS printers available. The Spyderfamily of CTS printers increases screen room productivity by printing screen masks with speed and accuracy. The automatic workflow reduces labor, expenses, and time with its streamlined automatic workflow. The Spyder is a massive timesaver while providing superior output and quality.
Why Choose EXILE Technologies?
EXILE Technologies is the premier manufacturer of prepress printing solutions, such as computer-to-screen printing systems, exposure units, thermal imagesetters, and more. Our team can set up your business with the latest technology for automation in the printing industry! Each of our products is ingeniously designed and pairs innovation with affordability to meet the needs of our customers. With the steady movement toward computer-to-screen technology within the screen printing industry, EXILE is at the forefront of providing high-quality prepress screen printing products that show great overhead cost reduction.
With 30 years of experience and offices in both the U.S. and the U.K., we offer products and support services on a global scale that meet the demanding requirements of screen rooms and print shops everywhere. Shop our computer-to-screen products today and witness the beneficial results of a new automatic workflow.
