Probo wanted to increase productivity. However, they were losing a lot of time and money trying to match the right colours or trying to make nesting more efficient.
"As a printer, we strive to be as efficient as possible. We print as many jobs as possible on a single sheet or banner, in other words, we nest intelligently. With our previous software we did this per production line. We wanted to centralise this. With PrintFactory's software, we can nest the jobs for all our production lines in a single system," says Wieger Klaver, Process Automation Developer, Probo.
Efficient nesting
Nesting in PrintFactory not only enables the planning and grouping of items in jobs based on their logistical destination and delivery window, but also the automatic creation of trim marks, bleeds and all other process steps. At the same time, it remains flexible until the last moment and allows production to cancel or change orders and change printers or cutters. Taking into account the delivery time and the logistical destination, the amount of half-finished products in production is significantly reduced, making the process easier and more efficient for operators. By keeping the "nests" "open" during positioning until the last moment, items can be added at the last minute, further increasing nesting efficiency.
Probo can now offer its customers this flexibility and efficiency while maximising their production capacity.
Consistent colour
With thousands of jobs per day, colour must be consistently accurate and reliable. Probo uses PrintFactory to ensure consistency, as it is not possible to check each product manually.
Wieger : "The files that our partners upload consist of different colours. These files have to be converted into a print file so that the printer reads the correct colours. PrintFactory's software does this for us. The nice thing is that this is also done centrally, so we can manage it much better."
Behind the scenes, the PrintFactory software works with an algorithm that solves all the problems caused by colour deviations.
Erik Strik, Managing Director, PrintFactory, says: "During the set-up we worked closely with the team to ensure that the changeover would not cause any disruption. They opted for our automation plan in the form of our SaaS option (Software as a Service). We were on site the whole time to set up and calibrate the printers the first time. On-site staff training was of course provided..."
"Through our colour management toolkit and PrintFactory's device-link profiling technology, the output matches the proofs - reliably and with repeatable accuracy. Our device-link engine delivers the colour quality and consistency Probo requires across all devices and substrates. And because the EcoSave module uses less ink without compromising colour fidelity, the bottom-line savings are company-wide. The team is much happier too. Everyone in the company can achieve that accuracy thanks to our software."
Track job status
In order to track items in their print and cut jobs, this needed to be fully automated. However, the printer and cutter suppliers offer limited, if any, necessary insight for order tracking.
Wieger Klaver, Process Automation Developer, Probo: "We want to monitor the status of each job in our system in real time. For example, whether a nest has been printed. The way the status is queried differs between the various printer manufacturers. We were struggling with this. Thanks to PrintFactory, we can now inform customers and staff more easily and consistently about job status."
As the press fleet is constantly evolving and changing, a central source of information on press and job status is essential. This way, the IT department does not have to deal with new machines and configurations all the time. Bottlenecks in expanding the product mix are thus avoided and the creativity of the sales department is not restricted. PrintFactory unites the traditional production islands on a single platform where all orders are entered and feedback received.
With a unique development, Probo manages to be flexible and grow without investing even more time in the workflow.
www.printfactory.cloud
