Regulars / The Andy Thomas-Emans column | 41The Andy Thomas-Emans column Lost in the CloudCloud computing is set to revolutionize the label and packaging print industry across the entire supply chainloud computing is set to revolutionize the label and “We have just scratched the surface packaging print industry across the entire supply chain Cfrom artwork design to delivery of a fully quality assured of the potential of hooking up the fnal product.Let’s go through a few of the key areas where this is already label converting plant to the Cloud. happening and how it might develop.To start with color management – the most basic function of But there is one potential roadblock: ensuring that the label design signed off by the brand manager the lack of open standards and is delivered with exactly those colors whatever the material and whatever the type of press the job is fnally printed on.guaranteed interoperability The best way of achieving this is to place color standards on a common Cloud platform which can then be accessed by every between Cloud-based services”partner along the chain of design, approval and printing. In theory a label designer could download a Cloud-linked plugin which holds the profle of a target press or press model, and during production runs. The inspection system will alert them when which gives an out of gamut warning when non-printable colors there are issues with print quality, and other Cloud-connected are selected. The spectrophotometric camera on the press, also sensors will alert them if there is a problem with lamp curing referenced to that color standard, then checks the accuracy of color power, color or registration or die-cutting/waste stripping. In reproduction in-line and reports delta values in real time to a Cloud the case of a fully automated press, the press system can auto portal. The brand manager has meanwhile signed off the job on a correct or compensate, for example by adjusting print pressure smart mobile device accessing a secure Cloud platform using those and registration. same color values and can then be sent real-time confrmation of At the same time the press is being remotely monitored over accurate color reproduction from the press camera. Cloud connections by OEMs looking at fault prediction and Then there is machine data. Machines potentially generate a resolving service and downtime issues.wealth of data – not only digital presses, but also analog equipment Job planning and quality monitoring will be other areas which driven by digitally networked servo drives. The ancillary equipment will be positively impacted, with the ability to distribute this mounted on those machines could also be Cloud-networked, information in real time to any authorized person, at any location. including inspection cameras, UV lamp sensors, print/die-cutting pressure sensors and more. Potential Up to now, that information has been kept isolated in the We have just scratched the surface of the potential of hooking machine operating system. But fnishing equipment and presses up the label converting plant to the Cloud. But there is one are now being designed to send this data to a Cloud server, where potential roadblock: the lack of open standards and guaranteed it can be processed into critical information on machine uptime, interoperability between Cloud-based services. This could lead average speed, time between changeovers, lamp power used and to a situation where different suppliers’ Cloud services become much more. effectively fenced off, frustrating attempts to promote the free Flexo press manufacturers still have work to do in opening fow of data. up their press operating systems, with the exception of MPS, Of course that data must be secure and of course each data which recently demonstrated its open architecture Talk To Me stream will be describing different functions (machine production networking protocol. data, color management data etc), but at this early stage we should Once a press can be integrated into a factory management be building in open protocols which enable data to be freely shared.system, we can eliminate double keying. Production data can be We want to avoid the situation which arose in the early days of directly uploaded to the machine with real time production data the JDF (Job Defnition Format) protocol, which in theory allowed fowing in the opposite direction. different manufacturers’ software systems to talk to each other We briefy mentioned Cloud-connected ancillary equipment, and – for example pre-press with MIS. What actually happened was once again there are exciting developments afoot. Cloud-connected different manufacturers put their own ‘hooks’ into JDF which inspection cameras, for example, will be able to ‘learn’ the full range meant a lot of work had to be done to ensure that data could of printing defects and spot and help prevent them before they indeed be exchanged.become major production issues. With the label plant comprehensively Cloud connected, a host of For more columns from Andy Thomas-Emans, go to remote management and monitoring options become available. www.labelsandlabeling.com/contributors/andy-thomasPress operators, for example, are no longer tied to their machine Jan - Mar 2022