The Automation and Robotics Imperative

For some print service providers, AI represents a sort of unchartered “wild west.”

And like any hot new trend or topic, there are often misconceptions that accompany its rise. But as print technology continues to evolve — and turnaround times become quicker and quicker — automation, efficiency, and quality have become critical aspects to staying competitive.

This is where the integration of robotics and AI tools into wide-format production workflows comes in.
To better illustrate how the use of robotics and tools like machine learning and advanced algorithms can help relieve pain points and enhance overall workflow, this article provides insight from two industry consultants who are experts in print technology and workflow.

Revealing the Primary Differentiator

Pat McGrew, managing director of the McGrew Group, believes there is an advantage to AI and robotics not being explored completely.

“There’s a lot of opportunity because I think it’s one of the unexplored areas. The people who’ve already figured out the opportunity are not necessarily sharing their success with the world because it’s a differentiator. And we always say that your finishing line is your primary differentiator,” she says.

McGrew says you may need to do a little more than purchasing a “fancy motion cutter to differentiate your finishing technology.” Instead, she insists that you lean into the use of robotic tools that go beyond the existing robotics utilized by most PSPs.

“What you’re looking for as a printer are the things that will allow you to fast-path things, Mcgrew says. “Where can you take labor out of the process of getting your material to your print devices? Where can you take labor out of getting printed material from the print device to where it needs to be in finishing? Where can you take labor out of things like adding specialty finishes? Essentially, materials handling is your big opportunity in using robotics in the wide-format space.”

Alec Couckuyt, former interim president and COO of Alliance member Simpson Print (Bloomingdale, Ontario, Canada) and managing director of AG Couckuyt Consulting, shares a similar view. He explains that most production time is lost when it comes to the handling of materials.

“The biggest loss of time I find is between the handoffs, meaning the handoffs from prepress to the press room, and then from the press room to the finishing room,” Couckuyt says.

Instead, he urges PSPs to synchronize their workflows all the way from prepress to finishing with the assistance of machine learning and advanced algorithm systems, which he explains are a part of the grander “AI ecosystem” for production.

“There is still much to be had in the use of advanced algorithms. These systems learn and adapt based on the data they’re given, and they are transforming end-to-end workflow management,” Couckuyt says.

Lean on Your Equipment

For those who are perhaps still skeptical about getting behind the idea of AI — or whatever falls under its ever-growing umbrella — Couckuyt urges them to look at their own equipment and what it can do for them. In his own experience with Simpson Print, he admits that he was surprised to learn just how much data some of the machines and systems collected.

“Make sure you fully understand the capabilities of the equipment you’re working with, whether it’s your press or your finishing equipment, because I was astounded at how much data the equipment itself is actually collecting. Make sure you understand that completely and dig into it,” he says.

When you tap into the data collected by your printing devices, Couckuyt says you may be able to lower your operational costs. He explains that equipment data can, for instance, detect if you’re using too much ink for certain projects, and it can also assess which substrates you’re using more than others so you can properly adjust your inventory.

For those not sure where to start with any of these data points, Couckuyt urges them to chat with their vendors.

“You have to ask the manufacturer to help you out and help you find that data that’s available in the machine,” he says.

In a similar vein, McGrew says wide-format producers can leverage AI technology to help determine what kind of data their production equipment is capturing — to the point where they can help determine which jobs are using more cyan ink than others or track substrate waste, for example.

Increasing Safety, Decreasing Physical Labor

McGrew explains that for wide-format printers, depending on the kind of work they’re doing, robotics may be able to assist in the avoidance of workplace injuries.

“Let’s say, for this instance, you’re printing roll-to-roll, and the roll has to be delivered to the machine,” Mcgrew says. “And a person who does that, in some ways they’re at risk, right? Because these rolls are big, they’re heavy. They’re a pain in the butt to move, and they’re painful to move. And so, one of the things you can do is acquire one of these automated vehicles that can eliminate the heavy lifting for your employees.”

However, a robot doesn’t magically know where it’s going. McGrew explains that everything about robotics is data-driven, and these machines can, for example, scan a QR code or bar code with run lists you’ve created so they know exactly where they are going and what they need to do.

And if you figure that you already have tools such as forklifts and hand lifts, McGrew urges you to consider this.

“Somebody gets distracted, or they’re not available, or there’s an emergency, or a ‘fire’ is going on somewhere over here — the robot doesn’t care,” McGrew says. “It’s going to go get what it needs to get it when it needs to get it, and everything is going to be just fine. It takes risk out of your employees, out of your labor, but then it also adds efficiency.”

Not As Expensive as You Think

When it comes to the argument that robotics may be above some PSPs’ budgets, McGrew challenges those to think of it this way: “It doesn’t need to take a coffee break. It doesn’t need to take a lunch break. And you’re not paying insurance and benefits on the machine. And I bring that up because one of the things we hear people say is that ‘it’s just too expensive.’ The price of these devices has come down remarkably over the last decade.”

And it won’t just pay off price wise. The ripple effect of robotics reaches employee morale as well. With less time spent doing menial or physically demanding labor, McGrew explains that it gives employees more of a steady career path.

“Now they’ve got a career path where they can learn to maybe be a machine operator when they weren’t before, or they can learn a range of machines, and now they can become more valuable doing that instead of running to the warehouse constantly,” she says.

Looking To the Future

If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that AI and robotics aren’t going anywhere. It’s better to embrace it now than to fall behind your competition.

“If you miss out on this, you’re letting your competitors take advantage of it. How can you integrate AI? How can you use robotics? Use automation? Because if you’re not on the automation train, you’re missing out,” Couckuyt says.

McGrew predicts that wide-format automation will become more advanced, and embracing robotics and leveraging AI-based tools to help collect data will help producers stay ahead of the curve.

“These systems are only going to allow you to go quicker and quicker and quicker with each job,” she says.