Need Advice on Quality Control and Process

[Inhouse printer]

I have recently been placed in our printing plant as the Quality Control Manager. I have worked in the bindery for three years but other than that I have very little experience in printing. At this time the pressmen do their own quality checks and we have no procedures in place. I have been asked to create them.

How often should an operator be pulling sheets to check the quality? When press-sheets are pulled, should we save them with for a period of time?

Any advice with checklist or procedures on quality would be greatly appreciated. We run two shifts with 4 sheet feeds presses, a web press along with a fully operating bindery.


Thanks
Inhouse Printer

 

[pacificiam]

I have recently been placed in our printing plant as the Quality Control Manager. I have worked in the bindery for three years but other than that I have very little experience in printing. At this time the pressmen do their own quality checks and we have no procedures in place. I have been asked to create them.

How often should an operator be pulling sheets to check the quality? When press-sheets are pulled, should we save them with for a period of time?

Any advice with checklist or procedures on quality would be greatly appreciated. We run two shifts with 4 sheet feeds presses, a web press along with a fully operating bindery.


Thanks
Inhouse Printer

Hi,

Pressman r randomly checking the sheets once it get set...
If u have CIP3/4 then der is not big issue.
u jst hv to concentrate on density. Keep pH & conductivity under control.

 

[gordo]

I have recently been placed in our printing plant as the Quality Control Manager. I have worked in the bindery for three years but other than that I have very little experience in printing. At this time the pressmen do their own quality checks and we have no procedures in place. I have been asked to create them.

Why were you selected for this poisition?

Gordo

 

[Kaoticor]

One suggestion is to save a sample copy from the beginning and end of every run you print. In the event of problems, having a first and last copy can be helpful in investigations.

 

[spider]

quality control

quality control

Hi
The normal practice for quality control should be carried out between five and 10,000 copies each copy should be stamped with the time and date.
As well as the signature of the person who took the quality control
The first 10,000 will have a box to tick as well as space to let you know when he took the file copies.

 

[Mike Herndon]

We have a lot of QA procedures that are job and equipment specific. Sheets must be scanned into Image Control, LAB values recorded etc. Here's a few general ones that we use:

Two person OK for every job, orginal ok sheet on display at the console at all times with Gray, LAB, and density values recorded on sheet.

If the job prints through multiple shifts, new ok sheet at every shift change

Press pulls every 250-500 sheets

Scans are stored in the Image Control and a print out of the sheets scans are sent on with the job

We will save press pulls if the customer request otherwise if I need to see something I can pull up the data in Image Control.

Press Ok's and draw offs are saved for 30 days.

These are just a few that we use.

Mike

 

[spider]

Does the scanner show up errors, like the loss of images Hickey's damage plates and poor registration. ?

 

[spider]

Sorry, I forgot how slow your machine was. compared to the one I'm running, which produces 10 copies a second.
500 would be the right amount For your press

 

[danremaley]

Process control

Process control

I have recently been placed in our printing plant as the Quality Control Manager. I have worked in the bindery for three years but other than that I have very little experience in printing. At this time the pressmen do their own quality checks and we have no procedures in place. I have been asked to create them.

How often should an operator be pulling sheets to check the quality? When press-sheets are pulled, should we save them with for a period of time?

Any advice with checklist or procedures on quality would be greatly appreciated. We run two shifts with 4 sheet feeds presses, a web press along with a fully operating bindery.


Thanks
Inhouse Printer

I have several items on my Linkedin page, "Google Me", or call with any questions,
I'd be glad to help. . .Dan Remaley 412.889.7643

 

[Disappointed]

Personally speaking, I would have thought that a QC manager that has no experience in print is going to have a very tough time ahead, unless of course you have some very lenient press op's.

 

[Inhouse printer]

Gordo,
Your question “Why were you selected for this poisition?”
We are an in-house printer for a company that has three publisher and does the distribution as well. I have been with the company for 12 years. I have managed the warehousing side for several years and was asked to managed our bindery department. Yes, with no experience! After a little over three years as the bindery manger I was asked to take my current position as the QC manager. This is a new position for the printing side. I was selected because of my work ethic, willingness to learn, problem solving abilities, ability to focus on what’s important, follow through, relationship with employees and my dedication the company.

Enough about me , my goal is to set up our operators and process for success and in return cut down on color variations, shrinking plate re-makes, improving print quality, cutting cost and saving time and money.

Gordo as a senior member what advice would you give me?

Thanks
Inhouse Printer

 

[Inhouse printer]

I have several items on my Linkedin page, "Google Me", or call with any questions,
I'd be glad to help. . .Dan Remaley 412.889.7643

Dan Remaley,
Thanks for the info. We are members of PIA and will be purchasing several books to help educate me. when I get a chance I will be calling you for advice.

Thanks
Inhouse Printer

 

[gordo]

[snip]
Enough about me , my goal is to set up our operators and process for success and in return cut down on color variations, shrinking plate re-makes, improving print quality, cutting cost and saving time and money.

Gordo as a senior member what advice would you give me?

Thanks
Inhouse Printer

For starters (and these apply to any aspect of the production process from receiving files through prepress, printing, bindery, and fulfilment):

1- Don't use the words "print quality" (see this thread: http://printplanet.com/forums/re-print/31769-sales-strategies). Instead say, consistency, or fidelity, or ???
2- Establish target standards for production (this has to be done with the guidance of upper management). They can be job specific, shop specific, industry specific or all three depending on your business goals.
3- Establish acceptable tolerances for deviation (this has to be done with the guidance of upper management as it is sales and customer dependent)
4- Audit the current process (systems, procedures, documentation, equipment)
5- Get buy-in from affected personnel since there may be changes in the process.
6- Establish systems, procedures, documentation, statistical evaluation as required.
7- Purchase or repair equipment as needed.
8- Implement training as needed.
9- Establish target time lines for alignment of process to goals.
10- Create a feedback cycle so that everyone in the process can see where their performance is relative to the targets and can make agreed upon adjustments as needed.
11- Turn qualitative thinking and discussions into quantitative thinking and discussions.
12- As much as possible turn quantitative thinking and discussions into economic arguments.
13- As much as possible make decisions based on economic arguments.
14- Make sure that you know how your success as QC manager will be measured by management.

Each one of the above points can and should be expanded, and there's probably more that I've left out, but that should get you started.

best, gordo

BTW- "Senior" member just means I've been a member of this forum a long time. It does not mean that I know what I'm talking about ;-)

 

[Alith7]

Gordo,
Your question “Why were you selected for this poisition?”
We are an in-house printer for a company that has three publisher and does the distribution as well. I have been with the company for 12 years. I have managed the warehousing side for several years and was asked to managed our bindery department. Yes, with no experience! After a little over three years as the bindery manger I was asked to take my current position as the QC manager. This is a new position for the printing side. I was selected because of my work ethic, willingness to learn, problem solving abilities, ability to focus on what’s important, follow through, relationship with employees and my dedication the company.

Enough about me , my goal is to set up our operators and process for success and in return cut down on color variations, shrinking plate re-makes, improving print quality, cutting cost and saving time and money.

Gordo as a senior member what advice would you give me?

Thanks
Inhouse Printer

I don't want to get in on this discussion...Gordo has it well in hand, but as someone who started 15 years ago, who didn't even know what Adobe was when I started learning to design packaging, and now I am the owners right-hand gal, Prepress Manager, IT Manager, in-house color manager, and all around tech guru and fix-it-gal, props to you!! that, and, you came to the right place.

 

[Alith7]

1- Don't use the words "print quality" (see this thread: http://printplanet.com/forums/re-print/31769-sales-strategies). Instead say, consistency, or fidelity, or ???

....

BTW- "Senior" member just means I've been a member of this forum a long time. It does not mean that I know what I'm talking about ;-)

you're cute. Doesn't know what you're talking about....

 

[maas]

I have a similar position as yours in our print group, first and foremost what every you undertake to do get buy in from your staff, with a self confessed lack of print experience you will be left floundering if your print crew is not on board with your initiatives

I have attached a check sheets I developed to be filled in by the crews relating to the work produced on press, you are welcome to use this and modify it to suit your plant.

from my experience its important printers judge their own work to your company's standard, it’s a learning tool more than anything.

In terms of quality I made comment on here - on how I define quality in print.

best of luck

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Quality Control Checks

Quality Control Checks

Hello fellow Lithographers,



A PDF - which I hope will be of value - Evaluation of a Multicolor Press Sheet



Regards, Alois