(first published in IPBI NA 2023 Fall issue – view article)
INNOVATIVE SOLUTION
Modern die cutting lines are achieving new speed and productivity records almost every day. The typical 66” rotary die cutter can process approximately 1,000 plus linear feet per minute. With blanks coming out of the die cutter too fast for the human eye to see or the brain to comprehend, it is impossible for an operator to identify potential jams or proactively intervene to prevent them. When jams do occur, it can be problematic to determine the root cause because things are happening just so darned fast, and once the action has stopped, it’s a guessing game to determine what happened.
In a jam situation a die cutter can easily destroy 50, 100 or more linear feet of product before it comes to a stop. Multiple that by the sheet width and you quickly can fill a scrap dumpster.
Material isn’t only thing lost during a jam. Production time to remove and clean up the jam. Jams that damage equipment or tooling can result in the need for additional downtime and often costly repairs. It all adds up. While you can always buy or make more material, you can’t make more time.
When you look at the stacking process, loss of sheet control which can cause jams usually occurs at critical transition points such as the handoff from the die cutter to the layboy, the transition from the layboy to the transfer deck, and the entry to the hopper. 
These points are spread throughout the stacker, and it’s nearly impossible for the operator to monitor all these critical positions at the same time. They are too far apart, and depending on the vantage point, often in a blind spot.
Enter SmartView
SmartView™ from the Geo. M. Martin Company provides an innovative solution to help boxmakers monitor, troubleshoot and enhance the safety of their diecutting line. SmartView’s four strategically placed, high-speed cameras provide a real-time video feed which allows operators and crews to view the live status of the stacking process from a single viewport.
Operators have the option to view all camera feeds simultaneously on a quad-split video monitor or select any individual camera feed for a closeup view of a specific area. With a glance at the large 32-inch HD video monitor, operators can determine if production is proceeding normally, or in the event of a stoppage, quickly determine if a jam is present in the stacker, pinpoint the location of the jam, swiftly clear errant sheets and return to production.
Mounted at the Stacker’s control center, SmartView allows operators to check the critical blind spots for obstructions prior to beginning operation. However, the system should never be used in place of a thorough safety check before starting the machine.
SmartView also provides operators, management, and technicians with a historical record of the operation to assist with rapid troubleshooting and resolving issues. The high-speed digital video is stored locally and can be replayed using the system’s playback feature to view the video at production speed, in slow-motion, or freeze-frame. Now the action that is “too fast to see” can be seen, evaluated, and used to identify the root cause and correct the issue.
The remote access feature allows Geo. Martin service, engineers, and production specialists to view the archived or live video feed to provide fast solutions to production issues. The remote video feed can also be digitally piped to production control, maintenance or anywhere in the production facility or operation that may benefit from staying on top of the action.
The SmartView system is available on all new Martin RDC Stackers and can be installed as a retrofit on existing Martin Stackers. However, its use is not limited to Geo. Martin products. It is available as a standalone system for any stacker, and this system can also be used in any high-speed production application such as flexo folder-gluers, flatbed die cutters, corrugators, filling and packing lines, etc.