by Cassandra Balentine
Part one of two
Automation and artificial intelligence tools lead to predictive intelligence initiatives that support modern continuous-feed inkjet presses.
As web-fed inkjet presses assume more mission‑critical production roles, Lucy Perez-Sierra, senior manager, product strategy, Canon U.S.A., Inc., attests that predictive intelligence has become essential to maintaining uptime, quality and operational confidence.
Across solutions like the Canon ColorStream and ProStream, this intelligence is integrated with On‑Remote Services (ORS) to proactively support production.
At the press level, continuous monitoring of printhead behavior, jetting stability, and thermal conditions enables early issue detection—often before defects occur. “This works with Canon Image Quality Control (IQC) technologies, including Nozzle Activation Control (NAC) and Nozzle Uniformity Control (NUC), to automatically compensate in real time. Along with Canon’s Color Uniformity Control (CUC) technology that is designed to help ensure consistent, even color reproduction across the entire printed sheet and over time on Canon production inkjet presses,” shares Perez-Sierra.
ORS extends its capability through remote diagnostics and trend analysis, enabling predictive maintenance, faster resolution, and reduced operator intervention. “Together, these tools shift operations from reactive to predictive, to help improve consistency and uptime,” notes Perez-Sierra.
Kodak supports continuous-feed inkjet performance with intelligent monitoring and automated control capabilities built into the platform. For example, Kodak’s Intelligent Print System continuously monitors and optimizes stitching, color-to-color registration, and front-to-back registration.
Josh Howard, senior director, inkjet R&D, print operations, Kodak, explains that within the fluid delivery system, active replenishment helps maintain accurate pigment density for more consistent output over long runs. Combined with automated maintenance features, operator-replaceable components, and controller-level production tracking, these capabilities help reduce unplanned intervention, support uptime, and make press performance more predictable shift after shift.
Ricoh’s predictive intelligence capabilities include RICOH Predictive Insight, support continuous feed inkjet presses in two primary ways: predictive service and realtime quality optimization.
From a predictive service standpoint, Tim Bolton, senior manager, product management, Ricoh USA, Inc., says the press continuously captures service and performance data, which is analyzed using AI-driven models to identify early indicators of potential issues. For example, the integrated inspection system can detect subtle printhead performance degradation weeks before it would impact production, allowing proactive intervention instead of reactive service.
The second area focuses on print quality and operational stability. “Inspection and production data are analyzed in real time to monitor factors, such as color consistency and image integrity. The system actively predicts where quality or operational issues may occur and takes corrective action before they become visible or disruptive in a live production environment,” shares Bolton.
These predictive intelligence tools help inkjet production move from reacting to problems to preventing them, says Bolton, keeping quality stable even as runs get shorter and more complex.
Aug2026, DPS Magazine
