AVT Helios Solutions to Support Your Narrow Web Printer

You can’t fix what you can’t see, so having the right inspection system isn’t optional, it’s essential. When it comes to label and packaging production, even the smallest print variation can result in wasted material, lost time, and rejected jobs. A narrow web printer is a specialised press built for high-speed, high-volume output across labels, flexible packaging, and other narrow-format substrates. AGS offers a suite of AVT Helios solutions, engineered to support different inspection needs, press speeds, and print complexity.

Helios Capabilities for Narrow Print Production

While quality starts with the press, inspection keeps it in check. With Helios systems supporting your narrow web printer, quality issues are caught early and production stays on track. Here’s how Helios supports print production:

• High efficiency with minimal waste – Built to detect issues early, cutting down on wasted stock and reprints during short and medium runs.
• Precision on narrow substrates – It tracks fine detail across labels, pouches, and tricky surfaces like flexible film.
• Works across ink types – Helios supports water-based, UV-curable, and solvent inks without slowing changeovers.
• Inline finishing integration – Finishing functions operate smoothly while inspection keeps quality in check.

Helios Options to Match Your Narrow Web Printer

Every narrow web printer has its own pace, setup, and production demands. That’s why AGS offers the Helios range, which comes in three distinct versions:

1. Helios Core

Reliable but without the premium price tag, Helios Core is ideal for small to mid-sized operations looking for solid inspection coverage across labels and flexible packaging. It covers the essentials with precision, which helps reduce waste and rework without overcomplicating the process.

Technical specs

• Web widths: 350 mm (13.8″), 445 mm (17.5″), 53 cm (20.9″), 670 mm (26.4″)
• Camera: 4K high-speed colour line scan
• Defect detection: As small as 0.01 cm (0.0039″) depending on setup and substrate
• Supported substrates: Label stocks, paper, films (clear and opaque), cartons
• Operating system: Windows
• Reporting: SQL-based roll reports and job archiving

Key features

• Advanced illumination – Uses targeted lighting to detect small flaws across tricky substrates like reflective films or foils, maintaining accuracy.
• Flexible installation – Can be mounted on-press or on a rewinder, letting teams decide what fits best with their workflow.
• User-friendly operation – Intuitive interface makes it easy to set up and train on, so your team can get moving without technical delays.
• Defect detection tools – Spot issues like colour drift, registration errors, or missing text with adjustable thresholds.
• Detailed reporting – Tracks all flagged defects and generates reports for operators, allowing faster clean-up and better reprint tracking.

2. Helios Turbo

For faster lines or more demanding print quality targets, Helios Turbo steps up resolution and processing power. It’s made to keep pace with high-end narrow web applications without falling behind on detail.

Technical specs

• Web widths: Same range as Core
• Turbo resolution: 0.01 cm (0.0039″) across all widths
• Inspection speed: Maintains clarity at higher press speeds
• Substrates: Compatible with complex stocks and special effects
• Real-time defect tracking with on-the-fly alerts

Key features

• Turbo-level detail – Delivers sharper resolution and faster read speeds, ideal for inspecting fine text and small codes, all while maintaining quality.
• Multi-press compatibility – Handles jobs from multiple presses and formats, with quick setup across lines, meaning less downtime during job shifts.
• Customised inspection zones – Lets you define critical areas on the web for stricter oversight, while applying standard checks elsewhere.
• Integration with automation tools – AutoSet Works with Esko Automation Engine and other job prep tools to reduce manual input, resulting in faster onboarding.
• Supports advanced finishing – Syncs with finishing systems to keep inspection aligned with laminating, slitting, or die-cutting.

3. Helios Ultra

This is the most advanced system in the lineup, designed for jobs where the smallest defect matters, such as pharmaceuticals, security labels, or high-value packaging. Helios Ultra pairs ultra-high resolution with detailed control over every inspection parameter.

Technical specs

• Web widths: Same range as Core and Turbo
• Ultra resolution: 0.0065 cm (0.0026″) across all widths
• Print speed compatibility: High accuracy at 1,70 m/min (557.7 ft/min)
• Delta-E colour monitoring and barcode/variable data support included

Key features

• Ultra high resolution – Captures defects as small as 2pt text without losing speed or consistency, making it suitable for work that requires regulatory or brand-level accuracy.
• Colour and variable data verification – Performs inline colour measurements and verifies barcodes or human-readable variable data to ensure legal, medical, or serialised jobs meet compliance on the fly.
• Workflow link – Bridges the inspection process across press and finishing, using barcode-based data to automatically flag or stop on defects.
• Dual-screen operation – Optional dual-screen setups let operators monitor live print while reviewing defect history or adjusting thresholds, making high-volume inspection easier to manage in real time.
• Automated reporting and analytics – Data is stored and synced via PrintFlow, offering instant recall for repeat jobs or audits, giving supervisors full oversight without digging through manual logs.

Why Choose Narrow Web Printer Solutions from AGS?

If you’re working with a narrow web printer, you know it’s not just the press that affects your output; it’s every part that feeds into it. That’s where AGS steps in: with the parts, gear, and backup to keep production tight and quality consistent.

• Backed by Technical Know-How: Our team understands how these machines tick, and we’re always on hand to help you fine-tune output, reduce waste, or solve issues before they cost you.

• Brands You Can Trust: We partner with trusted names like AVT to give you access to tested, reliable products that hold up under pressure.

• Local Support, No Long Waits: With stock on hand and support teams ready to move, we help cut delays and keep your press turning without long lead times or back-and-forth.

Let’s Get Your Press Set Up Right

Getting the best out of your narrow web printer takes the right parts, and the right people who know how to use them. That’s where Australian Graphic Servicing (AGS) comes in. We back label printers, flexible packaging producers, and contract manufacturers with expert advice, reliable delivery, and quality-assured components that suit your setup. If you’re looking to fine-tune print quality, sharpen press performance, or get the most out of your AVT print inspection system, we’re here to help. We also work closely with teams running wide web press machines to provide tailored advice, fast access to the right tools, and support that keeps production moving without delays.