While demand for colour in the graphic arts has become the norm, one equipment supplier has returned to black and white.

The AniCAM, a handheld device that uses a camera to check the volume and cell condition of engraved anilox inking rolls fitted to flexo and offset presses, has been re-engineered in mono.

More than 200 original AniCAMs that create a 3D-visualisation in full colour have been sold world-wide by Wiltshire-based Troika Systems. The new black and white version narrows considerably any margin for error and has already picked up sales with many prominent label and wide web printers in Europe and with anilox manufacturers in Europe and North and South America.

Troika Systems managing director Phil Hall said: “We had to rewrite the software for USB2, doubling the speed of the readings and for Windows 7, and while we did we looked at the whole design. We felt the original supplier of the camera printed circuit board was going in a different direction to us and so we developed our own PCB - in black and white. With the black and white camera head we have been able to double the consistency of the readings.”

The device has two light sources; one directed downward for focusing and a system of nine LEDs to radiate into the engraved cells. The camera determines cell depth, volume and other measurements, which are sent via a USB to a PC.

Mr Hall said: “By checking anilox rolls offline for plugging, damage or wear the need to make ink adjustments on the press can be virtually eliminated saving valuable machine time. Label, wide web and corrugated printers can now manage their own anilox inventory.”