ASU In-plant Welcomes Productivity Intelligence System
The Arizona State University Print & Imaging Laboratory recently received a donation that will enhance the productivity of the student-run in-plant. The SpencerLAB Digital Color Laboratory donated its SpencerMETRICS Productivity Intelligence System to the in-plant, which functions as an educational operation to give students hands-on experience.
“Not only will this production tool be useful for the Print & Imaging Laboratory, the different print and production related classes will benefit as well," notes Thomas E. Schildgen, Senior Professor of Graphic Information Technology & Former Department Chair. "This is a truly unique and useful tool for use with the variable data, digital print market."
Designed to identify opportunities to boost productivity, SpencerMETRICS analyzes press operation and operator knowledge on the shop floor. A cloud-based system with on-demand real-time data analysis, it is easily accessible on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone, in an intuitive graphical format providing an overview of all press activities. Specific, detailed data includes press performance, prepress errors and media problems, in conjunction with human assessments such as unacceptable print quality or incorrect media usage—information that highlights bottlenecks and obstacles to achieving each press’s productivity potential.
SpencerMETRICS is the latest addition to the Print & Imaging Lab’s robust resources, which include an HP Indigo 5500, a Halm envelope press, a PSI digital envelope printer and a pair of HP Designjet wide-format printers (including a new HP Latex 260). About 75 jobs come through the shop's web-to-print system every day, according to Cathy Skoglund, manager of Operations and Business Development. She and Chris Myers are the in-plant's only two full-time employees overseeing a staff of 30 student workers.
