‘Made in India’ layout planning software going places!

Software developer Metamation (a Group Company of Proteck Machinery Pvt Ltd, Chennai) has developed fully automated layout planning software ‘Imp’ that simplifies the process of creating cost effective, print-ready layouts for commercial, packaging, label and book printers. Here’s more on this impressive software. Tamil Nadu based Metamation has developed ‘Imp’, a fully automated layout planning software. Some of its unique features include:

Bound Jobs: Single click automation to optimise overall cost by choosing the right signatures, assembling them in correct order, selecting the right press and the paper size and placing multiple signatures on the same sheet if necessary.

Planning & imposition of books with right and top spine, Cut & Stack, N-Up printing, creating covers and jackets are fully automated.

Die-cut Jobs: The unique planning and nesting solution for all kinds of die-cut jobs like folding cartons and labels to create efficient layouts considering the cost of printing, die making, die cutting across various paper sizes in inventory both in sheet and reel form.

Die Database: This innovative feature allows to search matching die from thousands of jobs in the database. User can preview, compare and reuse existing dies. Ganging: The most powerful and comprehensive ganging engine with highly evolved and sophisticated algorithms are capable of optimising hundreds of jobs of varying quantities, colours, coatings across multiple presses and sheet sizes for both rectangular and die-cut jobs.

Testimonials…

Leading printers across India as well as overseas countries have deployed this software and are happy with the results. Here’s what these printers share about their experience. According to Harsha Paruchuri, director, Pragati Offset Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, “We had deployed ‘Imp’ five years ago in our commercial print operations. A wide range of products – books, folders, calendars, stationery, among others – are planned efficiently by ‘Imp’. We have also set up a system in which information about products goes from our SAP ERP system to IMP, which eliminates re-entry and mistakes.

The plan made on ‘Imp’ is then transferred as a JDF to our Esko workflow system – again eliminating any manual entry of imposition details.”

“Besides, we have also implemented ‘Imp’ in our packaging unit’s workflow over the last 18 months. Imp has a strong feature set for non-rectangular jobs and the nesting created by it is great. The feature of reel to sheet allows us to plan job seamlessly across available substrate – whether in sheets or reel form. This has allowed much more efficient use of our paper stocks and allowed us to reduce our inventories by about 30 percent. With Imp the complex job of creating nested layouts has become efficient and quick. Our CAD department now has more time to focus on creating the better folding cartons designs,” he shared. While, Angel Viveros of Foli De Mexico, Mexico, shared, “Metamation’s ‘Imp’ software has become an invaluable planning tool for our organisation in past two years.

Now estimating has becoming an exact science. With Imp software young estimators can deliver accurate plans as many years of experienced estimator would. Because of our variety of functionalities, Metamation solution was a perfect fit, and we are aiming to integrate it with our ERP system so it could be the heart of our planning, estimating and imposition.”

Another satisfied customer of ‘Imp’ is Falit Pandya, director, Print Vision, Ahmedabad, who shared, “Imp has automated our entire job planning, completely eliminated the imposition in pre-press, increasing efficiency, productivity and accuracy. The feature of defining grain direction in planning stage and the comprehensive production reports have fully streamlined our entire production process right from job estimation to finishing.”