Device for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities

Abstract

There is described a device () for offline inspection and color measurement of printed sheets for the production of banknotes and like printed securities, comprising (i) a console () having a supporting surface () for supporting a sample printed sheet (S), (ii) a multipurpose measuring apparatus (), which multipurpose measuring apparatus () comprises multiple sensors () including at least one camera () for taking images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) and a color measurement sensor () for performing spectrophotometric, colorimetric, and/or densitometric measurements at selected locations on () the sample printed sheet (S), (iii) a display () for displaying the images taken by the camera () and the measurements performed by the color measurement sensor (), and (iv) a control and processing unit () coupled to the multipurpose measuring apparatus () and the display (). The device () comprises a move-sensor beam () housing the multipurpose measuring apparatus (), which moveable sensor beam () is displaceable along an x-axis over the supporting surface () of the console () and over the entire surface of the sample printed sheet (S) located on the supporting surface (), the multiple sensors () being mounted on a common sensor head () which is displaceable within the moveable sensor beam () along a y-axis so that the multipurpose measuring apparatus () can selectively take images of selected portions of the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the camera () or perform measurements at selected locations on the sample printed sheet (S) by means of the color measurement sensor (). The control and processing unit () is configured to control displacement of the moveable sensor beam () along the x-axis and of the sensor head () along the y-axis.