Features Packaging Printing
Tilia to preview Phoenix 7.0 at Labelexpo Americas

At Labelexpo Americas 2018 in Chicago, Tilia Labs will be unveiling its forthcoming Phoenix 7.0 software release for narrow web production. For the first time in North America, Tilia will showcase new features designed to optimize substrate usage and boosting setup speed, flexibility and control for narrow-web label printers.

Tilia Phoenix uses artificial intelligence (AI) in automating planning and imposition for all types of print and post-press applications. The system factors in parameters, such as job specifications (quantity, dimensions, colours, substrates), presses/print devices, postpress requirements, and delivery considerations, to deliver the layout options. When a final option has been selected, tilia Phoenix generates print-ready layouts and JDF or die instructions, for all devices in the production chain. Among highlights being previewed at Labelexpo are new developments in narrow-web planning, standing die support and marks control, such as:

• Optimized lane-based planning – Phoenix 7.0 delivers combinations designed to help reduce substrate consumption, including combining items of differing sizes and shapes in the same lane.
• Custom grouping rules – Phoenix 7.0 adds custom properties and grouping rules to give users greater flexibility to set combination preferences for lanes and standing dies.
• Enhanced die intelligence, which will automatically generate new layouts for die creation or digital laser cutting
• Lead-in and lead-outs – Specify required lead-in and lead-out for each label to be planned and apply dynamic marks such as barcodes and eye marks.

Version 7.0 also boasts significant performance enhancements to the Imposition AI engine which forms the core of the Phoenix solution. According to the company, these enhancements push the speed boundary further for Phoenix in searching across millions of combinations to find the most cost-effective layouts within a matter of minutes. Major estimating and reporting enhancements also allow for better analysis, accountability and future planning, including press-time granularity, it adds.