UV Goes Online with Virtual Service

"Troubleshooting and Training for UV Systems; Remote Diagnostics help keep Presses Moving " - American Printer, July 2006

July 24 , 2006 - American Printer (July 2006 Issue) — Air Motion Systems announced that it won mention in the July issue of American Printer magazine for its innovations in the area of online remote support technology, in a feature article entitled "Quick Fixes". The article highlights the growing sophistication of online support systems from the major press manufacturers, but until recently, a feature not always extended to accessory systems.

AMS pioneered the idea of full remote access for a major press accessory with the introduction of its Peak UV™ and Peak IR/TA™ systems in 2003. "The drying systems were seen by customers as being as critical to their uptime as the press itself, but no one was investing in the support technology" notes Steve Metcalf, President and CEO of AMS. "It was a natural move for us." As a result, AMS systems were architected from the ground up with an advanced, intuitive controls platform combined with state-of-the-art Internet-enabled remote access software, and the VirtualTech™ system was born.

The VirtualTech™ system from AMS - now in its 2nd generation - shows live support data from the UV and IR drying systems as they operate, and can be accessed by an AMS on-call technician from anywhere in the world. In the article, an example is given of an AMS technician instant-messaging with a customer during the live run of a print job. The technician connected remotely can see everything the operator sees. "Because of the virtual presence, we've used this not only for fast remote diagnostics and troubleshooting, but also for on-demand operator training" notes Metcalf.

Most drying sytems continue to rely on low-cost, unintuitive control processors that are not designed for full-access remote support. With the growing importance of UV drying in most customers' operations, online remote access to these systems backed by 24/7 on-call support has become a must-have feature. "It saves our customers thousands of dollars annually" says Metcalf.

The VirtualTech(tm) system is offered as a core component on all major AMS UV/IR systems and remote support is included free of charge throughout the warranty period. Most customers continue to use the service following warranty expiration.

Link to article...

ABOUT AIR MOTION SYSTEMS, INC.

Air Motion Systems, based in Arvada, Colorado (www.airmotionsystems.com), is the leading North American manufacturer of specialized radiation curing and drying technology for printing and industrial finishing. The company, which was founded in 1997, manufactures a range of innovative products and systems including the Air Guide, an automated pneumatic sheet guide system; the Cool Impression™ system, a patented impression cylinder cooling system; the Peak IR™ infrared / hot-air drying system; and the Peak UV™ ultraviolet curing system.