Metrix has always automated certain tasks, such as calculating the job plan based on the job specifications, press setup, and finishing requirements. However, trying alternate planning scenarios, or adding marks to non-standard work, and ultimately approving and exporting the project to prepress and finishing has always required operator intervention.
Now, with a Metrix XML job description file and either the Metrix Automation Server or the Metrix Automation Lite module, estimators, planners, prepress operators, or indeed other software systems can send XML data to Metrix and move on to other tasks, while Metrix automatically performs the work, according to LithoTechnics.
Rohan Holt, President of LithoTechnics and inventor of Metrix says, “End-to-end, lights-out automation has always been part of the Metrix vision, and for certain markets Metrix Automation completely fulfils that dream.”
He adds, “Metrix Automation will do, totally automatically, what many companies spend hours of skilled labour doing. Many printers have a hard time believing this is possible. I invite everyone to schedule a demonstration with one of our resellers or with us, and have a look for yourself.”
According to LithoTechnics, Metrix Automation can be configured to send email for various events, including successful completion for a particular project, or when operator attention is required. An associated feature, Automation Workflows, allows similar automated processing directly from any Metrix client, dramatically reducing operator effort – even for customers with no access to Metrix XML data.
For large companies requiring high throughput, Metrix 2011.1 Automation Server allows for a virtually unlimited number of hot folders, and parallel processing of multiple concurrent projects per hot folder.
For companies not requiring such high volume throughput, the Metrix 2011.1 Automation Lite module an optional module for Metrix and allows for a single hot folder per Metrix client, processing one project at a time per hot folder.
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