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A very friendly user interface allows the operator to use the Digitizing Line as easily as a photocopy machine. All the process sophistication has been simplified to the operator in a way that no particular know how is necessary to operate the Digitizing Line. Process interaction is done with a front side touch screen presenting ergonomic large buttons and icons that visually guide the operator.
The process is monitored and adapted to variety of books by a single set of parameters that constitute a representation of 4DigitalBooks know-how. An intelligent algorithm automatically adapts the process according to the behavior of the book in order to optimize the movements for page separation and page turning.
Page turning speed :
Slowing down the speed of page turning is important to manage more carefully fragile books with weak binding or brittle paper, while for recent or well preserved books, speeding up the process makes sense.
At lower speeds, this parameter allows to observe the behavior of the book and helps tuning up and speeding up the process for maximum productivity.
Currently regular page turning speed is below 2.4 seconds per paper sheet that equals 1.2 seconds per page.
Book size measurements :
There is no need to specify the size of the book prior to process it as the Digitizing Line has a set of sensors that measure all necessary dimensions of the book. After loading the book on the automatic book cradle, the Digitizing Line would automatically measure the book. There is no way for the operator to enter a wrong value or make a mistake that would damage either the book or the Digitizing Line.
Automatic book cradle :
4DigitalBooks has developed and patented a book cradle that automatically adapts to the thickness of the book and follows the dynamics of the book as pages are turned from right to left. It automatically centers the book in order to make sure that the binding between left and right page is always centered on the image.
The book cradle offers an unequaled maintain of the book during the process by vacuum aspiration on the covers, that allows to load books with soft covers. Books with covers having irregular surface or shape may also be loaded. Loading a book is as simple as putting it on a table.
Recipes :
Parameters and settings for processing a book may be stored in "presets". Producing with "presets" allows the operator to save time when scanning a collection of similar books. After loading a new book to be scanned, selecting a preset with a minimal number of key presses, allows to enter directly in production mode.
Using presets allows to reduce to less than 2 minutes, the whole process for loading and unloading a book. This is important to reduce human intervention and maximize production time.
Single sheet detector :
Every time a page is picked up, the page detector checks if there is only one page. If more pages are stuck together, pages are released and the pick up process is repeated differently. The efficiency of the page detector is spectacular as it discriminates even if pages with radical thickness or porosity are stuck together.
Turning pages without making sure that only one page has been turned at a time makes no sense to 4DigitalBooks. Imagine what would be to scan a book of 1000 pages and to get 999 files or less ?
Page separator :
There are many ways to pick up a page and separate it from the next ones. The page separator developed and patented by 4DigitalBooks picks up and separates gently the pages with unique repetitiveness and spectacular efficiency.
During page separation, there is no friction, no localized force, no strains on the page. The page separator may be easily set in a way to provide regular and scalable vacuum aspiration on the page according to paper porosity.
In the case of stuck pages or appearance of static electricity, the page separator retries automatically to pick up the pages using a set of sophisticated techniques that provide maximum success.
Page bending detector :Once the page separation is done, in some rare cases it is possible that a subsequent page pops-up half way. During the page turn, it is important to make sure that no other page is being involved in the movement. The page bending detector allows to detect if such event occurs and allows to automatically correct the situation by trying to separate the page differently.
The Digitizing Line detects abnormal behavior of subsequent pages and leaves no chance to bend a page.
Page-push air blower :
During the process of turning pages, the page is pushed to the left by the right moving glass. The interface between the page and the glass is a special profile with an adequate soft shape. The fore edge of this profile presents a page-push air-blower that creates an air cushion between the page and the profile itself, that allows to gently push the page by air, without friction.
