Colour camera reads print marks at line speeds of up to 500m/min
26 May 2026 
ABB’s Machine Automation division has introduced a high-speed colour camera for precise print mark detection. Designed to balance colour accuracy with high-speed processing, the B&R Color Camera delivers reliable results at production line speeds of up to 500m/min.
By allowing immediate, vision-based process corrections at high line speeds, the camera helps to cut material wastage and costs. It provides real-time feedback, contributing to higher OEE (overall equipment effectiveness), while also supporting sustainable printing. When print marks cannot be detected consistently, scrap and material waste increase, impacting margins.
The camera supports both mono and colour applications, simplifying machine designs and enabling easy scaling to colour applications. The one‑platform approach accelerates engineering and commissioning. An auto-exposure function adapts exposure times and contrast, keeping printing processes running without manual tuning stops, and helps to avoid scrap by adjusting continuously to changing materials and print designs. Unlike vision sensors that communicate asynchronously with machine controllers, the new camera integrates vision, motion and control on a deterministic platform that avoids latency, jitter and synchronisation, and real-time, in-cycle corrections.
