Image processing for industrial inkjet solutions could see a new stage of optimization with the launch of SmartRIP by Hybrid Software Helix, the new name of the former Global Graphics Software entity. According to the Belgian publisher, this is the first industrial RIP designed natively to run on the graphics processing unit (GPU), thus freeing up CPU resources and fully exploiting the parallel capabilities of graphics cards.
The subsidiary of the Hybrid Software group is even announcing a technical breakthrough for inkjet system integrators (OEMs) by targeting the industrial market in the broadest sense, and not that of high-end digital presses for labels and packaging served by Hybrid Software's SmartDFE.
A GPU-native RIP designed for OEM integration
SmartRIP's GPU-native architecture frees up the system's CPU resources for other tasks in parallel. This approach aims for a linear increase in performance with hardware scalability: the higher the performance of the GPU, the higher the RIP's performance, without the need for software rewriting.
This RIP offers a communication interface compliant with the OPC UA protocol, an open standard designed for connected industrial environments. This choice meets the growing need for interoperability in production architectures, where print flows must interact with PLCs, MES or ERP.
According to Hybrid Software, this "secure by design" integration also anticipates the requirements of the Cyber Resilience Act, a European regulation expected by 2027, which will impose new security standards on industrial digital equipment.
Ultra-fast deployment and quality automation
SmartRIP can be up and running in a matter of hours, thanks to a simplified API. It comes with a set of advanced color-processing functions derived from the know-how of ColorLogic (also a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group). The aim is to enable unskilled operators to achieve consistent quality, with minimum intervention.
Integrated modules cover color management, calibration, ICC profiles and high-resolution image processing.
General Manager Justin Bailey states: "With SmartRIP, we've adapted SmartDFE's award-winning, proven technology, which powers high-end digital presses, to a wider range of industrial applications. Manufacturers and integrators can now deliver outstanding print quality faster, simpler and at lower cost."
