Snowfish® Quality Control

Ultimate tool for Quality Control of new banknotes. Launched at HSP Latin America Conference, June 2018.

IGT and PNO Global co-operate in the production, sales and services of the range of ‘Snowfish®’ products. Mr. Tom Buitelaar, former Dutch National Bank (DNB) and European Central Bank (ECB) employee, invented the ‘Snowfish®’.

The ‘Snowfish®’ QC is developed to analyse samples of new banknotes produced
and to classify the control output in ‘Quality Acceptance Levels’ data.

Snowfish® QC benefits in a few words…

  • Snowfish QC provides integrated quality control in one tool
  • Results of Snowfish QC are objective, easily stored and immediately available
  • Objective allocation of minor and major defects

Snowfish® QC functionalities

  • Image recognition of design elements in high resolution
  • Measurement of banknote size with edge, corner and print-register information
  • Measurement of positioning between design elements compared with reference note
  • Security thread positioning compared with reference note
  • Watermark/window recognition and positioning in transmission
  • General RGB colour comparison agains reference note
  • Measurement of intaglio height and other 3D elements such as tactile elements
  • Measurement of gloss, magnetism and UV-printed signal (reflection) strength
  • Measurement and detection of IR transparent and IR reflecting areas
  • Inspection of micro text, especially in intaglio
  • Determination of missing elements and classification of the quality of print, ink, foil, edge sharpness, wear and other aspects 
after chemical and physical tests
  • Substrate measurement

Optional functionalities

  • CIELab Colour measurement of specific areas by spectrophotometer
  • Discrimination between separate magnetic elements in landscape model
  • Measurement of UV-printed signal (UV 265 nm) strength compared with threshold
  • Measurement of blistering, light fastness, foil freezing and possible other effects after chemical and 
physical tests
  • Automatic banknote feeder

Snowfish® QC Characteristics

  • Segmentation of printing characteristics by landscape model
  • Captured multiple images are ‘stitched’ together
  • Analysis report (Excel, bitmaps)
  • Capability to check ‘wet’ notes shortly after (intaglio) printing
  • Reading speed: 10 notes/minute

PNO Global experience and support

  • PNO Global has 20 years of experience in banknote production for central banks world wide.

IGT Testing Sytems experience and support

  • IGT Testing Systems experience and support
  • IGT is a well-known and respected manufacturer of a range of testing tools for the Currency Industry.
  • IGT stands for quality, reliability and continuity.
  • Warranty and service are executed by IGT.