Inside NIRMA Spring 2021

STimaging
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next can
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the microfiche.
confidence that
each file was
captured from
assurance it is essential that the
entire roll was captured into RAW
data as it allows for quick and simple
corrections to the archiving files.
challenges when being converted to
digital files. Rolls of microfilm sit on
a spool which can be unrolled,
scanned, and rewound in rather
quick fashion. The transport
regulates supply between intake and
outtake spools. This job is
performed by secure and stable
motors that drive the spools of
microfilm, a straight-forward
procedure under a line scanner.
To convert microfiche, the
“transport” regulates the movement
of the glass platen the fiche sits on.
Using line scanning technology, a
sheet of microfiche is loaded onto
the transport. On a nextScan
production scanner, the microfiche
transport travels in a back-and-forth
manner while moving up and down,
like a typewriter. Though unlike the
typewriter, production scanning
technology is capable of scanning
both forwards and backwards,
creating more scans in less time.
Once the capture process has
taken place, proprietary software
combs the data, and replicates the
physical microfiche turning it into a
digital ribbon. This allows the
auditing process to occur, ensuring
According to
Manuel Bulwa,
“All production level
workflows hinge on
automation and batch
processing. Stop and
go, transactional, ondemand
processes and
the like do not belong to
the production realm.”
Camera technology intended to
capture a single image makes
production microfiche scanning
nearly impossible. Again, the
microfiche must be on a transport
and an additional step must take
place, the fiche must come to a
complete stop for a clear capture.
There is no camera sensor that
notifies the transport to stop, so the
camera is essentially “capturing
blind.” When this occurs, a scan may
be split in two or missed entirely.
These spliced and missed images
must go through a costly rescanning
process if they are even caught in the
first place. If each image is not
viewed by a person to verify the scan
is a true conversion cannot be
guaranteed.
Production Scanning =
True Conversion
As previously stated, a
production scanner captures all data
on the reel of microfilm or sheet of
microfiche, but how is the data
captured, specifically? By using line
scanning technology, the key
determinant of a Production
Scanner. The line scanning
technology process allows for
everything to be captured from the
media, edge-to-edge and end-to-end,
without a single pixel of information
missed. Once captured, the software
gets to work detecting edges and
presenting an “Audit” or review of
the captured images. A technician is
then able to easily discern if any files
or documents were missed, and
instead of a rescan, simply revert that
area to the RAW data and continue.
To be confident of a complete
conversion with real quality
On-Demand microfilm
scanners physically cannot capture
film in the same way. The limitations
of the CMOS image sensor force the
scanner to move the film, stop,
capture, and repeat. The CMOS also
does not “know” what it is capturing
allowing for images to be spliced if
not directly in line with the image
sensor. There is simply too much
room for error when trying to
conduct a conversion project using a
scanner designed for On-Demand
use.
According to Manuel Bulwa,
“All production level workflows
hinge on automation and batch
processing. Stop and go,
transactional, on-demand processes
and the like do not belong to the
production realm.”
Your Trusted Production
Scanner
There are fundamental and
significant differences in a
production scanner when compared
to other types of microfilm scanners.
nextScan defines a true production
scanner as equipment designed for
the simultaneous high-speed
transportation and real-time capture
of both microfilm and microfiche
using line scanning technology,
which provides a critical step that
guarantees quality assurance by
enabling users to complete an audit
before finalizing the conversion.
If you have questions on your
current equipment or are looking for
new equipment, please give us a call
208-514-4000 or visit
www.nextScan.com.
8 Spring 2021 NIRMA.org Inside NIRMA