Protection of goods and packaging from counterfeiting and copying, tracking their movement requires improvement of existing labeling and security methods and the development of new ones. Making changes to the image at the prepress stage is the cheapest and easiest way of protection compared to using special printing techniques, special substrates, and inks or additional tags such as RFID. In the article, we suggest a new method to create security printed features, identify them in prints, and confirm the authenticity of the image. The method uses a combination of regular (AM) and stochastic (FM) screening in one image. There are two ways of separating images for AM and FM screening. First is to choose several random intervals in shadows of image tonal distribution and in accordance with values in these intervals original image is separated into two. The second is to separate by structure, for example, use FM screening on edges or textures. We tried Canny edge detector and local binary patterns. By using random values as the parameters, it is possible to generate unique print runs or even individual prints using digital printing. And large variability in the areas of separation gives reason to consider that the suggested method is reliable. Fourier analysis in the suggested method allows not only to detect the presence of security printed features but also to confirm the authenticity of the image on a print. Authentication is implemented by obtaining a digital image of the print by scanning or photographing and comparing the spectral composition of the original image and the digital image of the print. An expert survey showed that after our method presence of a combination of AM and FM screening in images on prints is barely visible. As a result, this method can be used to protect packaging labels with images from copying.

A method of image preparation for printing reproduction is suggested. This method allows to automatically compensate transformations that occur during reproduction, by analyzing a histogram of test chart image and based on it, creating a compensation pre-correction function. It also takes into consideration the visual perception of images. Pre-correction function is applied to images at the prepress stage after all other corrections. It is aimed to compensate defects, occurring at the printing stage, caused by the process of tone value increase and restriction of tonal range reproduction. It is suggested to use a test chart, which is a gradient with an even increase of lightness in the range from 0 to 255. After printing the test chart its digital image is created by scanning. Then Gaussian filter is applied to the image with parameters according to the visual perception, and lightness distribution histogram is calculated. This histogram will have changes in lightness distribution in comparison with the original digital image. These changes will correspond to the influence of tone value increasing process during printing. The cumulative sum is calculated from the received histogram, and the pre-correction is being formed. And this precorrection applies to an image, prepared for printing in similar conditions as test chart. The algorithm was written on Python and allows to create a pre-correction using a press sheet with the test chart. It is shown that the use of the suggested method gives a positive result and doesn’t require expensive measurement equipment. Having a scanner calibrated for linear transmission of lightness and developed programming module is enough. This method was tested on electrographic printing equipment on three different types of paper. Statistic parameters of a histogram, such as mean, standard deviation and the Skewness, were used for evaluation. It is shown that the suggested method can be used as part of an automatized system based on histogram methods for image preparation before printing.

A continuous change of physical and mechanical characteristics and operational properties of functional and structural materials demands a corresponding adjustment of the cutting tool material for machining. The adjustment involves the development of a new tool material and sometimes a new design tool. These two directions of the improvement of metal-cutting tools have a lot of solutions. A look through these options by trial and error is expensive and laborious. Of course, that there are accepted trends in the choice of a rational variant, but they are not justified scientifically and are associated with the experience of the developer. In this situation, it is desirable to simulate the processing of the workpiece with a tool to identify the most preferred solutions for the design and material of the tool. The possibility of using the ANSYS software environment (standard module Workbench Explicit Dynamics) for such a choice of the preferred variants of the design and material of the tool is considered.

The interrelation between the stress values in the cutting tool and the working efficiency of the instrument materials, particularly the durability period is considered. The possibility of applying the cutting force as a parameter for assessing the efficiency of using one or another hard-alloy tool, including the choice of the optimal coating is shown. It appears possible because the cutting force, on the whole, reflects the value and the distribution of stress. The graphical illustration of the results obtained is presented.

This paper compares stresses arising in the tool material of combined end-milling cutters and their admissible values with the purpose of preventing cutter destruction. The limit stress values of tool materials for the developed endmilling hard-alloy combined cutters having an interfaced cutting part and tailpiece were investigated. The cutting part was made of a tool-grade hard alloy, and the tailpiece was made of structural steel. To determine stresses, simulation modelling was carried out in the ANSYS and Deform software. The cutting force components were found experimentally. It was assumed that lower cutting force components lead to lower stresses in the tool material. This results in a lower probability of tool material destruction. The process of cutting the hard-to-cut stainless steel 12Kh18N10T was considered at the following parameters: a cutting speed of 70 m/min, a cutting depth of 1 mm, and a feeding of 0.1 mm/tooth. The tool material VK8 with no coating and with various coatings promoting the reduction of cutting force components was studied. It was confirmed that a combined end-milling cutter 16 mm in diameter and 92 mm long can be used to cut parts with the same accuracy as using a solid end-milling hard-alloy cutter. An increase in the length of combined cutters decreases the cutting accuracy; however, for lengths 123 and 180 mm, these cutters can be used to manufacture parts applied in general machine building. Therefore, combined end-milling cutters can compete with solid cutters in terms of the manufacturing accuracy and resilience period, which limits the existing applicability of solid cutters. The cost of combined cutters is 10–60% lower than that of solid cutters.