Scanners, Cameras, Software
and Custom Manufacturing Solutions
Perhaps Crowley’s most unique advantage is its multi-pronged approach to digitization: manufacturing, sales, services and support. We become our own client when using the scanners engineered or distributed in-house. This is incredibly useful as it allows for the same experience of others using Crowley scanners for production and archival digitization – the same successes, challenges and pain points. Crowley’s manufacturing arm allows for quick action/reaction to field challenges, producing real-time upgrades, tweaks, new technology and custom solutions for enhanced digitization across multiple fields.
Scanners
With the 2003 purchases of Mekel Technology, Extek Microsystems and HF Processors, The Crowley Company added the role of manufacturer as a natural extension of the distribution and service bureau arms of the company. In 2011, Crowley became an international manufacturer with the purchase of Wicks and Wilson, one of the firm’s primary competitors at the time.
In addition to deepening commitment to the digital archives market, these investments have allowed Crowley to better support clients through increased technical knowledge, increased physical and proprietary resources and a greatly expanded worldwide distribution network. For over four decades, Crowley has been – and continues to be – an industry leader in engineering innovative digital capture equipment and software solutions.
Examples of Crowley origination are numerous and include: the release of the UScan+-Series universal film scanner series, which continues to raise the bar in the on-demand scanner/viewer/printer market with an outstanding 20 megapixel sensor; Crowley’s MACH Mini-Series which is the first portable production microfilm and microfiche scanners of its kind and offers production-level capture with minimal space needs; and the now discontinued ODS overhead document scanner for patron/research scanning.
Cameras
In 2016, The Crowley Company took a logical leap in manufacturing and developed the MACHCAM 71MP machine vision camera. Sold as a separate unit with a software development kit, the MACHCAM 71 was used by itself or integrated into another product. To date, the MACHCAM 71 has been utilized in laboratories, drones, traffic cams, document examination and a myriad of other applications needing fine detail in a wide field of view. Although the MACHCAM was a natural extension for a firm dedicated to capturing high-resolution images, the product was discontinued in 2021 to allow the manufacturing team to concentrate on its four-decade core focus of cultural heritage imaging.
Software
All Crowley-manufactured scan systems – Mekel Technology and Crowley brands – work with custom-designed software to ensure that end-users are able to maximize the capabilities of their scanner both at the point of capture and in post-processing. Mekel’s Quantum software suite has proven to be the gold standard for production-level microfilm and microfiche scanning, enhancing productivity while producing the highest-quality images from any microfilm or microfiche scanner on the market. Crowley also works with our partner companies – Avision, InoTec, Qidenus and Zeutschel – to develop and enhance their organic software to meet specific client needs.
IMAGEhost, another custom Crowley software solution, was developed in response to customer needs for an easily-accessible and affordable infrastructure to host microfilm and microfiche images in their original format (i.e. microfilm roll or microfiche jacket) from any internet-connected device. Visit the IMAGEhost website to find out more.