Scanners & Software FAQs
Mekel Technology is a division of The Crowley Company. In 1989, Mekel Technology introduced the first microfilm scanner to the world, followed closely by its first microfiche scanner. Today Mekel Technology, owned by The Crowley Company since 2003, continues to be the industry leader in microform capture technology. The Crowley Company has preserved the strong brand name and key personnel of Mekel Technology, which is identified worldwide for its engineering and performance excellence.
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0Wicks and Wilson is a division of The Crowley Company. Founded in 1973, Wicks and Wilson is a well-respected manufacturer of microform imaging equipment including roll film, microfiche, aperture card and universal film scanners. Wicks and Wilson was purchased by The Crowley Company in November 2011 and continues to develop innovative scanning technology from its Basingstoke, England location. As with Mekel Technology and Extek Microsystems, The Crowley Company has chosen to keep this division under its current name as a nod to the strong brand recognition and loyalty from clients throughout the digital imaging industry.
Was this helpful?20With the release of Windows 11 in 2025, a new era of PC standards began. As of this writing, all digitization products manufactured and represented by The Crowley Company are compatible with Windows 11. As mainstream operating systems change and advance, it is our goal to ensure that our hardware systems interface with those of the end-user.
Was this helpful?12The Crowley line of manufactured and distributed scanners is among the most intuitive in the industry to operate. There are no complicated set-up wizards and each are designed so that a new operator, even one with limited PC skills, can use the scanners within minutes. With every scanner sold, The Crowley Company provides the option for technical support staff to install and provide hands-on training. Additionally, we will help set the templates and image quality settings that are best suited for an owner’s conversion requirements. The Crowley goal is to make sure the operators/administrators have the equipment and software knowledge and understanding to ensure successful conversion efforts.
Was this helpful?20At Crowley, it’s understood that client needs vary widely. Our representatives are trained to help determine the most cost-effective solutions available. As a full-cycle provider, this could mean scanning or analog hardware, digitization services or a hybrid approach. For non-production volume scanning, The Crowley Company provides walk-up or on-demand patron scanners and also short-term rental to long-term leasing options to fit all scanning, processing and completion time frame requirements.
Was this helpful?20A patron scanner, also referred to as an on-demand scanner, is any non-production level scanning unit that can be easily operated by untrained users, for example walk-up patrons in a library or university setting.
Was this helpful?11Yes. The Crowley Company’s service agreements with certified third-party service vendors are in place as a customer benefit. Using Crowley-certified vendors may allow for quicker turnaround on minor repairs or on regular maintenance services in cases where there is a vendor service center closer in geography than one of our Crowley offices. Nothing changes from the client end – The Crowley Company is still your only contact. All personnel within the agreements are trained on the specific brands that The Crowley Company distributes including Mekel Technology, Avision, CZUR, InoTec SCAMAX®, Ricoh, ROWE, and Zeutschel.
Was this helpful?00Yes, all Zeutschel overhead book scanners include or have the option for book curve correction software. Curve correction analyzes the scanned images of bound materials and uses automated, intelligent processes to flatten and separate the pages while correcting text distortion and shadows caused by page curves without effecting scan cycle speeds.
Was this helpful?01In Zeutschel’s line of scanning equipment, the zeta and chrome book scanners are considered the most basic for walk-up patron use, while the 15000 color scanners are the simplest for preservation and back-office batch scanning. These units bring the archival/preservation image and lighting accuracy to the price range of everyday scanners. Contact your Crowley sales representative for specific details.
Was this helpful?00No; images are not saved on the Zeutschel walk-up bookcopy systems (the zeta and the Chrome). Images are held in a temporary memory while the scan process is running and all information is automatically erased from the system once the digital scan is either saved to USB drive or printed.
Was this helpful?00The Mekel microfiche scanners were not only the first production-level microfiche scanners on the market, they remain to this day the only tried and true production auto-loading microfiche scanner in the world. That said, not all microfiche will auto-load correctly, particularly those worn or torn from years of use. Adapting to fiche disparity, the Mekel MACH7 microfiche scanner also allows for easy manual load. Even when manually loaded, the Mekel MACH7 is still the fastest production microfiche scanner on the market today. There are imitations, but none which can boast a ninth generation model that has matured without rival.
Was this helpful?10Not only can the Mekel MACH7 microfiche scanner digitize small fiche and/or larger tab-length microfiche, they can also scan aperture cards without issue.
Was this helpful?00Quantum software is currently a standard feature for the Mekel MACH7 microfiche scanner. Contact your Crowley sales representative for details.
Was this helpful?00The Mekel MACH-Series rollfilm scanners can scan the following as “standard:” 16 mm, 35 mm, 100’, 215’, 1,000’ and 3M/ANSI cartridges. No expensive additional add-on options are required.
Was this helpful?10Universal film scanners, such as the Crowley UScan+ Advanced, are units that digitally scan multiple types of microform including microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards, negatives, photographic slides and more.
Was this helpful?00Yes. With the UScan+ Advanced scanner, you can create single or multi-page PDF files, as well as raw, compressed and multi-page TIFF, JPEG/JPEG 2000 and BMP files. If you choose to scan microform to a PDF file, the optional OCR and annotation features enable you to render the files text-searchable so that you can quickly and easily find the exact information you need. The UScan+ Advanced scanners were also the first to support USB3.0 interface and scan microform in color in the U.S..
Was this helpful?01Depending on geography and the distributor, the UScan+ Advanced may also be sold under the names Genus Ozaphan and Zeutschel delta+ HD.
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