Thursday, May 30, 2013

3D Systems Launches Cubify Draw


News Release from 3D Systems Corp (NYSE: DDD) (May 23, 2013)
Create Printable 3D Content with the Tip of Your Finger, Download for Free in the App Store
3D Systems launched Cubify Draw, a mobile 3D printing app for iOS. Cubify Draw empowers anyone with an iPhone, iPad or iPad Mini device to create printable content with their fingertips. Users can digitally doodle with their finger or trace an imported picture and then enhance it with features like adjustable line thickness and height, auto-fill and auto-connect. Users can upload their drawing directly to Cubify or have the STL file emailed to them for printing. Cubify Draw is available in the App Store today via free download.
Cubify Draw deconstructs the barrier to entry for creating quality 3D printable content through a delightful paper-like user interface and easy upload process to Cubify.com for sharing and printing, making the digital-to-real experience seamless. The app is ideal for drawing and printing cookie cutters, pendants, ornaments, bracelets and simple toys.
"Cubify Draw takes digital doodling to printable reality" said Sarah Stocker, Senior Director of Cubify for 3D Systems, "This boundary breaking app is our latest gamified installment in our commitment to democratize content-to-print entertainment on Cubify."
Cubify Draw is available for download in the iOS App Store today.

Bentley ProjectWise and Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC: AECbytes Survey Results



From AECbytes.com, Feature Article, May 29, 2013
Article Summary
This article captures the results of a recent survey conducted by AECbytes comparing Bentley's ProjectWise with Autodesk's Vault Collaboration AEC for data management and collaboration in AEC. The results are shown in three categories: the first capturing the overall responses; the second showing the responses for those who selected ProjectWise as the solution implemented by their firm for data management and collaboration; and the third showing the responses for those who selected Vault Collaboration AEC. This enables a quick comparison of Bentley ProjectWise and Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC from an implementation perspective.
Article Link

Industry Leading Cloud and Mobile CAD Apps Reach New Heights


May 21, 2013 from AutoDesk

WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING:

“What used to take us days of communication back and forth and lag time is now taking us hours and minutes with being able to instantly and in real-time update drawings,” said Jim LaPier, Designer and IT Manager for Chesapeake Design Group. “With AutoCAD 360, we are able to accomplish what a larger firm would do, but with a much smaller workforce.”

Link:


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Top two U.S. funeral companies merge as baby boomers boost demand .... and an idea for those interested in 3D Printing


Blog Publisher’s comments:

Sorry, this one has nothing to do with reprographics!

But, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to “say something” about this news!

First, growth in demand has nothing to do with two companies in the same business merging together.  Mergers of this sort are all about one thing – increasing profits.  Those increased profits come from doing two things – a) economies of scale serve to reduce manufacturing and operating costs, and b) Increased market-share strength leads to “pricing power.”  I don’t think any of us will be surprised, if, over the next few years, prices for funeral services and for coffins go up, not down.  As that saying goes, “the only certain things in life are …. death and taxes.”  Demand for funeral services or coffins have never been cyclical in nature (i.e., they are not affected by recessions); demand grows as deaths grow.  (That’s a horrible thought, huh?)

And, now for a brilliant idea for reprographers.  Last night on NBC Nightly News there was a segment about a craftsman, an artist, who creates one-of-a-kind coffins, coffins that are art!  One of the examples shown was a coffin that looked like a Lion.  It was beautiful …. and quite unique.  When there’s a 3D printer that’s large enough to “print” a coffin, that would allow designers to come up with incredible ideas for “containers” to serve as coffins.  After they are designed, print them “on-demand”, one by one.  Will probably require a 3D printer that prints hard plastic objects.  My grandson likes the yellow rubber ducks I bought for his bath-time.  It might please him, when my time is up, if I was buried in a giant yellow duck coffin.  At least that would give him some reason to smile.

Okay, here’s the press release:
Top two U.S. funeral companies merge as baby boomers boost demand
Wed May 29, 2013 12:42pm EDT

(Reuters) - Service Corp International (SCI.N) agreed to buy Stewart Enterprises Inc (STEI.O) for $1.13 billion, merging the two largest U.S. funeral home operators as the industry gears up to offer more services to aging baby boomers.
Large-scale consolidation in the highly fragmented funeral business has long been on the cards, with the industry looking to sell more pre-planned funeral contracts to the 76 million baby boomers in the United States.
Service Corp, which failed in a bid to take over Stewart in 2008, said on Wednesday the combined company would have a backlog of future revenue exceeding $9 billion from pre-planned bookings.
The group would own 1,653 funeral homes and 515 cemeteries in 48 states, eight Canadian provinces and in Puerto Rico, and have proforma revenue of nearly $3 billion.
Shares of Service Corp, which had revenue of $2.4 billion in 2012, rose as much as 11 percent, suggesting investors were happy with the deal, which was priced at 24.5 times Stewart's forward earnings.
The number of funeral homes and crematories owned by both the companies would be about 20 percent or less of the total in the United States, said Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of Cremation Association of North America.
"I see this as evidence that there is room in this industry for economies of scale and consolidation," she said.
Just under 25 percent of the U.S. population was over the age of 55 in 2011, up from 20.4 percent in 2000, according to the Census Bureau.

Service Point Norway has launched "AllPrinting" the greatest online store in Norway


Blog Publisher’s comment:

Well, someone help me with the math!  Below, it says that 48,000 visitors visited the “AllPrinting” web-site during the first two months it was in operation.  That’s an impressive number, for sure.  But, how many customers, who visited the web-site, actually placed orders?  If I multiply 85,000 Euros x 1.30, that comes out to around $110,000 USD.  If 48,000 visitors placed orders, and I divided $110,500 by 48,000, that would yield an average order value of $2.30 per order.  Or, if half of the visitors, say 24,000, placed orders, that would yield an average order value of $4.60 per order.  Is my math correct?  Am I missing something?

Here’s a link to the Spanish-language version of SP’s Press Release:

And, courtesy of Google Translate, here’s how that press release, according to Google Translate, translates into English.  (As always, keep in mind that Google Translate does not produce perfect translations!)
____________

“Service Point Norway has launched "AllPrinting" the greatest online store in Norway”

The website is receiving over 24,000 visits per month

€ 85,000 billed in the first two months

The online offer is promoted in its 21 stores

Barcelona, May 27, 2013. - Service Point Norway, under the brand Allkopi Service Point, just launch their new online print shop (www.allprinting.no). The online store, which is directed to all kinds of audiences, can choose from more than 25,000 templates to customize greeting cards,
reminders and invitations for all occasions, color and high quality.

With lead times of 48 hours and 21 outlets to promote the website, this online store is important step forward to achieve diversification plan Service Point in new markets.

In its first two months of operation, the website has achieved a turnover of
€ 85,000.

"For us it is a pilot program," said Carl Peter Clampit, Chief Marketing Officer at Service Point Solutions. "We want to build our production base to enter new markets growth and that means developing our online channel. Instead of just competing with other companies online using Google Ads, we will leverage our stores to complement our online offer promoting a model of touch and feel, which is to touch and feel the products and services. "

Customers can see in the stores all the information online www.allprinting.no supply. It offers discounts, bonuses and can discuss their doubts, which makes buying online.

"Allprinting" to experience the vast possibilities of personalization of the cards. Thanks to the digital printing revolution, customers can participate in an interactive and unleash their creativity. The customer satisfaction they get when they use the online store is very high, thus the usability of the application as the printing quality and service.

So much so, that customers are receiving visits from the business. Increasingly, are printed restaurant menus, complimentary cards, event invitations and other commercial and marketing.

Service Point has also launched a website for professional printing in Germany (http://shop.koebcke.de) for small and medium businesses, offering a quick online printing from your digital printing

Berlin, one of the most advanced production facilities in Europe and has become the third largest supplier of photo album of the continent.

"Although Service Point has been slow to launch its online service offering digital printing, we are recovering a lot of ground with very fast and effective development, "says Clampit. "We believe we are the
only company that can make an offer online services, with a portfolio of 44,000 customers, physical presence and shops 60 centers in Europe and a brand that is associated immediately print services to the largest companies in the world. "

For more information:
Luis G. Canomanuel
LUCA Corporate Communications
Tel: +34 91 435 December 17
lgcanomanuel@lucacom.com

Contex Expands Multifunction Product Offerings, Unveils Latest Bundles


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Press release from the issuing company

Rockville, MD - Contex, the world's leader of wide format scanning and imaging solutions, today announces that it is working with HP to develop two wide format multifunction (MFP) products specifically designed to meet the needs of the technical and graphics markets. The new bundles are high-production MFPs, combining the HP Designjet T7100 Printer with either the award-winning Contex HD Ultra 3650 or Contex SD 3690. These new MFPs provide users with affordable, fast, high-quality imaging solutions for wide format scanning, copying and monochrome or color printing. The Contex and HP Designjet T7100 Printer bundles are specially priced until the end of June and available immediately through Contex and HP channel partners.

"The collaboration between Contex and HP offers a powerful and streamlined multifunction solution for mid-volume scanning, copying and printing, in monochrome and color, " states Steve Blanken, General Manager, Contex Americas. "This is a full-featured alternative to monochrome-only LED MFPs."

Production Scanning, Printing and Copying

Built for efficiency, the HP Designjet T7100 Printer provides low-cost, high-speed printing of monochrome CAD drawings and high-quality color documents. When paired with the Contex SD 3690 wide format scanner, which is designed to handle high volume projects while accurately capturing everything from new originals to faded blueprints, the MFP addresses all technical imaging demands from capture to output. 

Additionally, the HD Ultra 3650/HP Designjet T7100 MFP is suited for both the technical and graphic markets. Noted for its versatility, the award-winning HD Ultra is the fastest scanner available today. With xDTR2 technology and Gigabit Ethernet ensuring maximum throughput, the HD Ultra further elevates the scanning process with features such as 48-bit CCD technology and the widest color gamut possible, delivering highly detailed images unmatched in color reproduction quality.

For more information about the specially-priced Contex and HP Designjet T7100 Printer bundles, contact salesamericas@contex.com