Wednesday 18 April 2001

Tips for Picking the Right Office Copier

Every business has to have at least one office copier. Of course, you need something that's high quality, multifunctional, and cost-effective. However, before you sign a contract on what looks like a great deal, make sure you are getting exactly what's best for your growing business.

Volume

While it might seem like a no-brainer, you need to ensure that your next copy machine can handle the volume of documents your company will produce and circulate. Some companies make the mistake of buying personal units for their businesses. Personal printers may save money at first, but they are not designed to handle the large volumes that most businesses put out. Instead of farming out those large projects to a service center, make sure you have a business type unit that can handle everything your employees want to do.

Paper Handling

Unless you want your workers to spend the day reloading the office copier, you probably need a device that will hold at least 250 pages at once. It saves time and hassle, especially if you print in large volumes like technical manuals or other documentation. Most large capacity printers can hold between 250 and 500 sheets, which may last for hours or weeks, depending on the volume or paperwork produced by your business.

In addition, you should consider having a machine that can handle two-sided printing. Not only will this save employees from having to constantly reload paper, but it will also save paper. Yes, it will cost more initially to purchase this type of machine. In the long run, however, you will save money on paper because you won't be using as much.

Color vs. Greyscale

Choosing color or a plain black and white system is a debate that most companies end up having. While it is nice to have documents produced in full color, you must ask yourself whether it's necessary. For whom are these documents intended, and do they have to be fully colorized? Are there graphs and pictures that need the pop that color brings to the table? If you find that color is not necessary after all, you might consider saving a little money with a simple black and white office copier.

Versatility

Most new digital printers are multifunctional. Sadly, not all of them are able to handle multiple types and dimensions of paper. For those who may have a need for things like transparencies, you may want to find a system that can handle not only different sizes but different materials as well.

Every business needs an office copier. To minimize frustration, make sure that you get one that can handle the relevant tasks in your industry.

Tuesday 10 April 2001

Foam Technologies In The 3D-Printing Age

The capabilities of the newest 3D printers are astounding. With options to manipulate foam, plastics, and other materials at the millimeter level, brand new capabilities are available for small and large businesses alike to create slimmer, more efficient, and longer-lasting products that accurately address both large and small demographics with common and niche desires. But, is your business taking advantage of the potential, or is your competition succeeding when you're getting hit where it hurts most - right in the profits.

Efficient Details

One of the greatest aspects of 3D-printed polyurethane is its ability to fit a wide variety of applications with extraordinary precision. No longer does your team have to spend inordinate amounts of time crafting a mold to pour the initial foam. Technologies like computer-aided design (CAD) and actuated laser precision eliminate the need to spend countless man-hours trimming that creation as part of the design process. Now you can simply load a block of foam large enough to fit your entire product dimensions, load up a CAD model that pins your design down to the tiniest details, and begin trimming the foam like Michelangelo chipped away at his marble, only better, because what took months and even years for him only takes a matter of minutes for you.

Even more efficient is the ability to consolidate. Where former products had to be split up into multiple parts, now they can be combined into one single, complex piece that fits perfectly. Along with that, due to the infinitely customizable aspects of the model, additional improvements over time are easy to implement, as instead of creating new molds, you get to manipulate a virtual file and even test its efficiency in simulations before sending it to production.

Longer-Lasting Products

Due to the efficiency of the previously mentioned aspects of the design phase, you are already one step ahead in creating a more durable result. Instead of spending all of your design time focusing on how to cut as many corners as possible to cut down on material costs for mass production, you can focus on how to make those already efficient designs take more hits and resist wear and tear. With these kinds of advances in foam technology, you can even go as far as to create advanced structures that give your product a lifetime far superior to that of the competition. With ability to create complex geometry directly within the product's existing framework that is structurally superior to its predecessors, you are already far ahead of those still stuck with old, rigid and bulky options.

Customizing Creates Customers

The product is already much more efficiently created using these specific foam technologies, You can give your customers the option of creating custom aspects to the project where you normally would have attempted to create something generic.

Instead of creating the seat to an automobile that fits most, why not give your customer a few options? They can type in their height and weight, and you can create a seat that fits their personalized needs. What better way to not only offer something that the competition cannot, but also maximize your potential profits? The possibilities are endless.