Imaging Archives -

We’re back

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 17:56:32 +0000

Precision PR is once again accepting new projects

After a couple of years during which we had to scale back our activities, we’re now able to stat accepting new projects. We’re available for content creation, PR consultancy and sustainability programmes.

At some point soon, we’ll be available to take on new websites and full PR programmes again. Chris and Cary are both healthy again, and we’re rebuilding our team of associates and specialists. So if you’re looking for a specialist in digital imaging, medical imaging, services to dentistry, practice management software or sustainability, please get in contact. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and how we might held.

Please email chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call +447432 189149.

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One couple’s day out in Birmingham – at the BDIA Showcase

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 12:57:54 +0000

A review: BDIA Showcase, NEC, 17th-19th October

Apparently, people we know think we’re a bit weird. “What are you doing this weekend?” they ask. “We’re going to the BDIA Showcase at the NEC,” we reply. “Oh! Why?”

Why indeed? Including the trip to Colchester to drop our youngest son at his brother’s house for the day, the NEC is 156 miles from home. So it better be worthwhile as we’re investing a whole Saturday.

After Cary’s obligatory McDonald’s breakfast (amazing what she’ll agree to for one of these) and a stop off at the surprisingly pleasant M6 Corley services, we hit a bum note.

We arrived at the NEC as planned just after 11:00 am. And it seems that the entire UK caravan and motorhome community chose the self-same time to visit their trade show. A queue to get onto the site, queues for the carparks, queues for the transfer bus. Not a good start to the day.

We finally made it into the building just before noon, and dodged the bag search. NEC, please take note – Security didn’t have their A-team on duty. It was then an easy walk to Hall 3. The bus driver had announced Hall 5, but he wasn’t part of the A-team either.

Bags we collected at the BDIA Showcase (but NOT at the entrance). We think one is cool, one is ‘hot’, and the other we would be very happy to quote for new artwork.

First impressions

Registration was in the hall entrance. This is a good thing as you don’t have to wander around the atrium trying to work out how to register and get in. Note – the A-team weren’t issuing the passes, but it was such a simple process they couldn’t muck it up too badly.

Walking in, the walkways were clear, straight and wide, decorated with a pleasant cerise carpet. BUT no pre-made packs, no goody bags, and the show guides seemed hidden (we found ours on the way out!).

Plenty of space for the ‘crowds’

Crowds

‘Crowd’ might be a bit of an exaggeration. We spoke to several exhibitors who said Saturday was the busiest day, but it certainly wasn’t what you’d describe as crowded. One said he thought seriously about pulling out of Saturday as Thursday and Friday had been so quiet. Others thought Thursday had been acceptably busy, but that Friday was a write-off.

Halls 3 & 3a are not the biggest halls at the NEC, and it was difficult to see how much had been occupied by the show. There were several theatres which were large, and these made it difficult to see how much space was used. We certainly don’t think the halls were fully utilised. That said, the back of the exhibition was very close to the back doors.

Exciting new things!

Well, more like one exciting new thing. 3D-Printing is about to come of age in dentistry. We spoke to a couple of suppliers of 3D-Printing kit who told us that a number of processes and materials have been approved by the FDA for use in the United States. Certification is currently underway in Europe, and once complete, 3D-Printing will be available to both laboratories and dentists for making appliances such as dentures and clear aligners.

Beyond that, there wasn’t anything particularly exciting to shout about.

We only found Dentally, SFD & SOE out of the PMS suppliers

Things that were missing

Carestream! Not a sign of them. They were completely absent. So were all the practice management software vendors apart from Software of Excellence, Dentally and Systems for Dentists. If anyone else was there we couldn’t find them – which amounts to the same thing (only more expensive).

Several of the big kit suppliers were also missing, though several others were exhibiting (Planmecca, Durr, Belmont, Acteon, etc).

Nobody had ‘stupid’ attention-seeking stands either – certainly no scantily clad Santas or inexplicable ‘dwarfs’.

The MOD recruitment stand was empty too, which was a shame as we wanted to talk to them. Right at the back of the show, they probably gave up after the poor audience on Thursday and Friday.

SFD’s goody bag – we think they’ve read what we have to say about branding your exhibition investment

Conclusion

We went to the BDIA Showcase last year at the London Excel, and we thought that was a great show. This wasn’t. The audience was poor, and exhibitors were relatively thin on the ground.

Did we achieve our aims? Yes. We met the two organisations we had planned meetings with and our discussions will progress. The fact that the crowds were so thin on the ground probably helped. We also had a chat with a few other interesting organisations. But if we had been going for some other purpose I don’t know that we would have thought the show a success.

Shows rise and fall in a complex cycle. Each grows through investment, success and rinsing phases.

In the investment stage, the organiser goes above and beyond to create a ‘show brand’.
In the success phase, they deliver on their promises – audience, promotion, value.
In the rinsing stage, they believe the brand is self-supporting – pricing creeps up, promotion slows down and value plummets.

SOE Piggy Banks – the cutest give-away we found

The BDIA showcase at the NEC is in serious danger of moving into the rinsing phase. I would recommend to the organisers (and to exhibitors) to ignore the NEC and focus on London Excel.

A note to all organisers

Dentists earn money by seeing patients. Some of them earn A LOT of money. If you want them to give up money to attend, better make it worth their while and tell them WHY they should be there. The same applies to persuading them to send their staff during the week. And also the staff themselves if you want them to attend on a Saturday.

Likewise, picking a date during a major religious festival (Diwali) celebrated by a significant part of your target audience is dim.

Some parts of the BDIA Showcase were busy

Are exhibitions in fashion?

Outside of the efforts of individual shows, exhibitions as a whole go through a success cycle.

We’re not entirely sure where they are in the UK. Some shows are succeeding, some aren’t. They are definitely doing well in consumer markets – B2B is more of a mixed bag.

On the continent, European mega-shows in Holland, Belgium and Germany look like they are maintaining their popularity and value.

But what do you do if you are focused on the UK market? If you’re not a European-wide brand, the pan-continental mega-shows are just too expensive, and the audience too disparate.

1st class (Hons) in Fine Art (ceramics and sculpture), but 4:58 to complete a child’s puzzle – Cary on the stand of of Morris & Co (specialist dental accountants)

Our advice

We continue to recommend that dental businesses exhibit. However, we would suggest that the London Dentistry Show and BDIA Showcase in London are better exhibitions than BDIA Showcase at the NEC.

The organisers of the Dentistry Show at the NEC during the spring have assured us that they are taking action to correct the deficiencies of this year’s show, and that may well make it a recommendable show next year.

But at the moment, we recommend using your exhibition budget to also create your own smaller events. More effort – possibly. More manpower needed – definitely. But success will be due to YOUR marketing efforts, and focus will be on YOU.

So what do you think?

If you attended or exhibited at the BDIA Showcase at the NEC, we would love to hear your views. Contact us at cary@precisionpr.co.uk or call Chris on 07432 189149.

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Process before technology

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:38:22 +0000

A rant against edicts (and idiots)

I recently posted a rant on LinkedIn about a story I saw on the BBC News Site. At the time of writing, my post has been viewed 692 times. The reason for my irritation? The story purports to be about technology, but in fact, it’s about a political idiot issuing a political edict for purely political gains.

The story is about the use of Fax machines within the NHS and the Secretary of State’s instruction that they should be replaced with ‘new technology’.

Brilliant! I’m all in favour of new technology – that’s how I’ve made my living for the last 34-years. Except this decision is stupid. And here’s why.

Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health, is (in my opinion) ditching fax machines without understanding how they are used.

Half the story

The Secretary of State (Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP) is reacting to half information. He doesn’t know what these fax machines are doing or being used for. He just wants them thrown away and replaced with something new.

He isn’t aware (for example) that they were used as an emergency back-up by the Blood Transfusion Service during the WannaCry cyber attack on the NHS in 2017. He doesn’t know how simple it is to transfer hand-written notes between hospitals and locations compared to a computerised ‘scanning’ system. He hasn’t thought about how quickly a fax machine can transfer information between two teams working with systems that are not compatible or not fully integrated. He has forgotten that in the NHS, staff are massively over-burdened with work and need a simple, reliable solution, or that time savings can be measured in lives.

And for those reasons, he doesn’t know what they should be replaced with. He just knows they are old technology and is embarrassed that the NHS is the UK’s biggest user of fax machines. And he has therefore added in a vote-driven rush yet another example of half-baked government stupidity that will implement unnecessary technology badly.

Process before technology

I’ve been writing case studies and articles about technology for 26-years. Coupled with my experience as a technician and technical author, it is obvious to me that technology in itself has never ever made anything better and never once improved someone’s life. But what DOES make things better is the way that technology is used and applied to specific problems.

In other words, analyse the problem, design a solution for that problem and THEN go out an look for technology that will help you implement that solution.

Computers came about because people were trying to solve specific problems. Later, various types of computer application came about because there was a problem that could be solved in a way that a more generalised computer could enable. But none of them came about because of the computer itself. The same applies to telecommunications. And to digital printing and scanning. And even to the fax machine.

And this is exactly the case in the day-to-day operations of the NHS. Fax machines were introduced to solve a problem that already existed. So if the Secretary of State wishes to replace them he should first find out what they are used for and what can solve that problem as simply and elegantly.

I would be very interested to hear what you think about this story, this issue, or even this Secretary of State for Health. Please contact us via email to chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call 07432 189 149.

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Evaluating new technology

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 14:56:50 +0000

Good afternoon – I’d like to buy a computer:

How should dental practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology? Always a tricky question, but here’s how I would do it.

Why do you need to invest in technology?

Because something takes too much time or resources, costs money or doesn’t make enough money. Alternatively, a 3rd-party (the NHS) mandates a technology.

Work out the problem you need to solve, then you can work out the return needed on your investment.

What are you going to buy?

Examine constraints, such as:

Will the new technology work with your existing equipment, systems and processes?
Will it cause compatibility problems that will require further investment?
What external systems does it need to work, and what standards should it meet?
What is actually available and where can you find information about possible solutions?

Where are you going to put it?

Do you have space and services (power, water, cooling) the technology needs?
If it is a portable device, can it be stored safely and securely?
Where are the suppliers and installers based, and can they provide a good standard of support from that location?

When will you install this new technology?

Does that date allow for any special training you or your team need?
Will your facilities be ready by then?
Can the supplier guarantee delivery and completion dates (so you can manage your appointment book)
When will you need to pay for this new technology?
Length of warranty and support contract?

How are you going to choose?

Draw up a list of questions and organise them into ones for you to answer, ones for the supplier, and ones that require collaboration.
Ask colleagues and friends if they can make recommendations of suppliers who can solve the business problem you identified.
Research the names recommended to you, but also find alternatives.
Remember – the biggest supplier doesn’t always have the best product, service or deal for you.
Select about six suppliers – call them and discuss all your questions with them.
Invite three of them to submit a quote.
Go back to the top of the page and check that the solution solves your initial problem.

Congratulations. You are now able to choose.

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So put your money where your mouth is

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 14:09:57 +0000

Our first advert

“Well Mr Client, chasing earned media and working with Social Media is only half the battle.”

We admit it – we’ve said it many times. No one route to an audience is seen by everyone you’d like, so the more (properly chosen and co-ordinated) routes you have the more people will read your message.

Precision PR Advert in Modern Dentist Magazine

So now we’ve taken our own advice and started advertising!

Subtle changes

Yes, we certainly have taken our own advice. And used our own resources to design the advert which first appeared in the latest issue of Modern Dentist (on the inside back cover).

And that starts with an advertising campaign using the strapline; “In a world of shouting, sometimes the clearest sound you’ll hear is a whisper.”

You might have also noticed a few little changes to our website. When we started our business we expected to appeal to US (and other international) companies planning to move into the UK market.

Instead, we’ve found a greater demand for our specialist skills in dentistry and digital imaging. At the same time, ‘Brexit’ (or rather the uncertain it’s created) has negatively impacted on the type of marketing investments we have been involved with in the past. So we’ve refined our messaging to reflect this.

Communications campaign planning

We are currently managing coordinated marketing communications campaigns for multiple clients. So if you are looking for ideas to help you say the right thing to the right person at the right time, call us: +447432 189 149.

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Digital 3D Models in Medicine – we’ve come a long way

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 15:15:33 +0000

3D Modelling is now an established medical technology

Back in the late 1990’s I was working as an PR consultant for Insight Marketing & Communications Limited, which at the time was one of the UK’s leading technology PR agencies. My favourite client was a company SDRC Inc. This was a high-end computer-aided design (CAD) software vendor, now owned by Siemens.

3d-printed model of a pelvis with ossified tumour – created using Bespoke Modeling service from 3D Systems

SDRC was a pioneer of ‘solid modelling’ – a technique that built engineering designs in 3D. Around the same time, the world of medical physics was trying to build 3D models using data from digital x-ray and tomography systems. I was lucky enough to handle one of the first successful case studies. My story told how CAD/CAM would revolutionise surgery, and was carried by The Times.

Spinal Tumours and The Times

SDRC had been working with several hospitals in the USA. The aim was to link images from Computed Tomography (CT or CAT scanning) together to create a 3D model. They succeeded and created realistic images that could be viewed on a workstation. These presented a ‘whole’ image rather than the series of slices that result from CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The story they published was from a children’s hospital, and the subject was a spinal tumour.

What the new technique enabled was amazing. It allowed the surgery team to plan their work in incredible detail. By allowing them to rotate the model they could better understand the impact it was having on surrounding tissues, and the best way of removing it without causing additional damage. It wasn’t long before surgeons were linking CAD models to Stereo Lithorgraphy (STL) machines, and 3D Printing (a phrase that came to prominence years later) had come to medicine.

And a few years later

3D_dental_scan

As is the way, other CAD companies realised the potential of the technique, creating a market that drove down the price and improved the technology. Cheaper 3D printing devices using less exotic materials emerged, and 3D modelling CAD tools became a lot more widely available. But it also became more sophisticated, both in the uses the technique has been put to and the extent to which it can be exploited.

3D-printed jaw built from titanium using a laser sintering process.

3D Printing techniques can be adopted for a variety of materials. You can make plastic models very cheaply using coloured plastic filament. These are brilliant for illustrative requirements. However, you can also use other equipment to work with specialist materials such as tungsten alloys. These can be used to create structural components or medical implants and other, more sophisticated devices.

And soon…

The use of 3D modelling to create physical devices is ever expending. Ben Baker, MD of Pearl Dental Software says; “The 3D printing of guides for dental implants and for devices such as orthodontic removable appliances is becoming commonplace in the USA. I’m are sure they will soon be commonplace in the UK”.

Orthopaedic doctors and plastic surgeons are already pressing ahead with 3D printing systems that create structures from living bone and cartilage cells.

Artificial Ear – 3d-printed from living cartilage cells

Combining the technologies of CAD and 3D printing, together with CERAC milling machines, dentists and surgeons are very soon going to be able to create the most amazing appliances and devices, and to deliver unheard of treatments.

For me, 3D-Printing and 3D-modelling are fascinating subjects. I have been involved with CAD systems since 1984 (obviously 2D at that time). They have been a constant source of astonishment, whether used in medicine or in engineering.

If you have a comment, or if you are interested in 3D printing or solid modelling for dental or medical applications, please get in touch. We always want to learn more about how people use these technologies.

You might also be interested to read; “Using imaging technologies to enhance patient care : Don’t Forget the Patient” by Dr Iulian Popescu.

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Once upon a time 3D-Printing was called Rapid Prototyping

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 14:04:20 +0000

The democratisation of one-off digital-to-physical things

Once upon a time in a far, far world, people used to make one-off prototypes of planned new products using really exotic stuff and incredibly expensive computer systems. Today, in a small office near you, someone is doing the same thing for a fraction of the cost. And without the need to prepare baths of unpleasant organic chemical compounds. The rise of the 3D-Printer is not a new thing: it’s just got a catchier name and a more user-friendly price tag. So how has it got here, and what exactly does ‘here’ look like?

An introduction to CAD

As a child I had always wanted to be involved in car design and mechanical engineering. As a teenager I was too lazy to get myself through sixth-form and off to university. My career dreams were partially fulfilled by working at Avon County Council Highways & Engineering Department, where I ended-up operating the department’s super-mini computer as it was used to create the designs of what became the Bristol Ring Road and several other major highways schemes. This was my first introduction to Computer Aided Design (CAD).

Roll on a few years and I’m helping show journalists round the Williams F1 team factory. Damon Hill’s Championship-winning car sat in the entrance hall behind the door we’ve just come through. There is science fiction made real in this place.

Ford Duratec engine – modelled in I-DEAS CAD software

Tool paths and Lasers

Back in the 1990s I was learning my trade in PR at the brilliant Insight Marketing and Communications Limited. One of my clients was SDRC (Structural Dynamics Research Corporation). I absolutely loved working on that account. SDRC made 3D-Solid Modelling software for designers.

At the time SDRC was the technology leader in the design software market. Most of the F1 Grand Prix teams (and a host of other competition car manufacturers) used their software, proving the point. SDRC software was also used by several manufacturers, including the Ford Motor Company. Take a look at this video to for the Duratec engine, modelled using SDRC software.

Damon Hill – 1996 F1 World Champion driving his Williams FW18

If you want Grand Prix software you pay Grand Prix prices.

Williams was one of the manufacturers using SDRC’s software. Their designers developed solid models which were then used to generate tool-paths for multi-axis milling machines that carved moulds, or else cut components directly from blocks of metal and plastic. If the team needed a part to be redesigned between races it could be modelled, made, shipped and on the car within 72-hours. But the cost was truly incomprehensible – £25k for each UNIX workstation computer and about the same for the software. And that’s just one workstation – Williams had dozens.

For more mainstream products the costs could be scaled back a little, and you might not need a room full of designers if you were making a shower head. But you probably still wanted a prototype to see what it looks like in the flesh, and to gauge reactions from potential buyers. This is where Rapid Prototyping steps up. You could create your model, but instead of a tool-path, you generated the path that a laser might shine on a bath of light-cured epoxy resin. The model would gradually drop into the bath as the laser shone on the surface. After a clean-up and finishing you had a very good approximation of your finished item.

SolidWorks – 3D for the masses ?

The next step to democratisation was the development of solid modelling capability on a much cheaper computer. I was fortunate enough to be part of the team that launched SolidWorks onto the unsuspecting British design community. This delivered many of the same solid modelling features as SDRC but on a Microsoft Windows PC costing a fraction of the price of a UNIX workstation. And the software was cheaper too. True it didn’t have all the clever simulation capabilities for structural testing etc., but do you really need that if you’re making shower heads or vacuum cleaners?

So while SolidWorks started the revolution in terms of computing and software costs, it would still be several years before someone came up with a technology that could turn digital models into cheap physical models. But about ten years ago someone came-up with a way to make models by melting and depositing plastic filament, and someone named it 3D-Printing, and all that changed.

Replacement parts made by Enterprise XD Design – 3D design services

Rapid Prototyping becomes 3D-Printing

There are of course many variations on 3D-Printing, just as there were different processes to create ‘rapid prototypes’. But essentially, they all work by turning a digital model into multiple physical layers that are bonded together. People have created digitally controlled concrete pumps (that only seem to make round buildings, but I’m sure that will change), laser-sintered metal components, and of course the plastic models most people will have seen.

But while hobbyists and video bloggers may have made the most noise about 3D-Printing, a new bread of designers have started offering their services to the public in much the same way that graphic artists and copy shops cater for flat-surface printing needs.

I caught up with one – Trevor Day – to help me get up to speed with the latest thinking. Trevor offers design and build services from his business (Enterprise XD Design) in Essex, a few miles from Precision PR.

“In the last 10-years, 3D-Printing has moved from an arcane art form used purely by professional product designers into something that can be accessed by the general public,” says Trevor. “It has changed from a method of making prototype products and speeding up product testing into a whole range of applications. But while many people will have heard of 3D-Printing, very few understand it or what you can actually do with it.”

Things you can make

“People choose it [3D-Printing] to create limited production runs and one-off items to professional standards of fit and finish. I’ve been asked to recreate unobtainable spare parts, or to make models, souvenirs and gadgets,” says Trevor. “There are only four factors that limit what you can make using 3D-Printing techniques; size, strength, purpose and your imagination. And all four can have effective work-arounds, though some uses are just too difficult to make 3D-Printing a sensible approach.”

The size limitation is changing all the time. Typical low-end hobbyist printers (such as the Da Vinci Junior 3D Printer from Maplin) can print with a single ABS filament within a 15x15x15cm spaces and cost around £300. Trevor’s main printer has multiple filaments and can print up to 20cm wide using a variety of materials. “You need to print some items in sections. You then need a bit of extra thought put in to how to join them,” he says. “But you can also design bigger pieces and have them printed by a 3rd-party. There are several companies offering their services to print items up to 100x100x100cm (one cubic metre) from your design.”

Making it in Metal

Strength again requires a little thought. “3d-Printing builds in layers. Like the grain in a piece of wood, it will have different strength and stiffness along the layers or across the layers,” explains Trevor. “Depending on the purpose of the item this may or may not be a problem. But like working in wood, you can design to use it to your advantage or design around the problem. Sometimes you need to think about the printer path and the direction that the material is deposited. Sometimes it means adding reinforcement, sometimes it’s choice of material and sometimes it means adding a step to the process.”

Bugatti brake calliper created using a 3D-Printing technique

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a 3D-Printing method that fuses metal powders together with a laser. Designers increasingly use it for complex automotive and engineering components. For example, Bugatti used the technique recently to make complex brake parts.

Trevor also uses 3D-Printing to make custom jewellery using a range of precious and semi-precious metals. “To do that, I print a wax model and then use a lost-wax mould to cast in the metal.”

That really leaves the last limitation as your imagination. Once you’re past that it’s down to how many finished items you need. But with the cost of materials and printers falling all the time, even the economics of using 3D-Printing to create large numbers of finished items is changing.

Things you can’t make

“Guns. It’s been done, but it’s understandably illegal and it’s dangerous,” explains Trevor. “There are designs for a 3D-Printed single-shot pistol on the internet. However the inherent weaknesses between layers makes them very unpredictable devices. Plastics are not good at containing sudden pressure changes. They are good for ancillary parts such as handles, but you need metal for pressure containers.”

Aerospace Stator Ring – made in one piece – 3T RPD Ltd

The limitations are ultimately the economics – the bigger the item the higher the printing costs, with a flat pretty linear progression for repeats (meaning printing more doesn’t significantly reduce the unit cost) – and human imagination (which might mean a law). Plus a bit of common sense.

“You can certainly overcome most strength problems and size problems,” says Trevor. “It just takes a bit of thought in the design and choice of materials. You might need to find a print agency capable of printing large sizes and using exotic materials. If you need a small number of repeats of your design – simple or complicated – you can do it in 3D-Printing.”

Industrial print consultancies such as 3T RPD Ltd can print large engineering components in metals or a range of plastics. Designers such as Trevor’s Enterprise XD Design can make parts, custom-designed items and even small castings.

So, what next?

That’s hard to say. I’ve been working in this field on and off for 20-years. In some ways it has changed hugely. But you can also view those changes as just an evolution of ideas and the economics of IT. Compared with 20-years ago, 3D-Printing has gained a wider choice of materials and a snazzy new name. In my view, the real change is that it is now a genuinely economic option for a huge range of applications. The only limitation I can see for 3D-Printing is human imagination.

Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank Trevor Day of Enterprise XD Design Limited for his comments and the pages of material I still have for future articles. The Stator Ring picture was taken from 3T RPD Ltd’s website where you can find some fantastic case studies and images of prototypes and finished items made in a variety of plastics and metals. I-DEAS software is now marketed by Siemens as part of their PLM range. SolidWorks is now owned and marketed by Dassault Systems. I could have also mentioned AutoCAD from AutoDESK. I believe that too now has some 3D modelling technology, but SolidWorks was by far the earliest on a Windows platform.

If you would like to discuss PR, marketing communications or case studies in the engineering or design industries, please call us as we’ll be delighted to help.

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IPEX 2017 – A visit to the NEC

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 12:39:44 +0000

IPEX 2017 – The UK’s premier international print show

The UK’s premier international print show?

This week I took the time out to visit the NEC for IPEX 2017. Billed as ‘The UK’s premier international print show’, there were several reasons I wanted to go.

The first reason was that IPEX 2017 is ‘my show’. Well, that’s a slight exaggeration, but I feel some ownership of it as I won the contract to manage press relations for the show for my previous employer, and I wanted to see how my initial plans had panned out. Of course, I went on Day 2, and all the press went on Day 1, but apart from that things seemed to have gone roughly according to the plan I laid out a couple of years ago.

The second reason was that I wanted to see a couple of former colleagues, which I did, and which was nice.

And the third was that my colleague Simon Hill and I had been looking to meet up with some prospective clients, and he had set-up three meetings for me at the show. I’m pleased to say that all three meetings went well and produced some follow-up activities that I hope will turn into business for Precision PR. I even got chatting (quite unexpectedly) a manufacturer of after-fit UV curing lights which led to giving a quote for some brochure work..

Busy but not ‘banged out’

Mixed reactions

But my initial reaction to the show is a bit mixed. Firstly because the organisers (Informa Global Exhibitions) missed their target of 400 exhibitors, so the show felt a little bit smaller than expected (but it’s the NEC so it still felt pretty big). Secondly because none of the really big printer manufacturers were really in evidence (no stands for Epson, Hewlett Packard, Cannon – all missing). And thirdly, because while not quiet, by the standards of some print shows I’ve been to, IPEX on Wednesday afternoon wasn’t busy.

Plenty of meaningful conversations and people actually looking for real solutions

That said, I think it was a better show because of these points. It meant that the show wasn’t monopolised by glitzy stands draped in huge swathes of designer designed fabric and Formula One cars. And that meant that people were actually looking at the smaller stands belonging to interesting technology companies and businesses that could supply a solution to their ‘now’ requirements, rather than splash the champagne around tomorrow’s answer to next week’s question. And in turn, that meant that people were actually conducting real business and selling real products and services at the show. Surely that is the mark of a successful trade show.

Congratulations

It took me three hours to drive to Birmigham, three hours to drive back, and I was there for three hours. For me, every minute was worth it, and I look forward to the next IPEX in 2019.

So I’d like to congratulate event director Rob Fisher and his team at Informa, and Dave Ingle and the team at Peter Bush Communications for promoting the show so successfully within the trade press. The balance they faced was creating a show that performed vs a show that looked like it performed – they are not the same thing. I think that if any one of the big printer or press manufacturers had broken ranks and exhibited then they would have diminished the show. But how do you judge these things?

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Things I wish I could do in CAD

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 16:32:37 +0000

Computer Aided Geekiness

I’m no designer or engineer, but I absolutely love Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and all its derivatives and associated applications.

I love 3D-modelling, I love surface manufacturing. I love rendered visualisations. And I love all the things you can do with them.

I’m also pretty keen on Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE). The things for which you can use these classes of applications seems to increase weekly. From machining parts for racing cars direct from the designer’s computer screen, to milling dental crowns and inlays developed from digital scans of the patient’s teeth.

How it all started

For me, CAD started during my first employment at Avon County Council Highways & Engineering department. One of my jobs there was as a computer operator, running the programmes that modelled the horizontal and vertical alignments of the Avon Ring Road (now often called the Bristol Ring Road). I turned these models into the huge A0 drawings used as the plans for the scheme. I also ran programmes to simulate traffic flows, and mystical ‘cost/benefit analysis’ models.

Even as someone relatively new to computing, it was obvious how much more productive were the design teams using the departmental computer system than those teams that weren’t. That got me excited. I could see that the scheme would take for years to design without the computer. Like so many other schemes in and around Bristol, it was riven by political NIMBYism that required multiple changes to the design. Without the ability to redesign sections quickly the Avon Ring Road would never have been completed – like the infamous Three Lamps Junction scheme.

English Electric Lightening

Formula One and Jet Fighters

The front line fighter defending Britain’s airspace during the 1960s was the English Electric Lightening – the only all British Mach 2 war plane. It was designed using slide rules to compute the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modelling techniques used in its development And while its service life spanned thirty years, the design resources required were simply enormous.

Later designs have become ever more complex and expensive to develop. As a result, the lighting’s successors – The Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon – were so expensive to develop that the costs were spread across several European countries. Without CAD these projects would have been virtually impossible. The interchange of design data would have been too complicated.

Williams

Williams FW18 – Damon Hill

During the late 1990’s I was lucky enough to further expand on my CAD geekiness by becoming account director at Insight Marketing & Communications. One of my clients there was SDRC – at the time the technology and market leader in 3D Solid Modelling CAD/CAM/CAE.

One of SDRC’s clients was the grand prix racing team of Williams Formula One. Actually, most of the formula one teams of the time used SDRC software; but SDRC sponsored Williams. This also happened to be during William’s F1’s time as the number 1 team in F1. And that meant I got to take journalists to attend events and visit the factory.

One over-riding and abiding memory is touring the factory. A 5-axis milling machine was making parts for a front wing – straight from the model, immediately it was signed off. But then at the next workstation were two chaps who made exhaust pipes. They made them the old fashioned way; cutting sheets of metal, forming them into tubes, and bending the tubes to shape by hand and hammer. But they were still working to plans made on a computer terminal.

Shower head – exploded view – created in SolidWorks

CAD for the masses

I can’t recall what happened to the SDRC account while I was at Insight, but I do recall that we were hired to launch a new product called SolidWorks into the UK. Unlike the UNIX-based SDRC software, SolidWorks ran on a Windows-based PC. This made the hardware significantly less expensive. At the time, SolidWorks wouldn’t be your first choice to design a jet fighter or a grand prix racing car. However, it was brilliant for the more mundane industrial design that most companies do. And SolidWorks is still going strong, now owned by Dassault Systèmes. So ironically, it’s now part of a company best known for making jet fighters.

And the things I wish I could do are?

I would just love to have got that engineering qualification I planned at school. I would have been thrilled to have spent at least part of my working life designing things using CAD. Instead I went into ‘computing’ and I’ve spent my life watching CAD from the side line. Running models through the system, plotting drawings, and writing about the relative merits of solid modelling versus surface modelling.

I don’t regret my chosen career path as such, but I am a little jealous.

If you share my enthusiasm for CAD, digital modelling and visualisation technology – and especially if you would like help marketing such technology – please call us.

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Looking forward to IPEX

chris@precisionpr.co.uk — Thu, 25 May 2017 10:32:20 +0000

Coming to an NEC near you

Last year I was very fortunate and pleased to work on the project to promote IPEX 2017 – the international print exhibition. We faced some difficult challenges, such as: competitor exhibitions changing their frequency; a poorly managed change of venue (for IPEX 2014); a completely new exhibition management team.

This year, IPEX 2017 is back to its established and popular home at the NEC in Birmingham. It runs from 31st October to 3rd November. I’ve just registered to attend, and I’ll be meeting up with my friend and associate Brian Minards (Precision PR’s graphics guru). If you’ve followed the IPEX 2017 story so far you’ve probably seen Brian quoted in press releases and articles about the exhibition. We’ll be looking to see the latest technologies, meet people we know and (hopefully) find potential new clients.

IPEX 2017 is planned to be a ‘print live’ event, so expect some spectacular demonstrations

The exhibition calendar

With FESPA just finished, and with the continental print shows seeming to get bigger every year, some of people might be wondering why the print industry needs IPEX. Even specialist shows such as LabelExpo are huge. Indeed, with a rival show – The Print Show – only a couple of weeks before it, why do we need TWO print shows in the UK?

From my perspective it’s a no-brainer. I’m not selling 64-inch large-format printers or digital label presses this year; why would I want to spend so much extra time and money if I can learn what I need to know in Birmingham?

Even for foreign visitors, Birmingham is easy to get to and has relatively cheap accommodation. I can drive there in a couple of hours. Brian can get there by train. And we can both get home the same day.

While the NEC may have its flaws it’s still easier to get around than most of its European rivals. And when I get there I know I’m going to see something worthwhile.

What’s likely to be on show

Looking at the exhibitor list, plenty of print services companies, materials/substrates suppliers and manufacturers of finishing equipment and systems. Several of the big continental exhibitions are changing their schedules and this has had a big impact on the exhibition budgets of printer manufacturers such as Epson, HP, Mimaki and Roland. However, I have no-doubt that once these budgets have accommodated the turmoil created by the flip-flop date announcements of drupa, some of the big manufacturers will pick-up a last minute stand deal for IPEX 2017 too.

Drupa flip-flopped between it’s usual 4-year cycle & changing to every 3-years, causing a few budget problems for the largest equipment manufacturers.

For me, it doesn’t matter if the big manufacturers go; I’m not in the market to buy a £20k large format printer, or an 8-colour rotogravure flexi-packaging system. I’m going to see clever things that people can do with print; that’s where IPEX is going to score.

James Matthews-Paul : content curator for IPEX 2017

An exhibition within an exhibition

I think Informa (owners of the IPEX brand) have been very smart. They have appointed journalist and all-round ‘print nut’ James Matthews-Paul as ‘content curator’. James is building a collection of the best and most innovative printing ideas and techniques. He is creating ‘an exhibition within the exhibition’ of great uses of print. For me, everything I do starts with an idea, and every idea needs a spark of inspiration. I’m going to see things at the exhibition that will help me imagine new ways to present my clients.

The print industry is a community. This exhibition is about the creative spirit of printing. Equipment manufacturers will miss out on being associated with that spirit and community if they don’t exhibit.

I wish the team at Informa luck with IPEX 2017. I also look forward to seeing what amazing ideas James has in store for us at the show.

If you’re exhibiting at the show you may be interested in our guide on how to manage PR at trade shows.

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