Tag Archives: PRINT

Construction News, News

Launch of Versarien Lunar 3D printed lifestyle pods

Advanced material pioneer unveils 3D printed concrete construction using Cementene™

Versarien plc, an advanced engineering materials group and provider of graphene-enhanced cement admixture, today announces the launch of its “Lunar” lifestyle pods designed with sustainability and innovation at the core. Lunar is Versarien’s first 3D printed concrete product made with Cementene™, Versarien’s graphene-enhanced cement.

The launch will see Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien, unveil a building printed with Cementene™, at the Company’s production facilities in Longhope, Gloucestershire. Known as Versarien Lunar, this is a milestone project for a 3D-concrete printed product with a graphene additive. The versatile pods can be used as an office, studio, gym, or leisure room. The pod’s wall design shows the level of detail, flexibility and precision that can be achieved with 3D-concrete printing. Versarien’s lead designer has encompassed the concept of light and access to the outdoors by incorporating full-height glazed doors and windows into the pod’s design.

The launch of Lunar comes at a time where sustainability in construction has never been more scrutinised. The industry accounts for around 8% of global CO2 emissions and would be third for emissions in the world if it were a country, overtaken by only the US and China. Since fewer materials are needed to achieve the same structural performance as ordinary concrete, incorporating graphene into concrete can enable faster completion of buildings, reducing costs and the carbon footprint.

Neill Ricketts, CEO of Versarien commented, “This launch represents the first application of a technology that has the potential to change the way the world views construction and property renovation. Lunar doesn’t just provide convenience for homeowners, it is also a beacon of hope for those who don’t have access to basic amenities like shelter. Our 3D printed concrete can build pods for those suffering hardship, whilst creating a circular economy for houses, giving individuals in more developed countries the opportunity to chop and change and ‘lift and shift’ their homes. Versarien is driving this innovation and we look forward to seeing the impact this technology can have in the world around us.”

Following the launch, Versarien will be holding an event on 9 March 2022 to showcase a prototype Lunar unit, showing attendees around the features and specifications before anyone else.

For more details, visit: https://www.versarienproducts.co.uk/

*For more details on the performance of Cementene™ please see here: https://www.versarien.com/files/5716/3050/8952/White_Paper_-_Graphene_for_the_construction_sector_-_final_version.pdf

News

Swindon Council partners with Apogee to adopt hybrid mail to reduce costs

Swindon Borough Council has partnered with leading managed workplace services (MWS) provider, Apogee Corporation, to mobilise a time and cost saving hybrid mail solution.

The partnership has enabled the council to save the equivalent of four months of staff time over the past 14 months. Apogee’s hybrid mail solution has provided employees with a smarter, more streamlined means of communication, reducing the costs associated with preparing and printing council documents and letters.

With the council sending out 250,000 letters a year to its residents, a company-wide solution was needed to ensure taxpayer money was spent on protecting frontline services rather than on unnecessary mail processing costs. The time and effort required to order and deliver consumables, refill machines, and maintain printing equipment, was another key factor in the decision to move towards digital mailroom solutions.

Apogee’s hybrid mail system has enabled users to print and post letters at the touch of a button. As such, departments have reaped a wide range of benefits, from reduced costs and enhanced efficiency to the flexibility for employees to handle and receive important documents wherever they are. These considerable cost and time savings have helped the council to meet crucial communication objectives.

Philip Murkin, Chief Digital Officer at Swindon Borough Council, explained: “Our end-of-year mailer project previously took a week to finish, but by using the hybrid mailing system, the whole process was completed in a few hours.”

Collaborating with Apogee has enabled Swindon Borough Council to keep their physical lines of communications flowing and automate key business processes. In the last 14 months alone, employees have put over 155,000 letters through the hybrid mail solution – a testament to the power of fast, streamlined, digital workflows.

Aurelio Maruggi, CEO of Apogee, said: “We are delighted to have helped Swindon Borough Council implement a company-wide hybrid mail solution, ensuring the Borough Council could focus more time and money on front line services for residents. At Apogee, we take pride in tailoring the services we deliver to ensure all our customers’ communication processes are smart, efficient, and cost-effective.”

News

TALL Group wins long-running lawsuit

The TALL Group of Companies, the UK’s leading provider of secure electronic and paper payments solutions, has successfully defended a patent infringement case brought against it by a competitor, global customer communications company Communisis.

The now disproven claim was that an encryption system, which helps to ensure that fraudulent cheques are trapped and rejected wherever possible was a direct or equivalent infringement of a system allegedly invented and owned by Communisis.

But, after a process that has been ongoing since 2017, a ruling passed down by the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) stated that, not only was TALL Group’s system different, its method was “much more secure and effective” than the one covered by the patent of its larger rival and, therefore, did not infringe.

Additionally, Communisis’ patent was held to be invalid due to lack of inventiveness compared to three earlier patents, one of which dated back to 1974, and because the alleged invention was no more than a “mathematical method” which cannot be patented. Communisis, whose CEO stood down recently, employs more than 2000 people, according to company data tracker Owler, with offices in 17 countries. The TALL Group consists of TALL Security Print Ltd, Checkprint Ltd and DLRT Ltd, operating out of three accredited sites in the UK and employs 150 people.

Commenting on the win, Martin Ruda, Group Managing Director at the TALL Group of Companies, said: “We were always confident of the outcome of this case. As an organisation committed to the safety, security and integrity of the UK payments systems, we will continue to develop and implement effective cheque fraud prevention tools which can benefit all cheque using customers, their banks and the cheque clearing industry as a whole.

In contrast to others, we believe that strong methodologies to trap fraudsters should be made available across the industry, and our UCN Plus® system, which significantly enhances the protection afforded to business cheque customers, is offered freely to other Accredited Cheque Printers.’’

Colin Bell, intellectual property lawyer and partner at Brabners, said: “This has been a long and drawn out ordeal for TALL Group and I am glad it has ended with the right decision from the court. While we were always confident of winning, the judgment emphasises the importance of providing good instructions to experts in patent cases. Economically there are challenges ahead for all businesses and this judgment means my client is now able to face into them unimpeded.”

To learn more, visit: www.tallgroup.co.uk