Southern Africa's first Oc'e ColorWave wide format colour plotter has been installed at a Johannesburg-based architectural firm, Urban Edge Architects and Urban Designers.
Focusing primarily on projects that include public works projects, commercial buildings for the private sector, industrial buildings and various community projects, Urban Edge is currently involved in the FNB 2010 World Cup stadium, in Soweto, in a joint venture with Boogertman & Partners, as well as alterations to most of South Africa's airports, including OR Tambo, and three of the Gautrain stations.
Urban Edge's Juri Abbott clarifies: “As a company, we regard ourselves as cutting-edge when it comes to our presentations to clients. Our modus operandi is to blow our clients away from the very first presentation, and the only way to do that is by having the best technology available at our fingertips. To this end, the firm has a 3D modeller and dedicated presentation staff and all of the necessary equipment to create a fabulous presentation for our clients. The Oc'e ColorWave fits perfectly into this set-up, enabling us to give our clients something that our competitors can't - and that's our point of difference, the fact that we wow our clients with our presentations from the outset of a project.”
When preparing a presentation, colour documents often have to be produced at speed and under pressure. This is where the Oc'e ColorWave 600 comes into its own, offering a print speed of 31 seconds per A0, or an E-size sheet (1sqm) in half a minute, as well as its six media roll capacity and 42-inch print width. Abbott says: “The initial documentation at the early stages of a project is often produced on risk, so it is important to us that our printing system be as cost-effective as possible so that we don't run at a loss from the outset.”
With an increasing emphasis on green buildings, Urban Edge is committed to implementing environmentally sustainable practices wherever possible. Demonstrating this commitment, instead of building a new office, the firm chose to renovate the old synagogue building in Emmarentia to create its new head office. When it came to choosing a new wide format colour printing system, the firm applied the same sustainable principles.
The Oc'e ColorWave 600 is one of the greenest printing systems available on the market, according to Oc'e South Africa's Donna Mynhardt. “The solid Oc'e TonerPearls used in tonergel jetting release no ozone, odour or fine powder, which makes Oc'e CrystalPoint technology ultra-low when it comes to emissions. Furthermore, because it prints an even semi-gloss finish on uncoated paper, the technology reduces the use of paper coatings that impact the environment.”
Until recently, Urban Edge relied on an inkjet machine for its colour prints, but the resulting plans often smudged and faded with time and use. According to Abbott, the revolutionary waterproof Oc'e TonerPearls offer a durability that even survives a trip out to site, leaving the document clear and smudge-free. Even the lamination process fails to smudge the printed surface.
“When we generated prints using the inkjet printer, we had to use a heavier paper if we wanted to laminate in order to ensure more durability. With the Oc'e machine we can use the same media for all applications, which means that we only have to stock one type and weight of paper,” explains Abbott. “The Oc'e machine also has a much simpler paper loading procedure than the inkjet printer, which was cumbersome to reload.”
Urban Edge has also found the software on the Oc'e ColorWave 600 holds many advantages. Not only does it makes doing reprints fast and simple, it also reduces the spooling time for big files - some of which are a massive 1.5 gigabytes. And the accounting software means that prints can be costed accurately to the project with which they are associated, enabling more accurate billing down to the cost per square millimetre.
Commenting on the technical support received from Oc'e South Africa's technical division, Abbott says: “We have received excellent back-up service and Oc'e has unfailingly dispatched a technician within four hours of the callout, ensuring our downtime is kept to a minimum.”
Prior to acquiring the Oc'e ColorWave 600, Urban Edge utilised an Oc'e TDS400 wide format printer for its black-and-white printing requirements. Abbott says: “This machine gave us many years of trouble-free printing, which ensured that we stayed with Oc'e when the time came to upgrade our print room's capabilities.”
Over and above being a non-negotiable component of Urban Edge's presentations, the firm's architects also find colour useful when overlaying consultants' drawings, making plans easier to read. Abbott says: “There is an increasing trend towards colour in our field, with the main driver being affordability. Not only does it make plans more comprehensible, it creates a professional company image that sets us apart from the competition.”
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