3D Printing to Produce Customized Medicines

      

BBC reports that scientists from the University of Glasgow are pioneering a £1,250 research that will use 3D printing to create drugs and chemicals, some of which can be used to create treatments for cancer. If successful, the process can be used to create customized drugs and be made available to pharmaceutical companies in 5 years and the public in 20 years.

The process will make use of syringes that are controlled by robots to create objects from gel-based ink where the chemicals and catalysts are mixed. Prof. Lee Cronin said that they are “mixing the concept of the glassware and the chemicals together in the 3D printer to create what we call 'reactionware’ … you print the last reactionary agent first and then build other chemical layers above, finally adding a liquid at the top. The liquid goes to layer one making a new molecule which goes to the next layer creating another and so on until at the bottom you get your prescription drug out."  

Researchers have used bathroom sealant for their reactor, but until now the substances they have created are not yet suitable for human consumption. They also intend to replicate the drugs already available in the market so pre-set recipes will be available for download to doctors and individuals.     

Epson laid down its Commitment to Customers and Society in its 2012 Sustainability Report

With the growing concern for the environment, more and more printers these days are making their own move to commit themselves—and their company—to protect our natural resources. The most recent among them is the Sustainability Report released by Epson for this year. The report contains accounts of how the company is addressing its responsibility to the environment. 

One of them is the introduction of the SmallInOne inkjet series launched in 2011 as a response to the growing need for environment-friendly printers. According to Epson, this printer is much smaller than its competitors. Another is the increasing use of the company’s Micro Piezo printhead technology. This technology allows materials to be created in “high quality output, reliability and high cost performance”. Epson also expanded its 3LCD projector lineup, launched a head-mounted display, and used its impressive technology to provide wearable and low power products and services to the healthcare and sports industry. 

According to Minoru Usui, President of Epson, “relentlessly pursuing innovation in compact, energy-saving, high-precision technologies, Epson can create fresh customer value that matches the world’s desire for smaller, more powerful products that have lower power requirements and lower environmental impacts”. 

                                                                                    Minoru Usui

 For the full report, visit this site.     

The Art of Postcard Collection

Deltiology is the term for studying and collecting postcards. Currently, deltiology is the third largest hobby in the world next to coin and stamp collecting. It was a huge craze in the 20^th century, particularly from 1907 to 1913. In fact, the US Post office recorded 667,777,798 postcards mailed in June 30, 1908.  

However, with advancement in technology, postcards have been ignored more and more. They are uncommon these days and difficult to find in stores.

The latest craze in postcard these days is Postcrossing. It’s an online project where members can send and receive real postcards anywhere in the world. As of 2010, there are already 200,000 members from 200 countries.

Here are some of the oldest postcards created:

First printed picture postcard

Postcard from 1771

   

World’s oldest picture postcard from 1840 sold for £31,750

American 'divided back' postcard, 1916

Old postcard of Papeete, Tahiti,1901

Why Printer Ink is Expensive?

Printers and consumers have constantly been barraged with the high cost of ink. Perhaps you have heard that printer ink costs more per millimeter than Dom Perignon champagne. Why is this so? The truth is there is no complicated answer for this question. The simple truth is that manufacturers can choose to make it that expensive.

 In an article posted in PCWorld entitled, 16 PC Mysteries Solved! several reasons were given to explain the high cost of ink. One, as stated earlier, is because ink manufacturers can get away with charging that much. Although there are remanufactured inks which costs lower they are often messy to install and deliver lower print quality. And second, it’s hard to duplicate ink. 

Why Printer Sales is Declining

Printers were once an essential peripheral. Recently, though, they have become nothing more just a ‘peripheral’. As a result, sales have considerably declined. What’s to blame? Mobile devices and cloud storage—that’s according to a recent article on ReadWriteWeb. 

Meg Whitman, HP CEO, said that the company experienced sales loss in printers and ink. What previously accounted for 20% of their revenue has now declined—commercial printer sales is down by 5% and consumer printer by 15%. Similarly, Lexmark, which takes 93% of their revenue from laser and inkjet printers, said that they expect a 12% decrease in revenue this quarter. 

The Last Lead Type-Casting Printing Press

The invention of the movable-type printing system in 1040 AD revolutionized the printing world. It allowed for quick and easy printing of books, materials, and even money. Sadly though, only a few people these days make use of this printing system. It’s a dying profession as more and more printers shift to more modern printing techniques.

In an article of Cindy Sui for BBC News Asia, she relates a story of one man who until now makes Chinese characters out of lead. Chang Chieh-kuan, 59, owns the last word-making shop in Taiwan—the Ri Xing Typography. He inherited it from his father and kept it running despite losses. From the outside, the shop gives no sign of the relics it stores inside: molds, character types, and many other historical items.   

 

Mr Chang at his shop

The shop has 120,000 moulds of different characters and 10 million or more of lead characters. From its conception in 1969 to the 1980s, the shop had 7 type-casting machines that ran nonstop each day with more than 30 people working regularly. But with the introduction of offset and computer typesetting, the number of print shops and print runs has dropped drastically.   

2012 Laser Die Cutting Workshop is Set

This year’s Laser Die-cutting Workshops will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, on September 11 to 13. This event will showcase the latest in label and package printing secrets. It will showcase effective and inexpensive solutions to help clients deal with the need for label variations and personalization. 

Hundreds of live demonstrations and machine tests will be seen at the expo. This is a great opportunity for companies and stakeholders to understand laser cutting technology. Four manufacturers, Sei Spa, Spartanics, AB Graphic International, and Delta Industrial will set up their machines and take part in four workshops with each testing a different cutter profile: blank office product labels, prime product labels, industrial labels and free label solutions. 

Labelexpo Americas 2010

The workshop is intended for converters and brand owners and is organized by Labelexpo Americas. For more details and pre-registrations, visit this site.