TAVCO Construction Technology Blog

There's no doubt, the Designjet 1050 plotter was a wildly successful model for HP. After all, tens of thousands of them were sold and installed throughout the United States during the early to mid-2000s.

Unbelievably, there are still a ton of those units still in the field and in use today. That fact is certainly a testament to the build quality of the 1050 series, but, that model has reached the end of its effectiveness and usefulness in the modern workplace.

If you still have one, there is a good chance that you are experiencing the law of diminishing returns firsthand. So, upgrading it for newer technology is a no-brainer. Learn why.

Lots of people would love to display fine art in their home, but artwork can be really expensive. Luckily, another alternative is to get a high-quality reproduction of a painting called a giclee.

Throughout Austin and Central Texas, artists and buyers alike continue to rely on the top-notch giclee printing services of Austin Art & Frame.

See how they do it and learn about their business in our exclusive TAVCO Partner Profile.

Guest article by Christian Erickson of Qnect - Connection Engineering and Design Software

“This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.”

~ President John F. Kennedy May 25, 1961

That was a big goal. We know the outcome. Goal reached.

Another big goal in the building and construction was recently announced. Specifically in the structural steel sector - a growing and important part of any project.

The latest version of Bluebeam® Revu®, version 2019 has been released and AEC users have a lot to smile about. On the surface, you may not think much has changed, but under the hood, Revu 2019 is completely rebuilt.

The result is the fastest and most convenience version of Bluebeam ever. Check out the improvements.

The Designjet 1700dr is HP’s latest wide-format printer iteration targeting CAD and GIS workgroups. As per the product’s nomenclature, the “dr” refers to a dual roll model.

Die-hard fans of HP will look at this unit with blind admiration. However, There is more than meets the eye when it comes to it.

Your old plotter has served you well for years. But, how much is that old technology holding you back? Probably more than you think. 

Companies generally are pretty good about keeping their IT assets up to date. But surprisingly, this is usually constrained to server, workstation and software assets.

As technology in the construction industry advances, access to digital files, both in the office and the field, is becoming paramount. After all, this type of functionality promotes better communication across all partner channels. Keeping everyone on the same page makes jobs run more smoothly and earns companies more money.

When it comes to researching technology, in Google We Trust! 

Buyers today generally start their research on the web, and for good reason. There is a lot of content available for them to explore. 

So, in an effort to save you a chunk of time, we are providing a comparison between the well-known HP Designjet T730 and the new, popular Canon TM 300.

Be sure to update to the latest version of Bluebeam Revu. v.2018.6. 

See below for release notes. 

Duty Cycle -- It's a term that is normally related to office copiers or desktop printers. It usually refers to the maximum number of pages that a particular printer can produce in a month.

So, it is common to see a number like 20,000 or 60,000 when looking at those specs.

But, how does the term “duty cycle” relate to wide format printers?

When construction projects approach completion, a Punch List is one of the final activities that must be conducted.

Essentially, this is a list of repairs and incomplete work items remaining at the end of a project that must be finished by specialty contractors to address and fix, before the project is completed, plan submittals are completed, and the project is handed over to the building owner.

According to the Business Directory, this is the definition of a Punch List:

A listing of items requiring immediate attention before finalizing a construction project. It is a document listing work that does not conform to contract specifications, usually attached to the certificate of substantial completion. The contractor must correct the punch list work before receiving payment.

The topics of a punch list can be wide-ranging. For example, door adjustments, flooring issues, electrical problems, and damaged wood trim are all potential items in a punch list.

For decades, this has happened via a manual paper/pen process that is slow, tedious, and marred with potential communication problems.

Luckily, now, software applications, like Bluebeam Revu, provide a way to quickly and easily complete a punch list and keep every stakeholder up to speed, in real time.