By Ed Avis
Digital reprographics issues was the focus of the 2016 German reprographics conference in Gelsenkirchen on October 7-8. Motio, the German reprographics association, organized a two-day event that encouraged members to consider the impact of digital reprographics and how they could profit from it.
About 50 Motio member firms were represented, according to Executive Director Achim Carius, which was about 15 more than last year’s event. The event also included a trade show with the latest equipment from KIP, HP, Rowe, Image Access, and a dozen other familiar manufacturers and suppliers.
Motivation Friday
The first day of the event was focused on helping members improve their sales skills in the digital era. Consultant Peter Holzer, for example, discussed how digitalization is affecting businesses and life in general, and the fact that some traditional business characteristics – such as discipline – are still important to success in the digital era.
The final presentation of the day was from Moritz Freiherr Knigge, whose great-great-grandfather, Adolph Freiherr Knigge, wrote a still-famous book called “On Human Relations” about how people should get along. In Germany, the word “Knigge” is widely used to mean good manners. The younger Knigge’s presentation, naturally, dealt with how people can work well together.
3D Scanning
Saturday afternoon featured more presentations focused on the digital era. For example, Johannes Kohler, a founder of 3Digify Technologies, discussed some of the opportunities of 3D scanning. Kohler’s company accomplishes 3D scanning with two standard cameras and software that creates rotatable images of any object.
Among the examples Kohler discussed were museum artifacts – by creating 3D scans of them they can be studied remotely, digitally measured, and otherwise examined without any risk of damage. He said companies doing this kind of work today typically charge between 250 and 300 Euros per scan ($275 to $330 US). Kohler said reverse-engineering is another market for 3D scans.
Networking
The conference also included numerous opportunities for networking, ranging from frequent coffee breaks to a semi-formal dinner party at a nearby industrial facility-cum-reception hall.
On Sunday, about two dozen members continued their networking during a tour of a former coal mine plant outside Gelsenkirchen.
The date and location for next year’s convention of Motio have not been set yet, but if you are interested in receiving details when they are available, please contact Ed Avis, ed.avis@apdsp.org.