Hardware News: Xerox DocuTech Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Early Adoption at BLI a Game-Changer
Randy Hube is the current manager of Litigation & Strategic Technical Services in Xerox’s Intellectual Property Operations, and was also an original member of the DocuTech development team from its earliest days. “Prior to DocuTech, the world was divided between high-end computer printers and high-end copier duplicators that were analog, and there was no real machine that manned the space between them,” he said. “The DocuTech marked the first time that copier technology and laser printing technology merged on the high end.”
As the story goes, Xerox’s world-renowned Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) was at the forefront of several technological breakthroughs, among them the PC; the graphical and icon-based UI that would form the basis for Microsoft Windows; Ethernet; and the mouse. Steve Jobs himself received first-hand exposure to the PARC concepts while visiting the facility (Apple, anyone?). But, while the failure of Xerox to fully capitalize on these technologies is well-documented, if not for these technologies, along with some additional and highly innovative PARC-developed innovations, the DocuTech would have never been invented.
“Prior to DocuTech, the world was divided between high-end computer printers and high-end copier duplicators that were analog, and there was no real machine that manned the space between them. The DocuTech marked the first time that copier technology and laser printing technology merged on the high end.” –Randy Hube, Manager of Litigation & Strategic Technical Services in Xerox’s Intellectual Property Operations
As Hube explained, the DocuTech featured a very advanced graphic UI with icons, as well as processors optimized for image processing. In fact, the DocuTech was the first device to employ multiple processors in its design, as well as dual ROS (Raster Output Scanner) technology developed by PARC, in which two lasers instead of one were used to write the image on the photoconductor belt. Both of these technologies allowed the Docutech to achieve a resolution of 600 dpi at output speeds up to 135 ppm, which was unheard of at the time. “In addition, with so many processors and communication channels working inside the DocuTech, we literally embedded an Ethernet network inside the system so all the technology would be able to talk to each other,” Hube said.
DocuTech 135 Dramatically Improved Workflow and Efficiency at BLI
An early adopter of the DocuTech, BLI experienced first-hand how the technology single-handedly changed our internal workflow. According to BLI Senior Test Technician Tony Maceri, who at the time was manning BLI’s print-press shop, prior to the DocuTech 135’s arrival it was a multiple-step, prolonged process to create reports for our customers.
“We’d get a hard-copy original, shoot a negative and strip it on a masking sheet,” Maceri said. “And after we cut away the areas that we wanted the image to burn through onto the printing plate, we would need to expose the plate to light (it was light-sensitive) and wash off the residual, leaving the impression on the plate. The plate would then be installed on an offset press and we would run off copies. Then, we’d need to flip the paper over to duplex it. We’d let the printed output dry for a day, then cut it and insert the pages into a 30-bin collator, which would create a set and offload it. Finally, once the sets were collated, we’d use a drill press to create three holes into the reports in order to finish off the binders.
“We had 20 plus racks, each with 5 shelves, filled with binders in order to fulfill customer orders,” Maceri continued. “And when we ran low on a particular set, we’d have to go back to the press to create more. The DocuTech’s arrival truly brought print-on-demand to BLI, and it significantly reduced the steps and space required for us to do business.”
As Maceri explained, the DocuTech allowed hard-copy originals to be scanned and stored on the device’s hard drive. When the hard drive filled up, Maceri and his team would use backup tapes to copy files off the hard drive to free up memory. “In the event that a job on backup tape was requested from a customer, we were able to load it onto the DocuTech, print what was needed and then remove it from the hard drive.” The DocuTech was later networked, eliminating the need for the backup tapes. “The engine’s arrival also greatly simplified the process for inserting images into BLI’s test reports, as it allowed us to scan a photo and then crop it and drop it into place digitally.”
“The DocuTech’s arrival truly brought print-on-demand to BLI, and it significantly reduced the steps and space required for us to do business.” –Tony Maceri, BLI Senior Test Technician
The end result, jobs that were ordered for customer fulfillment could be printed on-demand. Further, pre-hole punched paper could be run through the device and collation happened inline. And being that the DocuTech was a toner-based device, with dual lasers that would shoot images onto the photoconductor belt, its arrival also eliminated the inks and solvents, as well as other harsh chemicals needed for both producing negatives and cleaning the offset presses. All service needs were contracted into the service agreement made with Xerox.
“The Xerox DocuTech 135 was a tremendous asset to BLI, as it streamlined our workflow and ran reliably for more than a decade,” said Maceri.