KYOCERA Standardizes Thermal Printheads for Barcode Printers

"As barcode technology continues to support broader areas of society, Kyocera's thermal printheads will help expand the applications for barcode printing equipment," stated Hitoshi Takao, general manager of Kyocera Corporation's Thin Film Components Group.

-- Overview

Backed by the company's unique thin-film technology, Kyocera's market-leading thermal printheads are characterized by excellent print speeds and print quality with outstanding long-term reliability. The barcode models, representing a variety of print speeds, widths and resolutions, are now available for the first time as standard models, which eliminates the traditional design phase and simplifies the order process. While offering lower prices to customers and maintaining the industry's highest print quality, Kyocera will continue to provide products which support the highest print speeds in every product series.

The standardized printheads emphasize Kyocera's eco-friendly philosophy as a new key advantage. The optional EcoGeneration feature delivers impressive environmental advantages. Based on Kyocera's unique technology for enhanced thermal efficiency, it greatly reduces power consumption and lowers noise levels during print operations.

-- Market Background

Barcode printers are designed to print labels for a broad array of commercial and industrial barcode applications. These printers are in growing demand in the areas of physical distribution and logistics, following the expansion of point-of-sale (POS) systems for managing sales data at supermarkets and other retail establishments, and efforts by manufacturers to boost physical-distribution efficiencies.

Recent changes in society have also expanded the areas in which barcodes are effectively utilized. For example, an initiative by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will introduce barcode labeling on pharmaceutical products beginning in September 2008 to help prevent medical accidents. Other applications range from standard inventory management to ensuring food safety and facilitating traceability in the event of product recalls.

-- Features

(1) 28 models address wide-ranging needs.

(2) Each model offers the industry's highest print quality and speed.

(3) EcoGeneration, Kyocera's new eco-friendly technology, is available as an option.

To support broad market needs, each of the 28 models supports four different preset printing speeds ranging from 150 to 350 mm/second, three preset resolutions of 203 to 600 dpi, and five preset printing widths ranging from 54 to 219 mm as standard specifications. This array of options allows customers to choose the model that best suits their purposes and price requirements.

Series Print Speeds Resolution Print Widths (mm) (dpi) KPZ 150mm/s 203 54 72 108 â?? KRB 300 57 81 106 â?? KRC 250mm/s 203 54 72 80 108 â?? 300 57 81 106 â?? KRG 203 â?? 216 300 â?? 219 KPW 300mm/s 203 56 80 104 â?? 300 106 â?? 600 57 81 106 â?? KRA 203 â?? 168 216 300 â?? 168 217 KME 350mm/s 203 â?? 104 â?? 300 â?? 106 â??

-- EcoGeneration : a New Eco-Friendly Option

EcoGeneration, Kyocera's new eco-friendly technology, offers two additional benefits: reduced power consumption and low-noise operation. The structure of the heating unit is optimized to improve thermal efficiency and operate on about 40% less power than Kyocera's conventional models. EcoGeneration also reduces sticking* during operation to diminish noise levels by up to 6 dB compared to Kyocera's conventional models. This revolutionary feature helps to reduce noise impact on the environment.

"Sticking" refers to a phenomenon in which the print medium sticks to the printhead. This causes partial print loss and noise.

This news is available on the KYOCERA website http://global.kyocera.com/news/2008/0801.html

For more details about KYOCERA Thermal Printheads http://global.kyocera.com/prdct/ios/tph/index_lineup.html

About KYOCERA

Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO)(TOKYO:6971)(http://www.kyocera.com), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of cutting tools, solar energy systems, telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, laser printers, copiers and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2008, the company's net sales totaled 1.29 trillion yen (approximately USD12.9 billion).

SOURCE: Kyocera Corporation

Kyocera Corporation (Japan) Nami SAWAI, +81-(0)75-604-3416 Corporate Communications webmaster.pressgl@kyocera.jp