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Epson reveals secrets behind development of Micro Piezo technology

OEM discusses evolution of its Micro Piezo printhead technology 20 years after it was first developed.

Recalling the conditions which led to the development of its Micro Piezo technology in the 1980s, Epson explains that most of its printers in the 1980s were serial impact dot matrix (SIDM). However, the market for these devices declined as the use of personal computers and office laser printers increased, and so the company began to research inkjet and other printing technologies.

Epson states that as its early inkjet printers struggled to make an impact on the market, it began researching a different type of printhead, under the guidance of Minoru Usui, who is the current Global President of the company.

The team recognized that the main issue facing them was the piezo element that was included on the glass printheads used in the early Epson inkjet printers, as they were unable to generate enough power to fire an ink droplet despite applying 100 volts in an attempt to cause the element to change shape, generate mechanical pressure and force ink out. It was for this reason that they decided to improve the piezo in some way.

The new piezo element was able to move the element up to 1 ?m using just 30 volts, compared to the 0.1 ?m achieved using 100 volts with the previous piezo element. This meant that sufficient power could be generated to fire ink straight and accurately, with the low voltage also meaning that the driving circuits could be smaller, allowing smaller printers to be manufactured.

After deciding on the structure of the new print head, the team needed to make it viable for volume production and commercialize an inkjet printer using the new printhead, and therefore formed an emergency project team consisting of staff from various departments within the company and headed by Usui.

The first printer containing the new technology, the Epson Stylus 800 monochrome inkjet printer, was then launched in 1993, with the world’s first 720 dpi printer, the Epson Stylus Color, launched in the following year. The product was a success, despite its high cost of $1,000, due to its high resolution and print quality.

Epson has recently announced the development of the next-generation printhead for future Epson inkjet printers, created by combining the company’s experience with the latest MEMS manufacturing technologies, with the company planning to utilise the new printhead in business inkjet printers for the office and in industrial printing systems to begin with.

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Source: Epson reveals secrets behind development of Micro Piezo technology

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Wide-format graphics -- major opportunity for print service providers

InfoTrends study reveals digitally printed wide-format graphics are critical part of marketing mix.

The study, titled "Wide Format Printing: A Critical Element in the Communications Mix", surveyed key decision-makers in organisations in the US that provide digitally printed wide-format graphics and those that purchase wide-format graphics across six industries – advertising media, entertainment/amusement, events, healthcare, hospitality, and retail – concluding that wide-format graphics represents a major opportunity for print service providers.

Among the study's findings were that wide-format graphics are a major component of communications spending, representing a sixth of survey respondents' overall marketing budgets; with 6.5 times as many buyer respondents expecting to increase their wide format spending in the next 12 months than those expecting to decrease it.

Providers of wide-format graphics also reported growth, with respondents reporting volume increases outnumbering those that didn't by 5:1. Previous wide-format market forecasts provided by InfoTrends support these results, with the company expecting the retail value of wide-format printing in North America to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%, reaching $23.6 billion by 2016.

InfoTrends' study includes the analysis of the key market and communications trends driving purchasing of wide-format digital graphics, insights into the key trends in applications, order volume, frequency and online ordering, evaluation of buyer demands and strategies to reach buyers, and assessment of providers' volume trends, technology use and substrate usage. It also examines products and services that wide-format providers are adding to better service customers and expand.

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Source: Wide-format graphics are a “major opportunity” for print service providers

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Xerox Seizes 55k Boxes of Counterfeit Consumables

Continuing efforts to protect customers from counterfeit consumables and products, Xerox recently conducted raids in China and Dubai and introduced a new program to help detect imitations.

The raids resulted in the seizure of more than 55,000 boxes of counterfeit consumables and parts for numerous Xerox products – merchandise slated for distribution in the United States, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, and South America.

According to The Imaging Supplies Coalition, the estimated impact of counterfeiting in the imaging supplies industry is more than $3 billion annually worldwide. As a member of the Coalition, Xerox works with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to combat illegal activities in this industry.

"Counterfeit production is not just an OEM issue. It impacts governments, re-sellers and customers due to lost taxes and investments in poorly made products", said Irina Maslennikova, vice president, Global Supplies Business Group, Xerox. "Purchasers who think they are cutting cost with counterfeit items are instead jeopardizing the safety of their equipment and the quality of printed materials".

Ways to avoid counterfeit products

Buyers should look for authentication labels as one way to safeguard against counterfeit products. For example, Xerox products have a holographic security label with a unique serial number and barcode. If labels are tampered with or removed, buyers should take notice and are encouraged to inform Xerox of the purchasing source.

Another way buyers can avoid counterfeit products and supplies is to validate their authenticity. This can be easily done by registering them with Xerox’s new loyalty program, Genuine Xerox Rewards. The validation process is just one feature of this program which lets customers redeem points for Xerox equipment or retail merchandise when buying authentic Xerox solid ink and toner.

Source: Xerox Seizes 55,000 Boxes of Counterfeit Consumables in Raids