EPSON FOCUSED ON ECO-FRIENDLY PRINTERS

Presenting Seiko Epson Corporation’s environmentally conscious design, Hiroaki Sakai, general manager of imaging products design department, said the “sophisticated design matches any interior or setting”. The EP-804A model is available in black, red or white to match different interior designs. 

 

Sakai also laid emphasis on the “surface treatment without paint” as seen in the elegant black gloss finish known as “Piano Black”, which was launched in 2007 and helped cut manufacturing costs by eliminating the use of paint. 

 

The new Epson printers have improved flow properties of resin for better mould quality by applying a high-temperature metal dye and a wide-mouthed fan gate to spread the resin evenly and other techniques, while the development of gloss texture finish greatly reduced fingerprint and wipe marks, he said.

 

The elimination of paint also reduces CO2 emissions, Sakai said, citing the 92-per-cent reduction in total volume of paint used annually (about 2,800 tonnes) in 2010, which meant an approximate 9,300-tonne reduction of CO2 emissions. It also helped lower the energy used during the painting process, reduced the VOC emission from the use of a diluent in the painting process and resulted in easier recycling because the unpainted parts could be recycled as high-grade materials, he added.

 

Sakai also revealed that the company, in future, would introduce more designs that did not use paint, while increasing elegance through metallic, texture and colours, finding materials that were resistant to marks and fingerprints, and developing designs for more energy-saving and compact products.

 

General manager of IJP planning and design department Haruyuki Imai revealed that because of the energy-saving design, Epson inkjet printers used little power – 15-20 watt when in printing mode and at 4W-8W in ready mode, compared to general laser printers at 400W-500W and 10W-50W respectively. 

 

The sleep mode also focused on conserving energy, with the improved conversion efficiency of power circuitry, the use of devices with superior energy-saving performance, and power management that cut the power supply to modules that didn’t require it during sleep mode, he added. The photo devices sold in 2011 also included the new energy-saving “auto power off function”. 

 

Imai revealed that they would, in future, try to minimise power in sleep mode with printers connected to a network (Wifi, LAN or Fax) and reduce the startup time from sleep mode.