Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands – 30 October, 2017: KYOCERA Document Solutions Europe B.V. (KYOCERA) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the launch of the first ECOSYS laser printer, a ground-breaking innovation that heralded a new era of environmental sustainability.
Introduced to the market in 1992, the original KYOCERA ECOSYS FS-1500 model featured a revolutionary new toner system that enabled an 85 per cent reduction in waste of consumables over the lifetime of the printer.
The prevailing design trend was for replacement toner cartridges to contain up to 60 key imaging components that would be discarded when the toner expired, a practice that some vendors continue with today. In comparison, KYOCERA’s ECOSYS toners only consist of a maximum of 5 small basic components. Ultimately, this toner can be exchanged independently of other components, cutting down on the unnecessary replacement of mechanical parts, providing a more sustainable and lower-cost solution for office printing.
Takahiro Sato, President of KYOCERA Document Solutions Europe B.V, said: “A quarter of a century ago, terms such as sustainability and environmental impact had yet to enter the corporate lexicon, yet now they dominate many boardroom discussions.
“Environmental sustainability has been an underlying principle of the KYOCERA Group’s philosophy since it’s foundation in 1959, and the development of the ECOSYS range anticipated a new era of ecological consciousness. KYOCERA’s ECOSYS products set the standard for eco-friendly printing when they were first launched and, 25 years later, we are still leading the way.”
Recent innovations from KYOCERA include the development of new types of eco-friendly toner for use in its devices. The toner fusing process is responsible for consuming over two-thirds of the total energy use of a printer. New KYOCERA toners can fuse at 30°C lower than conventional methods and can result in an energy saving of up to 50 per cent.
KYOCERA’s expertise with fine ceramic technologies is fundamental to the low-waste design of ECOSYS printers. The long-life components used are more durable than traditional parts, meaning that in most cases there is no replacement required during the lifetime of the printer.
KYOCERA ECOSYS toners are simpler, smaller and lighter than more complex alternatives, reducing overall transport requirements, further reducing the total cost of ownership.
