07 October 2011 - Kyoto/Neuss – Kyocera announced the availability of its Mega Surface Series amorphous silicon (a-Si) photoreceptor drum, which offers record durability as a core component in electrophotographic printing equipment — including laser printers and multifunctional products (MFPs).
The new product represents an industry first*1 in successfully employing a hard amorphous carbon (a-C) thin-film to form the drum’s surface-protecting outer layer. In Kyocera’s own testing, this development makes it possible for a single A4 drum to print approximately one million sheets — more than triple the life of Kyocera’s conventional A4 a-Si photoreceptor drum, which was already the industry’s most durable, with a lifespan estimated by Kyocera to be approximately 300,000 A4-size sheets*2.
Electrophotographic printing involves transferring toner (powdered ink) from a photoreceptor drum onto paper. Over time, friction created by the paper eventually wears away the drum’s photoconductive surface, necessitating periodic replacement of this component.
With the new series, by evenly forming a hard amorphous carbon (a-C) thin-film on the surface of the drum using Kyocera’s proprietary thin-film formation technology, the company has succeeded in increasing drum hardness five-fold compared to its conventional products. This enhanced durability can significantly reduce the frequency of drum replacement, thereby minimizing waste, environmental impact and the user’s “total cost of ownership.”
Kyocera will continually improve the performance of its a-Si photoreceptor technology. Further, the company plans to expand this technology from office document equipment to commercial printing applications that require high-speed, high-resolution printing.
