Thermal printheads are electronic devices that print on special media (i.e., thermal paper) by generating and dissipating heat precisely and repeatedly. Conventional thermal printheads for payment terminals are powered by 2-cell Li-ion batteries.
Unlike inkjet and laser printers, thermal printers are quiet, use no ink, and don't require large cartridges. This has led to their adoption in barcode printers for logistics, quality control, and medical applications, as well as in retail point-of-sale systems for printing receipts and in fax machines. However, due to energy consumption and print quality requirements, thermal printheads typically use 2-cell Li-ion batteries.
In contrast, the KR2002-D06N10A utilizes low-resistance thermal elements and an optimized intermediate layer design that improves heat storage characteristics. Furthermore, the development of a new structure combining a ceramic substrate and a printed circuit board allows for a 20% improvement in energy efficiency compared to conventional ROHM products powered by two cells, while also reducing the printhead size.
The revision of these fundamental structures and materials has enabled ROHM to maintain print quality even with a single cell, which has been crucial for miniaturizing the device and saving energy. Following the trend in the mobile terminal market over the past few years toward increased print quality and speed, along with significant improvements in energy efficiency, compact size, and light weight, the demand for single-cell thermal printheads for receipt printing applications will continue to grow.
Main Features
1. Single-cell power reduces consumption.
Special low-resistance thermal elements and a high-efficiency energy storage layer are used to improve printing efficiency. Furthermore, the adoption of a two-section construction, combining a ceramic substrate with the printed circuit board, along with a high-efficiency IC that minimizes conduction resistance, further increases efficiency and eliminates energy loss in the conductive wires. The result is 20% higher energy efficiency compared to conventional two-cell products (KA2002-B35N10A), enabling single-cell power and the consequent reduction in consumption.
2. Achieve higher print quality while maintaining print speed.
Special low-resistance thermal elements allow the KR2002-D06N10A to deliver print density and quality equivalent to standard 2-cell printheads, even with half the applied voltage.
3. 20% Smaller Than Conventional Products
(KA2002-B35N10A Series)
The two-section structure, consisting of a ceramic substrate and a printed circuit board, has allowed ROHM to reduce the printhead size by approximately 20% compared to its conventional series. This has made it possible to switch from a two-cell to a single-cell power supply, reducing the number of batteries required and meeting the needs of mobile terminals for much greater miniaturization.
Applications
Receipt printers for payment terminals, POS printers and mobile printers.
Terminology:
Intermediate Layer: This is the heat storage layer required for thermal printheads.
In response to the high heat dissipation characteristic of the ceramic substrate, which rapidly dissipates the heat generated by the resistive elements, ROHM's new products utilize a thermal storage layer between the ceramic substrate and the wiring to eliminate heat dissipation, thus ensuring the ideal temperature of the thermal element. In addition to influencing print density and quality, this technology is effective in saving energy by supplying only the necessary amount of heat.
