OKI and Ricoh Develop LED Technology in New A3 Printers

OKI and Ricoh Develop LED Technology in New A3 Printers

Despite the decline in the use of A3 devices in key markets in the USA and Western Europe, OKI and Ricoh see merit in developing the technology in the Japanese office market.

According to Japan News, the joint, strategic collaboration by OKI and Ricoh to develop a printer engine for A3 monochrome printers will shorten the development period by about 30%.

LED printing technologies are more efficient, use fewer moving parts and the printer is much lighter in weight.

Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo, President: Shinya Kamagami, hereafter OKI) and Ricoh Co., Ltd. (Ota-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Yoshinori Yamashita, hereafter Ricoh) are both A3 monochrome printer manufacturers.

“We jointly developed a printer engine (printing mechanism).

Both companies will release new products for the domestic market in early 2022, each of which is equipped with its own print controller (control mechanism) on this engine. Unlike other OEMs, this joint development is a collaboration between the two companies’ strengths and the development of printer engines from the planning stage. The development period has been shortened by about 30% compared to the past, and development efficiency has been improved.

Background of the Collaboration

Ricoh’s 20th Medium-Term Management Plan for the two years from 2021 states “breaking away from OA manufacturers” and “transforming the business structure of digital services into a company.”

“The Ricoh Digital Products Business Unit, which is responsible for manufacturing in the office printing field, is pursuing operational excellence, and while more efficient development investment is required for business growth, it is provided by the OEM without enclosing original technology. We are also actively collaborating with other companies in fields where we have a competitive advantage, such as the expansion of our company.”

OKI’s “Medium-term Management Plan 2022”, whose final year is 2022, has the key message of “creating the okay of society.”

“In the component business field, we are working to strengthen collaboration with other companies, with one of our priority strategies being to widely supply our partners with the technologies and strengths we have cultivated so far.

A3 monochrome printers are mainly used as business printers mainly in domestic government offices / local governments, medical care, and financial markets. This time, the two companies collaborated from the planning stage to develop the product, such as by bringing in the voices of each customer and deciding the product specifications.

OKI’s LED print head, which realizes high definition and high reliability and contributes to the miniaturization of the device, is used for the printing part, and Ricoh has a paper transport mechanism that realizes a wide range of paper handling capabilities and high reliability, which are important for business applications.

The combination of technologies brings together the strengths of each company. In addition, the front access structure allows maintenance work to be performed from the front, making it possible to realize products that are easy to use.

The two companies will continue to accelerate efforts to further improve development efficiency and promote collaboration with various partners to improve customer value and realize efficient
manufacturing.

More information can be obtained by emailing press@oki.com OKI or by completing an inquiry form.

Similarly, more information is also available from Ricoh via e-mail at koho@ricoh.co.jp.

Related:

• Ricoh Acquisition Strengthens its Move to Digital Services
• Ricoh Discloses Sale of Tustin Property
• Ricoh Releases Two New Desktop Printers
• OKI Reports Loss for First Half Year
• OKI Shifts Printer Production from China to Thailand

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