ROHM Launches High Speed ​​Thermal Print Heads for Bar Code Printing

Rohm Co., Ltd. adopts a unique smoothing structure to develop the NE3004-WA30A and NE3002-WA30A thermal print heads with high speed, high durability, and high reliability. Samples will be shipped starting from October 2005. With an annual production capacity of 100 million, it is officially mass-produced. The process of film preparation for the thermal head substrate will be completed in Kamiki, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan; assembly of the driver ICs will be completed in Dalian, China.

Thermal print heads for industrial equipment such as bar code label printers and packaging printers have been continuously increasing in number due to their compactness and high-speed printing characteristics, and their application fields have also expanded. The thermal print heads for the industrial equipment market, in addition to the requirements of high speed, high image quality, and power saving, are also constantly improving every year for the requirements of durability and high reliability.

The NE3004-WA30A and NE3002-WA30A developed by Rohm have adopted a unique high-hardness protective film technology and a newly developed smooth structure, which has successfully eliminated the difference between the heating element and the electrode in the conventional product and maximized the heat transfer. While achieving high-speed printing, high reliability including wear resistance, ion resistance, and anti-static resistance has been greatly improved. In addition, the near-edge structure that Rohm has always had has greatly improved the performance of industrial print heads such as high-precision printing.

The specific features of the NE3004-WA30A and NE3002-WA30A include:

1) High-speed printing (300 mm/s at 300 dpi) and long life of 150 km (1.5 times that of conventional products).
2) Since the electrode part is added with ions, the corrosion resistance is improved and the adhesion of paper dust is reduced.
3) Reduced heating element wear due to foreign materials.
4) Improve heat transfer efficiency and save electricity.
5) Unique near-edge structure that can print on thick paper.

Source: International Electronics Business