The Mechanism Behind Successful Implementations

Simon Martin, General Manager for leading POS printer manufacturer, Star Micronics, looks at one of the problems faced by systems integrators and OEMs in identifying just the right printer mechanism for the job, given the inherent restrictions in product design and reliable performance in sometimes demanding environments.

As technology continues to permeate every aspect of life, OEMs and systems integrators have increasing opportunities in diverse markets and applications to develop new solutions.

With the escalating market potential comes a greater dependency on equipment manufacturers to develop products that suit a breadth of uses, are versatile in their design, offer long-term reliability and are not cost prohibitive.

The product area of printer mechanisms has for a long time been prone to problems for OEMs. Too many times a sophisticated system will have been developed and piloted, only to be put on the back burner and eventually become obsolete, simply because of poor printer mechanism performance, paper jams, unsatisfactory print quality or incompatibility with the other core elements of the system. Alternatively, difficulties may have been encountered in trying to find printer mechanisms that will fit and be easily accessible in bespoke solutions.

As our reliance on automated solutions increases, the need for dependable and un-manned print output is becoming critical. What should the OEM or systems integrator look for in a printer mechanism? What assurances are available as to reliability or versatility?

Primarily, we think of printer mechanisms as part of the POS/retail solution. But now, their implementation is far more widespread, from information kiosks, through lottery machines, data-logging applications, to ticket production on the buses, in theatres and car parks to ATM cash machines and CAT (credit authorisation terminal) applications.

Essential to the systems integrator is the ability to work with a printer mechanism manufacturer that adopts the same attitude in terms of customer service. To win business, systems integrators need to illustrate expertise in their original design and support abilities and the willingness to be flexible, both in business practices and adaptation of existing products as well as provide a bespoke, cost effective solution that meets customer expectations precisely.

A broad range illustrates commitment to the first two of these requirements. Not many printer mechanism manufacturers offer extensive choice in this area. Often, it is not an area within their business viewed as key, and this being the case, little effort is spent developing the range. A large range of printer mechanisms is indicative of many years' experience developing products which marry advances in technology with market need, and almost more importantly, of developing or adapting products specifically to meet an individual customer need and then offering the mechanism to the market as a whole. Established in 1947, Star Micronics has specialised in ‘mechatronics’ since its inception, developing considerable expertise in the design and manufacture of printer mechanisms. Its specialisation in this area has resulted in international OEM agreements with some of largest computer solutions providers and the world’s largest range of printer mechanism products.

Customers prioritise printer mechanism features differently, some regarding speed and paper capacity as key whilst others may look for the highest quality print output, compact design or very low cost. Again, breadth of range should be able to cater for all these needs as well as for individual or specialist requirements. In every case however they are in agreement that reliable, long-term performance requiring minimal attendance is critical. The need for this latter capability is escalating given the forecasted and inevitable growth of kiosks for Internet shopping, remote product requests, information provision, etc.

A good example might be a traffic-calming scheme that has been introduced in Southampton to encourage increased adoption of public transport. One of the obstacles normally identified is the public’s reluctance to use public transport if they don’t have easy and instant access to information on what is available. To address this problem, a series of kiosks were installed throughout the region which enabled users to ask the quickest/best route for them to take from any given start place to their specified destination. Maps, suggested routes and the public transport options would appear on the screen and then be printed out.

The success of this project was, as ever, dependent on the associated running costs. It was therefore essential that the printer mechanism installed in each of the kiosks was designed for jam-free performance -catering for impatient people who might grab at the instructions as the were being printed out or mischievous children whose antics may involve trying to push things into the printer mechanism output device.

The systems integrator went to printer mechanism manufacturer, Star Micronics with this problem and the need to provide a kiosk that required minimal engineer attendance. Star adapted one of its existing thermal printer mechanisms – the TUP 482 - so that the printing process was completed inside the mechanism and cut prior to presentation to the user; designed a presenter that protected the mechanism from malicious or over zealous interest and incorporated considerable paper capacity, thereby requiring only occasional, rather than regular replacement. These features made the difference between the success and failure of the project.

Having developed the concept, Star has since taken this style of printer to other markets: unattended sales order processing kiosks in catalogue shops, children’s entertainment kiosks in large supermarkets and within the hotel and tourist markets as a part of multimedia information kiosks.

Kitchen printer mechanisms often have to occupy a small space and be wall mounted in a confined area. Such installations require the printer mechanism design to be versatile in installation options and easily accessible to replace paper rolls or for engineer servicing. It is for this application and others where size really is important that Star has developed printer mechanisms with multiple width options, providing versatility in installation and paper size.

Platenless mechanisms provide the systems integrator with considerable flexibility. The lack of paper feed drive enables the design of bespoke paper guides, removes paper width restrictions and broadens the options on the way in which the paper can be entered. ATM applications and others now requiring the output of more information on wider paper from systems in which space is a premium benefit from platenless mechanisms and those which can be easily mounted into the systems in a variety of positions.

Portability and robustness are also issues requiring increasing attention. Just as a one off example, there is currently a scheme being piloted in northern Europe whereby an alcohol monitoring system is available to pub-goers. A sensor measures the alcohol content in breath and the printer mechanism outputs the blood/alcohol level, thereby providing the tester with sufficient information to make an informed decision about their abilities to function! In this case, the systems integrator had to identify a printer mechanism, which was extremely robust, lightweight and portable.

Different markets – both geographic and vertical - demand different and often peculiar design standards. The lottery market for instance, insists on mechanisms that output to its de facto standard paper width of 82mm. In many situations, space is at a premium thereby restricting the size of the printer mechanism to an absolute minimum. Demand for fiscal printers – those which produce an audit trail – is also on the increase, especially in Eastern Europe, and there only exist a limited number of printers capable of offering this facility.

In terms of actual features, systems integrators have a lot to choose from. Depending on their customers’ needs, they may opt for dot matrix for multi-part copies, or thermal mechanisms for fast, quiet performance. Both technologies are now widely recognised as reliable but there are other features to be considered. Does the customer need a model that has adjustable paper widths and weights, or which takes sprocketted paper; with or without, stepping motor, re-winder, auto-cutter or presenter.

The features and capabilities of printer mechanisms will continue to evolve just as long as we can think of new applications. Finding the right one to match the needs of the customer should be relatively easy given an expansive range and flexible manufacturer. The importance of even the most spectacular of features is however subjective and dependent on its relevance to the job in hand. One thing however, agreed on by us all is ‘reliability is king’.