Kyocera introduced the Ecosys cartridge-free laser printer concept in 1992 as a means of improving our printers 'Total Cost of Ownership' (TCO) while reducing the printer's environmental impact. The Ecosys printer concept represents a fundamental improvement over conventional laser printer technology.

Conventional Laser Printers

Conventional printers use an imaging cartridge which integrates the drum, developer and toner into a single, disposable unit. When the toner has depleted, the entire cartridge is disposed of and replaced with a new unit-at significant cost to the user. This system may be compared to a car in which the fuel tank, engine and transmission were constructed as a single module. Under this concept, owners would have to replace the engine, transmission and fuel tank every time they ran out of fuel!

The Cartridge-Free Ecosys System

In contrast, Ecosys printers feature a durable imaging system based on Kyocera's own patented amorphous silicon print drum. With a surface that is second only to diamond hardness, Kyocera's durable print drum is guaranteed for up to 500,000 pages. Tiny ceramic particles embedded in Kyocera's "Ecotone" toner continually polish and recondition the drum during normal printing. The result: Ecosys users need only to replenish the toner to continue printing high-quality documents for up to 500,000 pages.

Ecosys Benefits

The benefits of Kyocera's cartridge-free Ecosys technology are twofold. Ecologically, it can help eliminate the global environmental burden of an estimated 50 million used print cartridges that are now disposed of each year. Economically, by eliminating the recurring costs associated with replacement print cartridges, Ecosys printers provide the industry's lowest TCO - less than one cent per page in most cases. These incremental savings can recoup the printer's purchase price in a year or less, particularly in network printing environments.

ECOSYS Honors and Awards

Kyocera's ECOSYS printers have been recognized around the world for their innovative technology and environmental friendliness.

Recent worldwide awards include: