User Manual
Epson’s strengths lie in its culture of ‘Monozukuri’; a Japanese concept meaning ‘the
art and science of manufacturing.’ From its roots in watch-making, the company has
developed expertise in material selection, manufacturing and high-precision process
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ing. Whether applied to the inner workings of a mechanical watch, or the micron-scale
structures of a print head, Epson is able to draw on decades of experience in space-
efcient design and quality assurance.
When the company began working on inkjet technologies in the 1980s, Epson chose a
piezo process, in which a thin crystal exes when an electric charge is applied to it. As
the crystal deects, it acts as a pump to push the ink through a nozzle. The process
has the advantage of being able to handle almost any uid with great precision and
durability.
In 2003, having already revolutionized photo-printing by bringing it into the home,
Epson set its sights on truly realizing the potential of piezo printhead technology. To
achieve the high-speed, high-quality, high-reliability, and high-efciency printing de
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manded by the commercial industry, it was necessary to develop the thinnest possible
piezo element for maximum control over drop size. The result was the 2007 launch of
Epson Thin Film Piezo (TFP)—and the foundation of PrecisionCore technology.
The development of piezo crystal lms just 1 micron thick—one hundredth the thick
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ness of a human hair—allowed the maximum output of ink from the smallest print
engine, allowing a big increase in the density of print nozzles. Combined with precise
ink channels and nozzles, TFP print heads are able to place almost perfectly round
dots on media with great precision.
Since 2007, TFP has been Epson’s agship technology for large-format printers, where
ne image quality is required to create large posters and advertising with outstanding
detail, color expression, and increased productivity. PrecisionCore printhead technol
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ogy builds on the company’s materials science skills and MEMS manufacturing tech-
nology to extend the TFP accomplishment to a wider range of printing applications.
The product of this revolutionary advancement in technology, the PrecisionCore Mi
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croTFP print chip, doubles the piezo actuator’s exing power compared to the original
TFP printhead. This, together with a redesign of the ink ow path, electronics, and
other components, allows greater miniaturization. These modular print chips can be
combined in various ways that let Epson develop a wide range of both serial print
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heads and xed lineheads, all sharing the same core high-performance. This scalabil-
ity will allow Epson to fully leverage the inherent durability and ink exibility of its piezo
printheads across an even wider range of applications, from commercial printers and
industrial presses for posters, labels and textiles, to desktop document printers.
Providing the nest in image quality in the industry has been Epson’s mission since
the launch of its rst consumer inkjet in 1993. Through PrecisionCore, the company’s
leadership has not just been preserved, it has been extended. Encompassing both the
proven TFP and new MicroTFP-based print heads, PrecisionCore embodies Epson’s
goal to bring the highest level of performance and value to the widest range of cus
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tomers.
3. Epson’s $300 Million Solution: Merging Material Science with
MEMS Manufacturing
PrecisionCore MicroTFP print chip
PrecisionCore white paper
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