Creating a multifunction printer for the office that anybody can use, is packed with features, and improves productivity is no easy task. Creating all of these in one environmentally conscious package is even harder. Despite the challenge, Sharp have managed to achieve this with their latest range of multifunction copier printers. In this blog we explore their innovative approach to saving energy, earning their copiers the respected Energy Star label.

One fantastic feature of Sharp's latest range of multifunctional printers is a motion sensor. In order to stop your machine from consuming power as it sits waiting for you operate it, the MFP goes into sleep mode. When you next approach the device, the built in sensor alerts the MFP and wakes it up, so it's ready for you to use the moment you need it. Combined with reduced warm up times for scanning and copying, this functionality saves both time and energy.

During product development, Sharp aimed to cut the warm up time for copying in half, and succeeded. Sharp engineers went back to the drawing board and redesigned the mechanical parts that make up the printing mechanism. The process involves a heated belt that applies pressure to paper with toner on it, which then melts the toner to the paper. The newly designed quick heating belt fusing system uses a roller created using a new material. This new material allows them to make the walls of the roller 80% thinner, thus making it more effective at conducting heat. By the time you finish placing the original document in the MFP and input the number of copies, warm-up time is over!

Speeding up the copier warm up process also involved developing a new and improved toner, one that could fuse at a lower temperature. However, developing a toner that melts at a lower temperature has its problems when you consider the environmental temperatures of different places around the world, such as tropical regions. The result they developed is a heat resistant printing toner that’s able to melt when necessary. Their next dilema was the environmental impact of toners once empty. How often do you toss your old, empty toner cartridges in the bin? Probably more than you should. Toner cartridges for Sharp's latest copier printer models can be collected and recycled.

Imagine running out of toner halfway through a printing job. Many people fear it. Instead of waiting for the toner cartridge to be completely empty, they remove the old cartridge, lock in a new one, and continue printing. This is obviously a waste of toner, money, time and energy. To solve this problem, cartridges on the latest MFP models automatically pop out when the toner is all gone, and not a second before. Designing for the office and the environment together really can go hand in hand.

Noise is also a form of pollution, and Sharp have also addressed this in their latest models. Remember the last time you used a printer? You probably remember the clunking sound of paper being drawn out of the paper tray, through the rollers, and out the other side covered in fresh ink. This noise can be disruptive to the people in a working environment. Sounds in the 2000 hertz to 4000 hertz range are irritating to humans. MFPs have many moving parts and therefore emit many sounds. Sharp analysed, separating these high sounds that differ from their surroundings, and worked with people in a number of other divisions to successfully reduce by 43% the sounds generated by moving parts.

Less bothersome, eco friendly, energy saving, cost effective and better for the environment, you can go green today with Sharp's latest range of copier printers. Let the world benefit with high environmental performance, without sacrificing ease of use. Contact our team today to find out more and view the range available in our photocopiers section.

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