Kyocera today announced the availability of its Kyocera Mega Surface Series amorphous silicon (a-Si) photoreceptor drum, which offers record durability as a core component in electrophotographic printing equipment — including laser printers and multifunctional products (MFPs). The new A4-sized a-Si drum represents an industry first in successfully employing a hard amorphous carbon (a-C) thin-film to form the drum’s surface-protecting outer layer. In Kyocera’s own testing, this development makes it possible for a single A4 drum to print approximately one million sheets — more than triple the life of Kyocera’s conventional A4 a-Si photoreceptor drum, which was already the industry’s most durable, with a lifespan estimated by Kyocera to be approximately 300,000 A4-sized sheets.
Additionally, Kyocera’s rigorous internal testing is designed to yield conservative durability estimates. Third-party testing of Kyocera’s A3-sized imaging equipment has demonstrated 2.5-million-page durability with no drum replacement. The A4-sized a-Si drum is now available for shipment to equipment manufacturers worldwide.