Components: Thermal Print Mechanism Is A Cutter Above The Rest

Dec. 18, 2003

Tiny is the operative word for the FTP-627MCL401, a thermal print mechanism featuring a guillotine cutter. The unit measures 21.8 mm high by 81.2 mm wide by 42.2 mm deep and weighs only 100 g. It's less than one-half the overall size of its predecessor, the FTP-627MCL353, and has a 34% lower profile. Speed rate is 100 mm (800 dot lines) per second, and resolution is 8 dots/mm. Head life is 50 million pulses or 50 km of paper, and the cutter life totals 500,000 cuts. Other features include motor reversal, user-selectable partial or full cutting via software, and a separate winder motor for journaling applications. It operates from 0°C to 50°C. Pricing is $58 in quantities of 1000 units, and it's available from stock.

Fujitsu Components America Inc.www.fcai.fujitsu.com; (800) 380-0059

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.