Choosing
Kiosk Thermal Printers
Kiosk
printers
Selecting
the right printer for self-service terminals (kiosks) is not always
easy.
This page is an attempt to share with you Swecoin's experience as
a leader in the kiosk printer market.
What
makes a kiosk application different from other printing applications?
Two major differences are:
No one is there to take care of the printer, for example to clear
paper jams.
The printer will be facing thousands of different users, none of whom
have been trained to operate the unit.
When
selecting a printer for your application, consider that the cost of
a single service call may well take all the profit out of buying cheaper
solution compared to a more reliable one.
Tommy
Wincent President, Swecoin AB
Print
and tear off
This
is the simplest type of kiosk printer with the following advantages
and disadvantages:
Advantages:
Very low cost
The most compact solution of them all
Disadvantages:
Very easy to get paper jams
The customer can pull the receipt while it is being printed
Customers need practice tearing off the receipt in a correct way
Print
and cut
By
adding a cutter, you eliminate the problem of the customer tearing
off the receipt incorrectly.
Advantages:
Low cost
Compact design
Easy to build in
Disadvantages:
Very easy to get paper jams
The customer can pull the receipt while it is being printed
Print,
cut, and drop
This
design reduced the customer's ability to pull the receipt while it
is being printed.
Our experience with this technique is that the receipts do not always
drop down as wanted due to the so called "chimney effect"
(air blowing into the paper exit chute due to wind, draft or lower
air pressure inside the cabinet caused by heat dissipation inside
the cabinet, fans, etc.). Also, receipts tend to stick to the chute
due to static electricity. There is also a risk that customers leave
receipts in the chute or that people use the chute as waste bin.
Advantages:
Low cost
Compact design
Easy to build in
Disadvantages:
Easy to get paper jams
The chute fills up if customers do not collect their receipts
Sensitive to draft
Delivery of receipt not secured
Print,
cut, and dispense
There
are different types of presenters that eliminate the problems described
earlier. A typical presenter stores the receipt during printing, then
cuts and presents the complete receipt.
A common dispenser stores the receipt between feed rollers. The length
of the feed roller path (L) determines the maximum receipt length.
If a longer receipt is desired, the receipt reaches the output before
being completely printed, again making it possible for the customer
to pull the receipt. The only solution here is to replace or rebuild
the printer.
Advantages:
Customer does not get receipt until it is ready
Disadvantages:
Higher cost
Takes up a lot of space
Long transport distance slows down presentation of short receipts
Looping
presenter; the Swecoin solution
This
unique and patented Swecoin design solves all of the problems previously
mentioned.
The printer mechanism prints and feeds the paper into a presenter
module. The feed rollers of the presenter rotate slowly, catching
the receipt as it approaches the output. An output sensor detects
the receipt and immediately stops the outer feed rollers. The ribs
in the presenter have now bent the receipt slightly upwards. This
initiates the loop buildup, and as more of the receipt is printed,
the loop expands. Kiosk designers have complete flexibility as to
receipt length.
When the receipt is printed, the cutter cuts it off and the presenter
outputs the receipt to the customer. The application software can
be set to eject the receipt, or to hold it in the outer feed rollers
until the customer picks it up. An optional shutter prevents vandals
from inserting foreign objects into the receipt outlet from outside
of the kiosk.
The output sensor detects if the customer has taken the receipt or
not, and ejects any uncollected receipts or other foreign objects
prior to printing the next receipt.
