Evolution of energy-saving
technology QSU
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QSU (Quick Start-up) is Ricoh's original energy-saving technology developed to achieve effective energy conservation for copiers. It enables quick recovery from the energy-saving mode, allowing users to make copies whenever they need to. According to a customer survey, the longer it takes to recover from energy-saving mode, the less the energy-saving mode is used.
Ricoh has poured its efforts into developing QSU technology in a way that satisfies both user-friendliness and energy conservation so that our customers will use the energy-saving mode more often. In 2001, we launched the imagio Neo 350 series, the first multifunctional monochrome copiers equipped with QSU, and received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize, the highest prize of the Energy Conservation Grand Award presented by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ).
Following that, we introduced HYBRID QSU, an integration of traditional QSU technology and capacitors (electric storage devices), in high-speed multifunctional monochrome digital copiers, and have since reinforced the lineup of QSU-equipped products*1.
In fiscal 2006, Ricoh developed Color QSU technology, which adopts the IH*2 fusing system and successfully achieved a reduction in recovery time from the energy-saving mode for multifunctional color copiers, which had been a difficult challenge.
The imagio MP C4000 released in June 2008 features Color QSU technology and new color PxP toner, realizing a recovery time from the sleep mode of less than 15 seconds. We also developed energy-saving printers that use our GELJET technology, including the IPSiO GX 2500 launched in September 2007,
which boasts a maximum energy consumption of less than 35 watts, which is equivalent to the energy consumption of a fluorescent light.
- *1
- Capacitors are incorporated only in the 100V machines marketed in Japan.
- *2
- IH stands for "Induction Heating," a technology that heats metal instantly with the magnetic force generated by an electric current passing through a coil. This technology is also widely adopted in electric rice-cookers and stoves.
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 HYBRID QSU Technology
Traditional QSU technology is combined with a capacitor (electric storage device) to store electricity while in standby mode so that it can be used for start-up and printing operations. This technology is adopted by high-speed type multifunctional copiers.
Color QSU Technology
This technology, based on IH (Induction Heating) that uses magnetic force to produce heat, has been further improved in such a way to cause the fusing roller itself to generate heat. The technology enables color copiers to both be user-friendly and highly energy efficient.
GELJET Viscous Ink
GELJET Viscous Ink is a pigment-based ink with high viscosity and high penetration, which enables high-speed duplex printing on plain paper with a picture quality as high as that of laser printers. Its low energy consumption also allows users to save running costs.
New Color PxP Toner
Toner designed to fuse at an even lower temperature than its predecessor, which realizes a shortened warm-up time, faster continuous output, and less energy consumption when in use.
Efforts to realize a more user-friendly energy-saving
mode and a recovery time of 10 seconds
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Our assessment of the impact of our products on global warming shows that, while there are emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from Ricoh Group operations such as production, transportation, marketing, and maintenance, a significant level of CO2 emissions is also generated while the products are used at customers' sites.
The energy-saving mode is automatically activated to minimize power consumption when products are left in standby mode for a certain period of time, and thus it contributes to energy conservation on the part of customers who use Ricoh copiers. To maximize energy-saving effects, it is necessary to set the time of the shift to a higher energy-saving mode to be as short as possible (see the table).
According to a customer survey, many customers feel that the waiting time is too long when the recovery time from the energy-saving mode exceeds 10 seconds. Therefore, to encourage customers to use the energy-saving mode without the stress of waiting, Ricoh has been committed to technological development aimed at reducing the recovery time from the energy-saving mode to less than 10 seconds.
For monochrome multifunctional copiers, we achieved a recovery time from the sleep mode*1 of less than 10 seconds*2 when we released the imagio Neo 350 in February 2001, and we have since introduced this feature to many other models. In terms of color multifunctional copiers, we reduced the recovery time from the sleep mode to only less than 15 seconds*2 for the imagio MP C4000.
For models whose recovery time from the sleep mode still exceeds 10 seconds, the "preheating level 2" button is provided to realize a recovery time of 10 seconds while allowing customers to save energy—
although not as much as when in sleep mode—to the maximum extent possible. In this way, Ricoh is offering its customers a way to promote energy conservation without sacrificing user-friendliness.
- *1
- A type of energy-saving mode
- *2
- When used at a room temperature of 20°C. This figure may vary depending on the conditions and history of use.
Energy-saving mode levels and their effects
| Setting |
Description |
Energy-saving effects |
| Preheating |
A standby mode that allows quick recovery. Some models are equipped with a "preheating level 2" button to realize a recovery time of approximately 10 seconds while allowing customers to save energy—
although not as much as when in sleep mode—to the maximum extent possible. |
Small |
| Low power consumption |
The temperature of the fusing heater is lowered to realize energy conservation while the short-time recovery is maintained. |
Middle |
| Sleep |
The power button* on the control panel is automatically turned off to realize the highest level of energy-saving. If the product is cooled to room temperature, the recovery time may be as long as the warm-up time. |
Large |
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- *
- In addition to the power button on the control panel, the products also have the main switch on their body.
- *
- See the manual for each model for specific energy consumption information and other data related to each setting in the energy-saving mode.
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