Kyocera unveils breakthrough thermal printhead for high-speed, eco-friendly POS systems
TPA series delivers industry-leading speed, superior print quality, and enhanced sustainability for retail and service industries.
- Printing Devices
Kyoto/London − Kyocera Corporation introduces a breakthrough in POS*1 receipt printing applications with its new “TPA Series” thermal printhead. Delivering high-quality printing at an industry-leading speed of 350 mm/sec, the new printhead is ideal for retail and service industries such as convenience stores and restaurants. Full-scale production is planned for the end of August 2025.
| Product name | "TPA Series" thermal printhead for POS receipts |
| Model number | TPA-80-8TCC2-PFS TPA-80-8TCC2-PFS2 TPA-80-8TCC2-PFS3 |
| Applications | POS receipt printer |
| Mass production | End of August 2025 |
Main features
1. High-quality printing at industry's fastest speed (350 mm/sec)
2. Expanded head mounting position tolerance
3. Excellent environmental resistance and low wear for long-distance running
4. Supports Blue4est® paper for eco-friendly, phenol-free, high-quality printing
Development background
In recent years, with the rapid adoption of cashless transactions, including digital currencies and payment apps, payment methods have become increasingly diverse. In retail and service industries such as restaurants, convenience stores, and drugstores, the trend toward self-checkout systems is progressing to reduce labour and maintenance costs, and enhance operational efficiency. The amount of information printed on receipts and coupons generated from POS systems is also increasing along with the demand for thermal printers that operate without ink or toner, require little or no maintenance, and print large amounts of information quickly and accurately. As a result, demand is also rising for the key component of these crucial POS systems: thermal printheads that enable high-speed, high-quality, high-volume printing.
Product specifications
1. High-quality printing at industry's fastest speed (350 mm/sec)
Kyocera’s proprietary heating element formation technology offers greatly improved print quality. Even at the high speed of 350 mm/sec, the printhead demonstrates excellent thermal response providing clear, high-definition printing from the start to the end of each character.
Output quality comparison
Evaluation grades for barcode print quality (standard: ISO15416)
| Grade | Evaluation | Interpretation |
| A | 3.6～4.0 | Readable by scanning each section once |
| B | 2.5～3.5 | Readable if scanned multiple times |
| C | 1.5～2.4 | Readable if multiple locations are scanned once |
| D | 0.5～1.4 | Readable if multiple locations are scanned multiple times |
| F | 0.0～0.4 | Reading is not possible or not reliable |
2. Expanded head mounting position tolerance
To achieve high print quality, Kyocera has evolved the conventional printhead structure and improved heat conduction from the heating element, thereby expanding the allowable range of head mounting positions. As a result, stable, high-quality printing is possible across the entire print width on a wide variety of printing media.
Wide nip width for easy installation
3. Excellent environmental resistance and low wear for long-distance running
This product improves corrosion and wear resistance through Kyocera’s proprietary film formation technology. It achieves high durability, minimal wear, and enables long-life over high print volumes (distance).
Saltwater test
*Kyocera research, July 2025
Durability test
*Kyocera research, July 2025
Conditions
| Printer | Kyocera equipment |
| Thermal paper | PD160R (Oji Imaging Media Co., thermal paper) |
| Platen roller | Diameter: 14 mm Hardness: 60 Shore A |
| Pressure | 21.5 N |
| Print speed | 350 mm/s |
| Print patterns | 1: Print ratio 12.5% 2: Print ratio 25% 3: Print ratio 0% |
| Printing distance | 170 km |
Demand is rising for environmentally friendly, phenol-free thermal paper and Blue4est®*2 paper by Koehler Paper, a thermal paper that does not use chemical colour developers or colour formers. By avoiding these chemicals, Blue4est®paper can be recycled, reducing its ecological impact. Kyocera’s TPA series is compatible with Blue4est® paper, supporting reduced chemical usage and promoting recycling, while meeting diverse media and printing needs.
Image quality performance
Conditions
| Printer | Kyocera equipment |
| Thermal paper | Blue4est® |
| Platen roller | Diameter: 14 mm Hardness: 60 Shore A |
| Pressure | 21.5 N |
| Print speed | 250 mm/s |
| Without history control | |
| Print patterns | Described left |
| Measuring device | LVS-9580 (grades for barcode) X-Rite eXact (O.D. Value) |
Durability test
*Kyocera research, July 2025
*1 POS: Point Of Sale
*2 Blue4estⓇ is a registered trademark of Koehler Paper AG in Germany and other countries