Hear from Developers
Who Are Driving the Evolution of EcoTank Printers
Interview
Our EcoTank printers have gained popularity due to their cost performance and environmental friendliness—features that have allowed us to sell more than 100 million of them. For this article, we interviewed two individuals involved in the development of our EcoTank systems, Yoichi Yamada and Yasuhiko Yoshihisa. We asked them about the ideas incorporated into our EcoTank products, what went on behind the scenes during development, and what the future holds. What they say will give you insights into what makes EcoTank printers so appealing.
- Interview 1
Yoichi Yamada - Interview 2
Yasuhiko Yoshihisa
Profile
Yoichi Yamada
Executive Officer
Chief Operating Officer, P Office & Home Solutions Operations Division
1Advanced Production Engineering Capabilities that
Underpin the Philosophy of Efficient, Compact,
and Precise Innovation Embedded in Epson’s DNA
Underpin the Philosophy of Efficient, Compact,
and Precise Innovation Embedded in Epson’s DNA
—How did it make you feel when you heard that, in 2024, cumulative global sales of Epson’s EcoTank printers exceeded 100-million units?
I have been involved in printer development ever since I joined the company in 1994. More specifically, I was involved in the development and design of laser printers for my first 15 years and inkjet printers for my second 15 years. I was very pleased to hear that we had reached this sales milestone in what marked my 30th year with Epson. I am deeply grateful not only to our customers around the world but also to my colleagues involved in the design, manufacturing, and sales of EcoTank products.
From precision processing to assembly and other automation technologies, Epson has continuously built upon a foundation of technology laid over many decades in watchmaking. For more than 80 years, we have maintained our commitment to a philosophy of efficient, compact, and precise innovation. This commitment has become part of our DNA and is reflected in all Epson products.
Epson printers are designed to be as small as possible regardless of their class. From exterior designs to internal mechanisms, our design departments work closely together to create our products. During the development of EcoTank printers, we focused particularly on ensuring printer reliability and consistent quality of output even after long-term use. If we can build reliability into these printers, we should be able to apply this same technology to our other printers as well. Even if our departments occasionally butt heads, as long as we share the goal of delighting our customers, we can create products that no other company can. Although it comes with challenges, the process itself has become a point of pride for everyone involved in product design and manufacturing.
2Revolutionizing Printers and Taking on New Challenges
—What were the circumstances that led to the development of EcoTank printers?
In the past, the prevailing business model for the printer industry was to keep the prices of printers themselves low and earn a profit from the sale of ink cartridges. However, when we tried to use this model in emerging countries, the high price of ink turned out to be a hurdle, and we ran into the problem of people using low-price third-party ink instead. This reduced our profitability, and continuing to promote this flawed business model would have not only prevented business growth but also threatened the survival of our business.
Therefore, we decided to try to transition to a new business model. More specifically, we opted to reduce the price of ink as much as possible and increase the prices of our printers instead. This was a major strategic pivot for us, and it imposed serious difficulties on our sales staff, who found themselves having to sell printers at far higher prices than before. This in fact triggered quite a bit of in-house debate as well.
That said, what ultimately motivated us to take this leap of faith was our pride as a printer manufacturer. I mean, no matter how you think about it, it seems weird for customers to be hesitating to print anything because of the high price of ink. We really wanted our customers to be able to print without worrying about the cost. Our EcoTank printers were created to help us achieve this new business model.
Changing the business model was a major challenge but doing so also enabled us to achieve one of our other key goals. We wanted to find a way for our customers to use our printers for many years instead of thinking of them as disposable.
But if we had to keep the prices of our printers down, we would inevitably have to use cheap designs. However, with our EcoTank systems, we have been able to do a great deal more than before with different structures and designs.
Our printheads use piezoelectric actuators, which boast extreme durability and a long lifespan. However, when they're used in cartridge-based printers with low print volumes and short replacement cycles, their capabilities end up being wasted. In contrast, if we use these heads in EcoTank models, customers can print in high volumes for many years, thereby allowing our strengths to truly shine. Although we did not originally develop our piezoelectric heads with EcoTank printers in mind, it turns out that these models showcase the full capabilities of such heads.
3In Search of the Perfect Ink for EcoTanks
—What was the greatest challenge you faced when developing EcoTank printers?
When we were developing our EcoTank models, we had to overcome a lot of technical challenges. One of the biggest challenges was ink. Unlike cartridge-based systems, with EcoTank systems, customers have to refill the tanks themselves. Here, maintaining ink quality turned out to be a major obstacle.
EcoTank systems require users to directly pour ink into the tanks. The ink is thus exposed to air longer than past systems, so there is a greater risk of it drying out. In addition, if droplets of ink stick to the inner walls of a tank, solidify, and then flow through the system, they can clog up the head and cause failures. The ink also needs to remain stable even if it is left in the tank for a long time.
One proposal by our development team was to gain an understanding of the causes of printing failures by setting up cameras to constantly observe the state of ink both inside the tanks and inside the tubes connecting the tanks to the head.
To do this, we created experimental equipment and worked with the development team to take a hard look at the video footage we obtained to make sure that we would not miss a single important ink-related event.
Through such trial and error, we were able to successfully develop ink that stays in optimal condition even when used with a tank-refilling system. Of course, the ink also had to be low-cost without compromising on quality or reliability. This is naturally something we are committed to no matter what. For us, this was non-negotiable.
—How have your EcoTank printers developed since then?
Our first EcoTank models used dye ink, but later we also released models that use pigment ink. Unlike dye inks, which are absorbed into the paper, pigment inks bond to the surface of the paper. They are thus less prone to smudging and can be used for a wider variety of paper types. This means that pigment ink can be used for far more purposes, including business documents. However, pigment inks also solidify more easily than dye inks, so there were numerous technical challenges that had to be overcome before they could be used in EcoTank printers. In fact, it took around five years to develop pigment ink suitable for EcoTank systems.
Despite the difficulties, we refused to give up because we were all motivated by the desire to create a product that would surprise the world. Of course, the needs of our customers are always our number one priority. But I believe it’s equally important to create products that we are proud of. It's the balance between customer needs and our technological capabilities—neither one alone, but both working in tandem—that makes Epson’s products truly unique.
We currently offer EcoTank ink for a wide range of applications, including dye ink that boasts good image quality, pigment ink for business use, and even ink for textile use.
4How EcoTank Systems Are Paving
the Way Toward Greater Sustainability
the Way Toward Greater Sustainability
—What does the future hold for EcoTank technology?
Luckily for us, EcoTank printers are used by countless customers around the world. There are still regions in emerging countries where the power grid unstable. In regions like this, our inkjet printers, including our EcoTank models, offer the advantage of low power consumption. We have demonstrated that someone pedaling a bicycle can power one of our printers, and our EcoTank models can be operated on battery power if there is a power outage. In developed countries, our EcoTank printers can be used to reduce power consumption. They can even enable hospitals and other vital infrastructure to continue operating during a power outage. Meanwhile, in Japan, which is frequently affected by earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters, our printers have been used at evacuation shelters where power is limited.
The reduction in power consumption made possible by our products might not seem like much when viewed on a global scale, but we are still creating products that help in their own small way to slow down climate change. This is an approach, a mindset, that I hope every Epson employee will continue to maintain going forward.
We are currently developing products with a greater emphasis on resource circulation and have announced products that use recycled materials (specifically plastic). In the future, we will leverage our technological capabilities to try to achieve products that can be recycled two or even three times, thereby extending their useful lifespan.
I have seen our EcoTank printers used in places all over the world, but the most interesting example I have seen was in a Chinese convenience store. In Japan, convenience stores tend to have large multifunction printers, but the Chinese store I went to had one of our EcoTank printers. It is always fun to see our printers used in ways that we do not expect. This particular example reminded me that this is one way for us to find new business opportunities.
When we create products that are good or interesting and come to be used by a lot of people, we sometimes end up seeing things the developers never expected. This can give us hints for future development or help identify new paths to pursue, creating an extremely useful cycle. Naturally, to build a strong foundation to facilitate this, we must diligently improve both our manufacturing and technologies. If we can gain a clear understanding of the actual needs of our customers and then refine our technologies accordingly, we can change the world.
Profile
Yasuhiko Yoshihisa
General Manager
P Office Home Planning and Design Department
P Office Home Division
1New Printing Experiences Offered by the EcoTank System
—Has any feedback from EcoTank printer users left you with a particularly strong impression?
In 2017, we started building our ink tanks into our EcoTank models instead of attaching them to the side. This was also when I first got involved in EcoTank printer development, so I have special affection for the 2017 model.
In Japan, our cartridge-based models remain extremely popular. In overseas markets, however, many customers prioritize running costs and are pleased with our EcoTank systems due to their ability to reduce printing costs.
Of all the feedback I’ve heard from users, I was happiest to hear that the ink never seems to run out.
In the past, I have also heard from schoolteachers that, even though they think printing handouts in color would make them more appealing to their young students, they cannot do so given the higher cost. This is perhaps the most painful feedback I have ever received. That said, with our EcoTank systems, you can print around 6,000 pages in color with just one bottle of ink, and nothing would make us happier than using these systems to help build a world in which people no longer have to worry about cost when printing in color.
2Commitment to Compactness:
Pushing the Boundaries of Efficiency, Compactness, and Precision
Pushing the Boundaries of Efficiency, Compactness, and Precision
—What did you find especially challenging during development?
Epson is committed to making our products as compact as possible. By eliminating waste, we can reduce our environmental impact and costs while also saving our customers money. That is why we constantly aim to make everything as small and waste-free as possible. If you take a look at any of our models from before 2017, you will immediately see that the ink tanks are located on the side. We wanted to find a way to relocate the tanks so that they would be inside the printer. I was responsible for the mechanical design, and the biggest challenge was to come up with a suitable housing design.
For a printer to handle A4-size paper, it must be at least as wide as that paper, which is 210 millimeters. When we were deciding on the dimensions of our products, we referred to the width of compact storage shelves that are often used in Japanese homes, which is 410 millimeters.
Based on this, our target width was 375 millimeters for four-color printers and 403 millimeters for the six-color printers we released later, sizes that would ensure that our printers fit on these 410-millimeter shelves.
Given that the paper width is fixed at 210 millimeters, all the other mechanisms necessary for the printer had to be housed in the remaining space. Naturally, we also had to find space to fit the four (or six) ink tanks. In addition, paper that is being printed is passed through a system called a carriage. Printheads with nozzles that eject ink are attached to this carriage. They must be able to reach the surface of the paper during printing and then be moved away when not printing. This of course requires space as well. It is also necessary to incorporate systems for maintaining and adjusting the heads. These are only a few examples, but, once you put in all the mechanisms and systems you need, you have just a little over 16 centimeters of width left after the width of the paper. This turned out to be a major hurdle for us, but, in 2017, we successfully managed to deliver the world’s most compact EcoTank printer to our customers.
The carriage that I mentioned earlier also incorporates Epson’s own precise control technology. The carriage, which moves over the paper, does not move at a fixed speed. Instead, the speed is controlled so that the head starts out slowly, picks up speed, and then slows down and stops. One problem that needs to be addressed as a result is the ink ejection performance. The ink landing point differs depending on the vector direction when the carriage is moving slowly as opposed to when it is moving fast. As an example, if ink is constantly ejected in the same way while printing a photo, the image quality will end up differing at the edges versus the center of the photo. To solve this problem, we added a scale that reads speed information to our printers, starting around 2015. This scale is used to detect the speed so that the ink ejection timing can be controlled based on calculations.
3Achieving Durability and Sustainability
—Is there anything you have been especially careful about in terms of environmental friendliness?
We really wanted to make printers that are not treated as disposable. Printer durability is rated according to the number of printable pages, and our EcoTank systems boast approximately two to three times the durability of conventional printers. In addition, to ensure that our customers can use our printers for many years, we have come up with various ways to improve them, including the inclusion of a maintenance box, an idea that was especially hard to implement.
Automatic inkjet printer maintenance, including printhead cleaning, unavoidably wastes a certain amount of ink. Inkjet printers contain waste ink pads and other ways to soak up this ink, but the ink pads in most products can only absorb a limited amount of ink, after which point the printers must be sent in for repairs. Many customers simply buy a replacement instead. So we thought, why not equip our printers with a maintenance box that customers can replace on their own? After all, EcoTank models enable you to print 6,000 pages with just one bottle, so the printers should last at least that long. We spent so much time revising and redoing this aspect of our design that we had to temporarily stop the development process. That left quite an impression on me.
4EcoTank Printers that Blend in with Living Spaces
—Please tell us about some of the interesting features of the EcoTank printer design.
Printers cannot exactly be put away even when you are not using them. They tend to become a permanent part of their environment. Therefore, we have focused on ensuring that EcoTank printers have sleek, modern designs so that they will blend into any living space and will not look out of place even if you set them up in your living room.
That said, our designs still emphasize what should be emphasized. With our EcoTank systems, we are absolutely committed to making sure that the tanks look large.
We therefore position the ink tanks in front of the printer to give them a stronger presence. It might sound funny, but this is a way to ensure that past users no longer worry that we have reduced the size of our tanks or are trying to make money with our ink. It is also easy to tell at a glance how much ink remains, making it feel like there is a ton of ink that never seems to run out. This is just one of many things we did to improve the EcoTank design. Of course, given the large amount of ink in the tank, we must also avoid leaks at all costs. If the ink somehow managed to leak, it could stain our customers’ important property. We therefore take the utmost care with our designs, including everything from basic functionality to appearance.
5Taking on Global Challenges
—Are there any ideas you have come up with for overseas users in particular?
We have had a lot of requests from our overseas customers about paper jamming. There are considerable differences in the quality and characteristics of the paper used in different countries. For example, depending on the country, there might be more paper dust when paper is cut, and paper differs in various other ways as well. In addition, liquid ink is applied to paper, and some paper curls (warps) as the ink soaks in. Paper characteristics such as these can also cause the paper to jam. Part of our job is to try to figure out how to resolve such problems.
As a matter of fact, Epson imports a lot of paper. The reason for this is that we buy various kinds of paper that are in general circulation in China, India, Europe, the US, and various other countries so that we can test and evaluate our printers by using tens or even hundreds of thousands of sheets.
In the past, we only verified the functionality of our printers by using paper that met our standards, but the times now demand that we support paper from various countries and regions.
Interestingly, although Japanese people tend to prefer relatively thin paper, people overseas tend to prefer thick paper. Apparently, thin paper tends to be thought of as cheap as opposed to luxurious. This thicker paper makes it necessary to ensure that each sheet of paper is separated. In fact, the most important aspect of mechanical design is to ensure that the sheets are neatly separated when ejected. Finding ways to handle any kind of paper is in fact my greatest chance to shine as a mechanical designer.
6Continuously Evolving Printers
—What kinds of future issues do you predict for EcoTank printers?
Our aim in developing these products was to provide printers that respond to changes in customer lifestyles and are both convenient and easy to use. Our hope is that this approach never changes.
Be that as it may, the fact remains that printers can be challenging devices in some ways. For example, when printing, you have to specify the paper size and image quality settings. Depending on what you’re printing, you may also have to set a suitable photo paper in the tray. I imagine that more than a few customers have experienced failure on the first print.
To this day, I feel like printers are still a bit of a hassle in certain unavoidable ways. We are therefore currently considering how to incorporate a universal perspective into our designs so that they impose less of a burden on users and are more pleasant for everyone to use. One example of this is coming up with ideas such as putting symbols on our printers so that, when customers inquire with us on the phone to ask about failures, they will be able to tell immediately what we want them to operate.
Our goal is to ensure that no one feels like our printers are too hard for them to use. I feel like there are still things we can do to make our printers easier to use. Together, we will keep doing everything in our power to make our products even more convenient and user friendly.
