Kyocera Document Solutions Gets Certified as an Emission Test Site for the Blue Angel

With the accreditation, KYOCERA Document Solutions can now carry out in-house testing for the determination of VOC*2, ozone, dust, and UFP*3 from its MFPs and printers to be certified for the Blue Angel. The company previously had outsourced the test, so with the accreditation the company can drastically shorten the certification process for its products.

Currently, all of the company’s products satisfy the strict standards of the Blue Angel, and are recognized as having distinguished environmental strengths, including not only the ability to reduce the users’ environmental footprint but also in the products’ ability to protect workplaces from dust, noise, VOC, ozone, and UFP emissions. KYOCERA Document Solutions strives to continue to enhance the quality and safety of its products in order to provide reliable products to its customers.

In 1997, KYOCERA Document Solutions' printers, ECOSYS FS-1700 and FS-3700, became the first page printers in the world to acquire the Blue Angel certification.

^{*1 The emission test is compliant with the environmental label RAL-UZ 171 determined by the German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification (RAL, Deutches Institut für Gutersicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V.).
*2 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), such as toluene, xylene and ethyl acetate, which are contained in paints, printer inks, adhesives, detergents, gasoline, thinners, etc.
*3 Ultrafine Particles (UFP), up to 0.1 micrometer in diameter. In consideration of the effects on the human body, the Blue Angel sets a strict standard for UFP emission from MFPs and printers.}

The R&D Center was built in 2008 at the headquarters of KYOCERA Document Solutions in Osaka, Japan as a central facility for product design and development of imaging processes, electrophotographic systems, software, applications relating to MFPs, printers and document solutions. The test facilities in the R&D center are capable of evaluating chemical emissions such as VOC, ozone, dust and UFP, environmental tests, drop and vibration tests, etc.

The Blue Angel is the world’s first environment-related label introduced in 1978. The label is operated by the German Institute for Quality Assurance and Certification (RAL) and its criteria are stipulated by the Germany Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The Blue Angel certification is adjudged to only those products and services which are recognized to meet all of the following criteria; contributing to the promotion of people's interest in issues of environmental conservation and consumer protection; incorporating comprehensive measures for environmental conservation; satisfying high-level safety/health standards for workers; and having an excellent quality of use. Thus, the Blue Angel is known as one of the strictest eco-labels and is referred to as a model programmed by many other eco-label operators around the world.
For more information about the Blue Angel, please visit: http://www.blauer-engel.de/en/index.php

KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. headquartered in Osaka, Japan is a leading manufacturer of document imaging solutions and document management systems, including color and monochrome multifunctional products and printers and wide format devices. KYOCERA’s products are renowned for their unique long-life imaging components that provide greater reliability, less waste - resulting in a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the life of the product.

The KYOCERA Document Solutions portfolio does not stop at hardware. A full suite of business applications and consultative services allow customers to optimize and manage their document workflow, unleashing the full potential of their hardware investment. KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. is a core company of KYOCERA Corporation, the world's leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components. During the year ended March 31, 2013, KYOCERA Corporation's net sales totaled 1.28 trillion yen (approx. USD13.6 billion).