Meteor’s new electronic platform to avoid dependence on key computer chips that are in global shortage in 2022.
Meteor’s Print Controller Card (PCC) is used by hundreds of OEM customers worldwide to synchronize image data sent from a computer to an array of printheads, including those from Epson, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Seiko Instruments, Toshiba TEC, Xaar and Xerox. PCC was relying on an electronic component that is in critical shortage this year, potentially delaying more than £4m on printhead drive electronics.
Anticipating these long-term supply issues, Meteor embarked on a rapid PCC restructuring project. In a quick response to the dwindling availability of alternative components, Meteor identified a suitable replacement chip that was freely available in high volume, taking the unusual step of acquiring more than a year’s supply of the new chip before even starting development. The risk of this decision has paid off and Meteor’s new PCC2 print controller is now shipping in production quantities.
“Meteor products are trusted as the most reliable components with which to build an industrial inkjet printer,” said Jonathan Wilson, Meteor’s vice president of business development. “Our customer base, which has grown over the past decade to make Meteor the largest data path provider in the industry, has had to wait for us to find a solution to what continues to be the largest chip supply shortage to date. I am pleased that their patience has now been rewarded and we will quickly clear the backlog that has arisen over the past two quarters.”
Clive Ayling, Managing Director of Meteor, commented: “It is a source of immense pride for everyone at Meteor that this enormous task has been achieved. In particular, kudos to our engineering team in Cambridge who turned their attention to this one project, resulting in a stable, backwards compatible replacement product for our customers in record time.”
The advanced chipset used in the PCC2 brings with it increased speed as well as the potential for future improvements in functionality. For now, Meteor customers and partners are relieved to have an abundance of print controllers once again. The industrial inkjet industry, accustomed to annual growth in application scope and entry into markets previously dominated by conventional printing or manufacturing, now has a major component back in manufacturing.
