Kyocera Launches New “KMH Series” Thermal Printhead Mass Production Slated for October 2026

Kyocera Corporation (President and CEO: Shiro Sakushima, “Kyocera”) today announced the launch of its new KMH Series thermal printhead for mobile barcode label printers in logistics, retail, healthcare, and related sectors. Designed for refrigerated and frozen environments, the product features enhanced pulse durability and high reliability. Mass production is scheduled for October 2026.

The new thermal printhead delivers high reliability and a compact form factor, using Kyocera’s proprietary design technology to ensure stable print quality even under demanding printing conditions.

Kyocera developed this product to address evolving design requirements for mobile printers.

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Kyocera KMH Series thermal printhead for barcode labels

Main Features

1. Enhanced Pulse Durability for High Reliability in Refrigerated and Frozen Environments

2. Compact Design for Greater Printer Design Flexibility

Development Background

The growth of e-commerce, digital transformation in logistics, and stricter traceability requirements have increased demand for barcode label printing in logistics, retail, and healthcare. As mobile printers are adopted to improve efficiency, demand is growing for compact, reliable printheads that support smaller devices, design flexibility, and high-speed, long-term use.

To address these requirements, Kyocera developed the KMH Series thermal printhead, which offers enhanced pulse durability for stable print quality in high-energy applications and a compact design.

Features

1. Enhanced Pulse Durability for High Reliability in Refrigerated and Frozen Environments

Kyocera’s proprietary design technology increases the durability of heating elements exposed to repeated electrical pulses. Refrigerated and frozen environments require higher printing energy for adequate print density, which increases the load on the printhead. The KMH Series maintains stable print quality under these high-energy conditions due to its enhanced pulse durability.

This capability ensures stable printer operation in applications requiring reliable label information, such as food logistics and operations within refrigerated and frozen warehouses.

2. Compact Design for Greater Printer Design Flexibility

The compact KMH Series enables more efficient use of limited space inside mobile printers. Its smaller footprint supports the development of lighter, more compact printer designs while providing greater flexibility in the placement of internal components, such as batteries, and in enclosure design.

Applications

• Printing waybills and labels at logistics sites, including food logistics and refrigerated or frozen warehouses

• Printing price tags and shelf labels in retail environments

• Printing wristbands and specimen labels in healthcare settings

• Field service applications and other mobile printing needs

Future Development

With over 40 years of thermal print technology expertise, Kyocera will continue to strengthen its solutions for the mobile printer market.

Kyocera will continue to support printer manufacturers by providing thermal printheads that address evolving market needs, including faster speeds, higher resolution, and increased reliability. The company also aims to enhance efficiency and advance digital transformation in logistics, retail, healthcare, and other sectors.

About Kyocera Corporation

Kyocera Corporation (TOKYO:6971; https://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers, and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2026, the company’s consolidated sales revenue totaled 2.07 trillion yen (approx. US$13.7 billion*). Kyocera appears on Forbes magazine’s 2026 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies; on Clarivate’s 2026 list of the “Top 100 Global Innovators;” and on CDP’s latest “A List” for leadership in transparency and performance on climate change.

*conversion based on average USD/JPY currency exchange rates, 4/1/2025 to 3/31/2026.

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