The Signature cassette printer, model SCP-R, from Primera Technology, Plymouth, Minn, is a robotic-based autoloading unit designed for use in pathology and histology labs to print high-resolution text, graphics, and barcodes directly onto tissue cassettes.
The printer utilizes thermal transfer ink ribbons instead of solvent inkjet or laser ablation. The thermal transfer technology is virtually silent, with no smell or smoke, and it requires no ink tanks or print heads that can dry out or need maintenance. The printer can print in color on white cassettes.
Two versions of the Signature cassette printer are available:
- SCP-M is a compact and robust printer. One cassette at a time is loaded by the operator. Print speed is about 6 seconds per cassette.
- SCP-R is a fully robotic system that has four separate hoppers, each with 40 cassettes, for a total capacity of 160. It does not rely upon gravity to feed cassettes into the printer. Instead, a robotic arm positively picks each cassette from the top of the desired stack and places it into the printer. After printing, cassettes are deposited onto an output rack on the front of the printer. Up to seven cassettes can be placed onto the rack at a time. With the included extension tray, output capacity is increased to 17 cassettes.
For more information, visit Primera Technology.
