KMP AG, the Bavarian-based printing consumables remanufacturer, has revealed it is now STMC-certified.
By using standardised testing methods, KMP explains, the supplier specialist can objectively compare the reach of the cartridges with those of other manufacturers who use the same procedure.
For this purpose, one of 34 recognised trainers worldwide trained the employees of KMP AG. During an on-site training procedure, he made sure that the people in charge knew the STMC test procedures and had the tools they needed and were able to use them properly. KMP is thus officially an “STMC compliant company”.
“We want to offer our customers the best value for money. To be able to judge this correctly, they must therefore know our price and our performance,” says Rainer Höchsmann, Head of Key Account at KMP. “When comparing the shop signs they already see that we are the cheap alternative to the original. We prove that our monochrome cartridges deliver the same and sometimes even higher performance at the same time by standards such as STMC and ISO.”
In Germany and many other countries, there are no requirements as to how printer cartridges determine or label the range of their cartridges. Some indicate the fill quantity, others the estimated number of printable pages. However, as long as the trial is at the discretion of the company, consumers will have no basis for product comparison. Different information can also deceive their expectations, adds KMP.
For this reason, societies such as the Standardised Test Methods Committee (STMC) or the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) have been formed. Both describe uniform test procedures that measure the ranges of cartridges. These purely voluntary certifications vary widely: STMC is often a requirement for tenders in the US, as their methods are largely based on the requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
From now on, KMP states, consumers will find the STMC logo on the packaging of all KMP monochrome toner cartridges, according to the German manufacturer. This also applies to the latest developments: recently, KMP released remastered alternatives to the HP 203X and HP 203A, Canon 040HBK and Brother TN-2410 and TN-2420.
By recycling already processed materials, the Bavarian family company saves raw materials. According to the company, this benefit is passed on directly to consumers. The above-mentioned consumables are thereby 18 to 45 percent cheaper than the originals, states KMP – while still providing “objectively comparable performance.”
