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Electronic paper, which is taking its first steps, is
gradually replacing traditional price labels. UPM is at present
negotiating with several retail outlets on international markets
about the introduction of e-products based on the new technology.
"Electronic paper is highly suitable for price labels
thanks to its unique properties," says Jukka Enarvi,
who is responsible for the e-products.
"These electronic price displays are an area that is
growing strongly worldwide, and they will be used firstly
where the benefits can be most clearly shown i.e. in the store
concepts where the need to change prices is greatest."
Electronic price displays will make it possible to change
information about the prices of products wirelessly and quickly.
The quality of pricing will improve, mistakes will stop and
the staff's time will show considerable savings.
Flexible and light-reflecting
UPM has made e-paper an inexpensive product which meets the
customer's needs and which, thanks to the new display technology,
brings clear-cut benefits compared with options based on the
traditional LCD display technology already in use.
Enarvi describes the UPM electronic price display as new,
flexible light-reflecting technology with special properties
that enable displays to be used in new areas.
"The most important benefits are the clear readability
from a very oblique angle, a structure that stands up to impact
and extremely small electricity consumption," Enarvi
explains.
Big investment worthwhile
An electronic price display is a major but profitable investment
for a retail outlet. For small outlets it is a matter of investing
thousands of euros and for the big ones tens of thousands.
"Taking into account the benefits and accruing savings,
the payback time is less than two years," Enarvi points
out.
The main markets for UPM's electronic price labels will,
Enarvi says, initially be in Europe. At this moment there
are many stores in France, Germany and Spain that have transferred
to electronic price labels and whose need for price labels
is enormous.
UPM's mill at Ylöjärvi in Finland produces electronic
paper sold under the Ella Store Labels brand.
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The electronic paper technology
employed by UPM is produced from microcapsules
inside which are dark and light particles controlled
by a magnetic field. The surrounding light is
reflected from particles on the surface of a
capsule in very much the same way as from printed
paper.
The older technology is based
on an LCD display, one drawback of which is
the consumption of electricity. UPM's technology
consumes a small amount of electricity only
when the price -i.e. the picture - is changed.
Otherwise no electricity is consumed at all
and the picture can be read for at least a year
without electricity.
The technology used by UPM has
been developed by E Ink, a start-up company
that has its origins at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in the United States.
The operating principle of electronic ink.
(Photo: E Ink Corporation)
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