Overview
ISO 20690:2018 - Graphic technology - Determination of the operating power consumption of digital printing devices - defines a standardized method to measure and report the electrical operating power consumption and energy efficiency of small- and wide-format digital production printing presses. The standard is intended for equipment declared by the manufacturer as suitable for use as a digital production printing press and enables consistent comparison of energy figures across different machine configurations (e.g., Best Quality (BQ) and Best Productivity (BP) combinations).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope & exclusions: Applies to digital production presses; excludes textile/clothing printers, machines requiring additional production processes (e.g., ceramics), and measurements of individual components (servos, fans, compressors).
- Operational modes: Defines measurement for typical modes - Sleep, Print Ready, and Production (steady production) - each with distinct power profiles.
- Power definitions: Clarifies terms including active power, reactive power, apparent power, connected load, and operational power consumption. Includes the electrical energy calculation as the time integral of instantaneous voltage and current.
- Machine combination: Requires measurement against defined machine combinations (hardware + print media + print mode/RIP settings) such as BQ and BP to produce comparable energy-efficiency metrics.
- Measurement conditions: Specifies general conditions (age, condition, electrical connection), measuring conditions, measurement cycles, and consistency checks for repeatability.
- Instrumentation & reporting: Uses a high-precision power meter (power analyser) and mandates documentation of results, including measurement data sheets (Annex A) and recommended procedures (Annex B).
- Calculation of energy efficiency: Provides a framework to report energy use as prints per kWh or kWh per set number of prints, accounting for peripheral equipment (IR/UV dryers, pre/post-processing).
Applications and who uses it
- Printer manufacturers: to declare and validate energy performance of digital production presses.
- Commercial printers and print buyers: to compare machines for procurement and to estimate operating costs.
- Energy auditors and facility managers: to benchmark energy consumption and monitor improvements.
- Policy makers / sustainability teams: to support energy-efficiency incentives, reporting, and equipment replacement decisions.
Practical uses include benchmarking, estimating running costs for investment planning, measuring efficiency gains over time, and providing verifiable data for environmental subsidy claims.
Related standards
- Normative reference: IEC 60204-1 (Safety of machinery - Electrical equipment of machines - General requirements).
- Note: Specifications for conventional sheet-fed/web-fed offset and office equipment exist separately and ISO 20690:2018 is not intended to replace those methods.
Keywords: ISO 20690:2018, operating power consumption, digital printing devices, energy efficiency, digital production presses, power consumption measurement, Best Quality BQ, Best Productivity BP.
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