Astro-Med Introduces Industry’s Smallest, Lightest Flight Deck Printer
Astro-Med, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALOT) announced today that it has introduced the ToughWriter 5, the smallest, lightest ARINC744A-1 printer available in the industry. The ToughWriter 5 was displayed at the National Business Aviation Association’s 62nd Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2009) in Orlando, FL, October 20-22, 2009, and was extremely well received.
The ToughWriter 5 weighs just 8.5 pounds with a full roll of paper installed and is several inches shallower than other flight deck printers, making it ideal for business jet and other commercial customers that are sensitive to size and weight.
Despite being smaller and lighter than other airborne printers, the ToughWriter 5 will be the fastest, highest resolution printer in the world and is the first airborne printer with WiFi capability.
Tom Carll, National Sales Manager for Astro-Med’s Test & Measurement Product Group, comments on the introduction, “We are excited with the opportunity that the ToughWriter 5 offers. Its predecessor, the ToughWriter 4 printer, has been very well received in the business/regional jet, commercial and military markets. We expect the ToughWriter 5 to expand our share of the business/regional jet market and other markets where size and weight are important. In addition, for the first time, WiFi capability will allow sending print jobs to the ToughWriter 5 from a computer located anywhere in the aircraft.”
Carll continued, “Although the economic downturn has impacted the business jet and commercial aircraft industries, we feel the long-term potential in these markets is significant and are poised to capture market share as the industry rebounds. There are several important aircraft programs that we are pursuing and the ToughWriter 5 is critical to this future business.”
The NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention is billed as the premier event and annual meeting place for the business aviation community. It brings together a global community of business leaders, government officials, manufacturers, flight department personnel, single-pilot operations and all manner of people involved in nearly every aspect of business aviation. Aircraft, avionics, engines, aircraft interiors, navigation equipment, composite material and other products used on business jets will be exhibited at the convention.
Astro-Med is currently furnishing airborne printers for the Airbus A380 and A400M, the Boeing C-17, B-787, B-777, B-747, B-767, and the Lockheed C-130 and the Bombardier Global Vision flight deck.
Astro-Med, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high tech specialty printing systems, electronic medical instrumentation, and test and measurement instruments employed around the world in a wide range of industrial, scientific and medical applications.
Availability for the ToughWriter 5 will be mid-2010. Visit Astro-Med, Inc. at http://www.astro-med.com/tmindex.html for further information.
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements, and actual results may vary from those expressed or implied herein. Factors that could affect these results include those mentioned in Astro-Med’s FY2009 annual report and its annual and quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
Everett V. Pizzuti
President
Astro-Med, Inc.
Tel: 800-343-4039
www.astro-medinc.com
SOURCE: Astro-Med, Inc.
http://www.astro-medinc.com