KROY K4452/K4453

Thermal Transfer / Direct Thermal

Bar Code Printer

User’s Manual

Contents

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ..............................................................……....... 1

COMPLIANCES .....................................................................................……….. 1

2. Getting Started ..............................................................................………. 2

2.1 Unpacking and Inspection.......................................................…… … 2

3. Power on Utilities..............................................................................……. 4

3.1 Ribbon Sensor Calibration .......................................................……. 4

3.2 Gap/Black Mark Calibration.....................................................…… .. 4

3.3 Self Test ......................................................................................……. 5

4.1 Setting Up the printer…………………………………………………..… 8

4.2 Loading the Ribbon...................................................................……… … 9

4.3 Loading Label Stock .................................................................…….. 10

4.4 External Label Roll Mount Installation (Option) ...............…………. 12

4.5 Peel-off Module Installation (Option).....................................………….. 13

4.5.1 Loading the Paper for Peel-off Mode ..........................……….. 16

4.6 Cutter Module Installation (Option) .....................................……….. 18

4.6.1 Loading the Label in Cutter Mode .................................……… 21

6.1 LED Status ................................................................................…….. 23

7. Specifications .............................................................................………… 25

7.1 Printer Specifications ...........................................................……….. 25

7.2 Label Stock Specifications....................................................…..…… 26

8. LED and Button Operation.............................................................……… 27

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Copyright Declaration

The information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Kroy Europe Limited. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, for any purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of Kroy Europe Limited.

The TrueType font engine is developed from the “FreeType Project" by David

Turner, Robert Wilhelm, and Werner Lemberg; and all other products referred to in this document are the trade mark or the registered trade mark of each of the trademark holders.

Compliances

CE Class B:

EMI: EN 50081-1:1998->EN55022:1998, EN 61000-3-2:2000,

EN61000-4-3:1998

FCC Part 15, Class B

UL, CUL

C-Tick: Class B AS/ NZS 3584: 1997

TÜV-GS: EN60950: 2000

Important Safety Precautions

1. Please read these safety precautions carefully.

2. Keep these instructions for later use

3. Disconnect the printer from the power supply before cleaning. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners. A damp cloth is the most suitable item for cleaning the printer.

4. Make sure the power supply outlet is near to the printer and easily accessible.

5. The printer is to be protected from humidity.

6. Make sure the printer is installed on a level surface. Tilting or dropping the printer can cause damage.

7. When connecting to the power supply do not exceed the power requirements.

8. The printer can be operated up to a maximum external temperature of 40 ℃.

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1. Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the KROY K4452/4453series of Thermal Transfer and Direct Thermal Bar Code Printers. Although the printer takes only a small amount of space, it delivers reliable, superior performance.

This printer provides both thermal transfer and direct thermal printing at a user selectable speed of: 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 or 5.0 ips, /2.0 or 3.0 ips. It accepts roll feed, die-cut, and fan-fold labels for both thermal transfer and direct thermal printing.

All common bar code formats are available. Fonts and bar codes can be printed in 4 directions, in 8 different alphanumeric bitmap fonts and with a built-in true type font capability. You will enjoy a high throughput for printing labels with this printer.

2. Getting Started

2.1 Unpacking and Inspection

This printer has been specially packaged to withstand damage during shipping.

Please carefully inspect the packaging and printer upon receiving the bar code printer. Please retain the packaging materials in case you need to reship the printer.

2.2 Equipment Checklist

Printer unit.

Software CD.

Sample ribbon roll.

Sample label roll.

Label spindle (1 inch diameter core).

Label spindle fixing tab.

1.5 inch paper core adapter.

Paper core.

Ribbon supply/rewind spindle. (2 pcs.)

Parallel port or USB cable.

Auto switching power supply.

Power cord.

Quick start guide.

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If any parts are missing, please contact the Customer Service Department of your purchased reseller or distributor.

Options

External label roll mount.

Label spindle (3-inch diameter core).

Keyboard display unit (KU-007 series).

Automatic cutter module.

Peel off module.

External Ethernet print server.

802.11b wireless print server.

2.3 Printer Parts

LED Indicator

Fig. 1 Top front view

5. Power Switch

Fig. view

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3. Power on Utilities

There are four power-on utilities to set up and test the printer hardware. These utilities are activated by pressing the FEED button and by turning on the printer power simultaneously. The utilities are listed below:

1. Gap or black mark sensor calibration

2. Label length calibration

3. Print self-test printout

4. Printer initialisation

3.1 Ribbon Sensor Calibration

The printer will calibrate the ribbon sensor sensitivity.

Please follow the steps below to calibrate the ribbon sensor.

1. Turn off the power.

2. Press and hold the feed button then turn on the printer power.

3. Release the button when the LED turns red after the first orange. (Any red will do during the 5 blinks).

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following pattern:

Orange red (5 blinks) orange (5 blinks) green (5 blinks) green

3.2 Gap/Black Mark Calibration

Gap/black mark sensor sensitivity should be calibrated when:

1. Operating a brand new printer for the first time

2. Changing the label stock.

3. Initialising the printer.

The printer calibrates Gap or Black Mark depending upon your last print job setting. Please follow the steps below to calibrate the sensor.

1. Turn off the power.

2. Press and hold the feed button then turn on the printer power.

3. Release the button when the LED turns orange. (Any orange will do during the

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following pattern:

Orange red (5 blinks)

orange (5 blinks)

green (5 blinks) green

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Whilst calibrating the gap/black mark sensor, the printer will measure the label length, print the printer configuration and then enter into dump mode.

3.3 Self Test

Before connecting the printer to your computer, you can print a test page to verify that the printer is in proper working order. It prints the print head check pattern and printer configurations and then enters dump mode.

Please follow the steps below to calibrate the sensor.

1. Turn off the power.

2. Press and hold the feed button then turn on the printer power.

3. Release the button when the LED turns orange. (Any orange will do during the

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following pattern:

Orange red (5 blinks) orange (5 blinks) green (5 blinks) green

Turn the power off / on to resume normal printing.

Firmware version*

Serial port configuration

Print darkness

Gap distance (inch)

Gap/black mark sensor sensitivity

Total available

Fig. printout

*A character, in the firmware version, is shown as the following:

T: TSPL E: EPL2 D: DPL Z: ZPL U: USB supported

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3.4 Dump Mode

The printer will enter dump mode after printing the printer configuration. In the dump mode, all characters will be printed in 2 columns as follows.

ASCII Data Hex decimal data related to left column of ASCII data

Fig. mode

The characters on the left hand side are received from your system and the data on the right hand side is the corresponding hexadecimal value of the characters. It allows users or engineers to verify and debug the programme. You just simply turn the power switch off and on to reset the printer for normal printing.

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3.5 Initialisation

Printer initialisation is used to clear DRAM and restore the printer settings to defaults, which do not include the ribbon setting. It is activated by the following procedures.

1. Turn off the printer power.

2. Press the button and then turn on the power. The LED will become red, orange and blink 5 times (for around 5 seconds) then become green and blink 5 times.

3. Release the button when the LED becomes green and starts blinking and then the printer will be reset (the LED becomes orange then solid green).

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following pattern:

Orange red (5 blinks) orange (5 blinks) green (5 blinks) green

4. The printer configuration will be set as below after the initialisation

Speed K4452, 127 mm/sec (5 ips)

K4453, 76 mm/sec (3 ips)

Density 7

Label Width 4.25” (108.0 mm)

Label Height

Sensor Type

2.5” (63.4 mm)

Gap sensor

Gap Setting

Print Direction

0.12” (3.0 mm)

0

Reference Point 0,0 (upper left corner)

Offset 0

Tear Mode On

Peel Off Mode

Cutter Mode

Serial Port Settings

Off

Off

9600 bps, none parity,

8 data bits, 1 stop bit

Code Page

Country Code

Clear Flash Memory

850

001

No

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4. Setup

4.1 Setting Up the Printer

1. Place the printer on a flat, secure surface.

2. Make sure the power switch is off.

3. Connect the printer to the computer with the Centronics or USB cable.

4. Plug the power cord into the power supply connector at the rear of the printer, and then plug the power cord into a properly grounded

Plug

USB

Power Cable

Centronics RS-232

Fig. 5 Attach power supply to printer

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4.2 Loading the Ribbon

The printer automatically detects if a ribbon is installed after power on and will switch to thermal transfer or direct thermal printing mode. If the printer does not detect a ribbon (direct thermal mode), the motor that drives the ribbon spindles will be turned off. Make sure both the ribbon access cover and the top cover of the printer are closed when powering on the printer.

1. Push down on the ribbon access cover to unlock and open the cover.

2. Place a paper core on a ribbon rewind spindle.

3. Mount the ribbon rewind paper core on the front hubs.

4. Install a ribbon on the ribbon supply spindle.

5. Mount the ribbon supply spindle on the rear hubs.

6. Attach the ribbon leader to the ribbon rewind paper core.

7. Rotate the ribbon rewind paper core until the ribbon leader is thoroughly, firmly encompassed by the black section of the ribbon.

8. Close the ribbon access cover.

Paper Core

Ribbon Access Cover

Ribbon Spindle

Back Hub

Front Hub

Fig. 6 Ribbon installation (I)

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Ribbon supply spindle

Ribbon

Leader

Rear Hub

Ribbon Rewind Paper Core

Fig. 7 Ribbon installation (II)

4.3 Loading Label Stock

1. Insert a paper roller into a paper roll ( * If your paper core is 1 inch, remove the 1.5 inch paper core adapter from the fixing tab).

1.5 inch Paper Paper Roll

Adapter*

Fixing Tab

Printing Side

Paper Roller

Fig. 8 Label roll installation (I)

2. Open the top cover of the printer by releasing the green cover locking tabs located on each side of the printer and lifting the top cover. A support bar at the rear of the printer will hold the top cover of the printer open.

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Lower Case

Fig. 9 Pull the lever to open the cover

3. Place a roll of paper on to the centre of the paper roll mount.

4. Feed the paper, printing side face up, through the Teflon bar and the paper guide and pass over the platen.

5. Adjust the green centre-biased paper guides in or out so they are slightly touching the edges of the label backing.

6. To close the top cover of the printer, lift the cover slightly and pull the support bar forward towards the front of the printer. Close the top cover of the printer slowly and make sure the cover locks latch securely.

Note: Failure to securely close and lock the cover will result in a poor

print

Lift the support bar in the direction of the arrow

Support Bar

Paper Roll Mount

Teflon Bar

Cover Lock Tab

Fig. 10 Label installation (II)

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4.4 External Label Roll Mount Installation (Option)

1. Attach an external paper roll mount on to the bottom of the printer.

Fig. 11 Attach the external roll mount to the printer

1. Open the top cover of the printer by pushing forward the top cover opening levers. The top cover support will hold the printer top cover.

2. Place a roll of paper on the external paper roll mount.

3. Feed the paper to the external paper feed opening through the rear paper

guide.

External Paper

Roll Mount

External Paper Feed Opening

Fig. 12 External roll mount label installation (I)

4. Feed the paper, printing side face up, through the paper guide and pass

5. Adjust the paper guide by moving it to the left or right to fit the paper width.

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6. Close the top cover of the printer by lifting up the top cover support and slowly close the top cover of the printer.

Top Cover Support

Platen

Fig. 13 External roll mount label installation (II)

4.5 Peel-off Module Installation (Option)

1. Open the top cover and remove the front panel from the printer.

Fig. 14 Removing the front panel

2. Open the top cover and hold it and push the top cover support down and backwards and then push the top cover backwards.

3. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the 6 screws on the lower inner cover.

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Top Cover

Top Cover Support

Screws

Flute

Screws

Lower Inner Case Lower Case

Fig. 15 Removing the 6 screws from lower inner cover

4. Use both thumbs to hold the lower case and index fingers to lift up the top cover opening levers to separate the lower inner case from the lower case.

5. Connect the peeler cable to the 5-pin socket on the printer PCB.

PCB

5-pin Socket

Peeler Cable

Peeler

Tenon

Fig. 16 Connecting the peel-off sensor harness to the main board

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6. Arrange the cable through the bezel.

Bezel

Mortise

Fig. 17 Peeling off the sensor harness installation

7. Flatten a peeler and embed the tenons in the mortises, and you will hear a

Lower Inner Case

Roller

Lower Case

Tenon Mortise

Fig. 18 Peel-off panel installation (I)

8. Put the lower inner cover back into the lower case.

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Peeler

Roller

Fig. 19 Peel-off panel installation (II)

9. Lift up the peel-off panel to the lower cover to close it.

10. Use a screwdriver to screw back the 6 screws on the lower inner case.

11. Close the top cover by putting the top cover support back into the flute and push it forwards and then slowly close the top cover.

4.5.1 Loading the Paper for Peel-off Mode

Note: Both thermal paper and plain paper are applicable for the peel-off function but neither PVC nor vinyl work for the peel-off function.

1. Insert a paper roller into a paper roll.

2. Open the top cover of the printer by pushing forward the top cover opening levers. The top cover support will hold the top cover of the printer.

Opening

Fig. 20 Opening the top cover

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3. Place the paper roll on the paper roll mount.

4. Open the peeler by pulling it out.

Peeler

Fig. 21 Opening the peel-off panel

5. Feed the paper, printing side facing up, through the paper guide and pass

6. Feed the paper through the backing paper opening, beneath the roller,

7. Adjust the paper guide by moving it to the left or right to fit the paper width.

Top Cover

Top Cover Support

Roller

Peeler

Fig. 22 Feed the paper through the backing paper opening, beneath the roller

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8. Push the peeler back into the printer.

9. Close the top cover by lifting up the top cover support and slowly close the top cover.

Fig. 23 Complete the label installation for peel-off mode

4.6 Cutter Module Installation (Option)

1. Remove the front panel from the lower cover.

2. Pull the top cover opening levers to open the top cover.

Lower Case

Fig. 24 Pull the lever to open the cover

3. Open the top cover and hold it and push the top cover support down and backwards and then push the top cover backwards.

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4. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the 6 screws on the lower inner case.

Top Cover

Top Cover Support

Screws

Flute

Screws

Lower Inner Cover Lower Cover

Fig. 25 Removing the 6 screws from the lower inner cover

5. Use both thumbs to hold the lower case and index fingers to lift up the top cover opening levers to separate the lower inner case from the lower case.

6. Connect the cutter module cable to the 4-pin socket on the printer PCB.

PCB

Cutter Cable

Cutter

Fig. 26 Cutter module installation

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7. Put the cable through the bezel.

Lower Inner Cover

Cutter cable Lower Cover Bezel

Fig. 27 Cutter module harness arrangement

8. Put the lower inner case back into the lower case.

9. Place the cutter into the niches of the printer.

Cutter

Niche

Fig. 28 Cutter module installation

10. Use a screwdriver to screw back the 6 screws on the lower inner case.

11. Close the top cover by putting the top cover support back into the flute and push it forwards and then slowly close the top cover.

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4.6.1 Loading the Label in Cutter Mode

1. Insert a paper roller into a paper roll.

2. Open the top of the printer.

3. Place the paper roll on to the paper roll mount.

4. Feed the paper, printing side face up, through the paper guide and pass

5. Feed the paper through the cutter paper opening.

6. Adjust the paper guide by moving it to the left or right to fit the paper width.

Top Cover

Top Cover Support

Platen

Cutter

Fig. 29 Label installation in cutter mode

7. Close the top cover by lifting up the top cover support and slowly close the top cover.

Fig. 30 Complete label installation in cutter mode

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5. Maintenance

5.1 Cleaning

Use one or more of the following supplies that meet your needs:

Cleaning pens

Cleaning swabs

Lint-free cloth.

The cleaning process is described as follows

Printer Part

Printer Head

Platen Roller

Exterior

Interior

Method

Let the print head cool for one minute.

Use a cleaning pen to swab the print elements.

Rotate the platen roller and wipe it thoroughly with 70% alcohol and a cleaning swab, or a lint-free cloth.

Wipe it with a water-dampened cloth.

Brush or air blow.

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6. Troubleshooting

This section lists the common problems according to the LED status and other problems that you may encounter when operating the printer. Also, it provides solutions.

6.1 LED Status

LED Status / Colour

Printer Status Solution Number

Off Off 1

Solid Green

Flash Green

Flash Red

On

Paused

Stopped

2

3

4

1. No power.

Turn the power switch on.

Check if the green LED is lit on the power supply. If it is not lit, the power

supply is defective.

Check both power connections from the power cord to the power supply and

from the power supply to the printer power jack.

2. The printer is on and ready to use.

No action necessary.

3. The printer is paused.

Press the feed button to resume printing.

4. The out of labels or ribbons or printer setting is not correct

Out of labels or ribbons

Load a roll of labels and follow the instructions in Loading the Paper and then press the feed button to resume printing.

Load a roll of ribbons and follow the instructions in Loading the

Ribbon and then press the feed button to resume printing.

Printer setting is not correct

Initialise the printer by following the instructions in “Power on Utility”.

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6.2 Print Quality

Continuous feeding labels

The printer setting may be wrong. Please do the Initialisation and

No print on the label

Is the label or ribbon loaded correctly? Follow the instructions in

Has the ribbon run out? Follow the instructions in Loading the

Ribbon.

Poor print quality

The top cover is not closed properly. Close the top cover completely.

Clean the thermal print head.

Adjust the print density setting.

The ribbon and paper media are not compatible.

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7. Specifications

7.1 Printer Specifications

Item K4452 K4453

Hardware

Sensor

Memory

Interface

Power

Mechanism

Resolution 203 dpi.

Max. Print Width

Max. Print Length

Ribbon Capacity

108 mm.

1000 mm ( 39” ).

300 metres with 1” core.

Printing Speed

Peeler function

Printing Method

Enclosure

Structure

Dimension

Operation Panel

2, 3, 4 and 5 ips.

2, 3 ips

300 dpi

106 mm

460 mm (16”)

(Max. OD 67 mm)

2, 3 ips

2 ips

Direct thermal and thermal transfer printing.

Double-walled plastic.

Standard Model: 314mm(L) x 213mm(W) x 188mm(H)

One push switch, and one indicator LED (Green,

Firmware

Font Type

Rotation

Barcode Format

Orange, Red colours).

Transmissive sensor (offset 6 mm from liner edge).

Reflective sensor (position adjustable).

Head open sensor.

Ribbon end sensor

1M byte Flash memory

2M bytes DRAM

RS-232C (max baud rate, 19,200 bps).

USB: V1.1.

Centronics.

AC input: 100-240V universal auto switching power supply.

DC output: 24V 3.75A.

8 alpha-numeric bitmap fonts, and 1 true type font.

0, 90,180 and 270 degrees.

Code 39, Code 93, Code 128UCC, Code128 subsets

A.B.C, Codabar, Interleave 2 of 5, EAN-8, EAN-13,

EAN-128, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN and UPC2(5) digits

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Command Set

Environment

Operation add-on, MSI, PLESSEY, POSTNET, CPOST,

PDF-417, Maxicode, and DataMatrix.

TSPL2

Temperature: 5 ℃ ~ 40 ℃.

Relative Humidity: 25% ~ 85% (Non Condensing).

Storage

Temperature: -40 ℃ ~ 60 ℃.

Relative Humidity: 10% ~ 90% (Non Condensing).

7.2 Label Stock Specifications

Type

Item Specification

Label (Continuous , Die-cut , Fan-fold).

Wound Type

Width

Length

Thickness

Roll Diameter

Roll Core Diameter

Gap Height

Black Mark Height

Outside wound.

50.8mm ~ 112mm (2.0” ~ 4.4”).

10mm ~ 1000mm (0.4” ~ 39”).

25.4mm ~ 1000mm (1” ~ 39”).(for peeler and cutter)

0.06mm ~ 0.19mm.

5”.

25.4mm ~ 76.2mm (1” ~ 3”).

2mm min.

2mm min.

Black Mark Width

Type

8mm min.

7.3 Ribbon Specifications

Item Specification

Wax, Wax / Resin, Resin.

Core Diameter

Width

Capacity

Wound Type

Ribbon End

1".

Max 110mm.

300m with 1" core.

Outside wound.

Clear or silver end tape.

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8. LED and Button Operation

8.1 LED

LED Colour

Green

Orange

Red

Description

This illuminates when the power is on and the device is ready to use.

This illuminates when the system is detecting the paper and ribbon status.

This illuminates if there is a printing error, such as paper empty, ribbon empty, or cover opened etc.

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8.2 Button Operation

Feed

Pause

Ribbon Sensor

Calibration

Gap/Black Mark Sensor

Calibration, Label

Length Measurement,

Self Test and enter

Dump Mode

Printer Initialisation

y Press the button when the LED is green.

It feeds the label to the beginning of the next label. y Press the feed button during printing

The printing job is suspended. y Turn off the power switch y Hold down the button, then turn on the power switch.

y Release the button when the LED becomes red and starts to blink. (Any red will do during the 5 blinks).

It will calibrate the ribbon sensor sensitivity. y Turn off the power switch. y Hold down the button, then turn on the power switch.

y Release the button when the LED becomes orange and starts to blink). (Any orange will do during the 5

blinks).

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following sequence.

Orange red (5 blinks)

orange (5 blinks)

green (5 blinks) green.

It calibrates the sensor and measures the label

length and prints internal settings then enters

into dump mode. y Turn off the power switch. y Hold down the button, then turn on the power switch.

y Release the button when the LED turns green after 5 orange blinks. (Any green will do during the 5 blinks)

The LED colour will be changed in accordance with the following sequence:

orange orange (5 blinks)

green (5 blinks)

green. y Always do the gap/black mark sensor calibration after the printer initialisation.

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For sales within the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, the Middle East and Africa please contact:

Kroy Europe Limited

Unit B7, Worton Drive,

Worton Grange,

Reading, Berkshire RG2 0LZ

England

Tel: +44 (0) 118 986 5200

Fax: +44 (0) 118 986 5205

Website: www.kroyeurope.com

Emails: Product information : [email protected]

support [email protected]

For information and sales in North & South America, Australia and the Asia-Pacific regions please contact:

Kroy LLC,

3830 Kelley Avenue,

Cleveland

Ohio 44114

USA

Tel: +1 (216) 426-5600

Fax: +1 (216) 426-5601

Website: www.kroy.com

Printed in the United Kingdom

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