Thermal ticket validator: Low-maintenance and future-oriented - Photon

Everybody knows the “good old“ ticket stampers: Sometimes you can hardly read the stamp, malfunctions are common and maintenance is costly because daisy wheels and colour ribbons need to be cleaned and replaced again and again.

Since Photon started producing the thermal ticket validator together with patent owner Technical Service W & P in 2017, numerous railway companies throughout Europe have been equipped.

Thermal printing does not work with mechanical pressure, but with heat generation. Also, there is no colour carrier – the image is created by a heat-sensitive coating on the paper. As a result, maintenance and material costs are low. In addition, this solution is characterized by high printing speeds and sharp images. That is why thermal printing is perfectly suited for the printing of tickets.
Photon has technologically optimised and standardised the thermal ticket validator based on previous models, resulting in an extremely low installation and assembly effort. The layout design of the thermal dispenser can be adjusted individually, according to customer specifications.

The thermal validator is entirely manufactured by Photon. Production includes laser cutting, bending and welding of the sheet metal housing, powder coating and final assembly of the electronic functional assemblies, including the logo or pictogram. Protection type testing according to DIN 40050 (IP43 for necessary openings such as card insertion) is also done by Photon.

The thermal validator can be used either as a mobile device or as a stationary system. For stationary operation in railway stations, a support base, also developed and manufactured by Photon, is available.

An extension of the thermal ticket validator as a digital cash processing and passenger handling system with 3D barcode reader, Bluetooth interface, WLAN, NFC and IP is in preparation.