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General
- A ballpoint pen
(also eponymously known in British English as a biro and pronounced
bye-row in Britain but sometimes bee-row elsewhere), is a
modern writing instrument.
- Ballpoint pens are
ubiquitous in modern culture. While other forms of pen are available,
ballpoint pens are certainly the most common and almost every household
is likely to have several. The fact that they are so cheaply available
(costing from just a few cents/pence to produce) and so convenient to
use means they are often to be found on desks and also in pockets,
handbags, purses, bags and in cars — almost anywhere where one could
conceivably need to use a pen
Technology
-
Ballpoint pen technology has improved
greatly since the time of Loud's first
patented invention. Future research will
focus on developing new inks and better
designed pens that are more comfortable and
longer lasting. Additionally, manufacturers
will strive to produce higher quality
products at the lowest possible cost. One
trend that will continue will be the
development of materials and processes which
use metals and plastics that have undergone
a minimum of processing from their normal
state. This should minimize waste, increase
production speed, and reduce the final cost
of the pens.
Manufacturing
Process
- A variety of
raw materials are used for making the components of a ballpoint pen,
including metals, plastics, and other chemicals. When ballpoint pens
were first developed, an ordinary steel ball was used. That ball has
since been replaced by a textured tungsten carbide ball. This
material is superior because it is particularly resistant to
deforming.
- While
different designs of ballpoint pens are available, many of the
components are the same. Common components include a ball, a point,
ink, an ink reservoir or cartridge, and an outer housing. Some pens
are topped with a cap to prevent it from leaking or having its point
damaged. Other pens use a retractable point system for the same
reason. Here a small spring is attached to the outside of the ink
reservoir, and when a button is pushed, the point is either exposed
or retracted
Market
- Imports of
writing instruments have increased year by year, and total imports
including parts rose by 9.3% to ¥17.12 billion in 2004. The key
imported products are ball point pens (¥6.63 billion) and marking
pens (¥2.93 billion) and they made up 55.8% of total import value.
- Sales of
writing instruments have remained strong, despite the advancements
and growth of popularity of the PC, Internet, PDAs and other such
technology.
- Pens make up
50% of the market, with sales figures at $2.2 billion. With 25% of
the market, markers and highlighters reached $940 million and $200
million, respectively. The rest of the market is made up of pencils
(20% at $900 million), refills (4% at $200 million), and pen and
pencil sets (1% at $50 million
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Quality Standards, Market, Manufacturing Process,
Suppliers, Company Profiles, Reports, Equipment
