Drum/Toner: As we will mention in all of these updated tech-tips, for the first time in our nin-year history, we are now using our own private sources of supplies in the remanufacturing of toner cartridges. The reasons for this principally revolve around quality and consistency. We have now switched over to Laser Group toner and drum for the best combination of print density and cartridge life. While we have tested combinations which produced either darker prints or longer cartridge life, we have not found a combination of toner and drum which produces a better combination of print density and cartridge life.

This new Laser Group toner and drum combination results in good dark prints (at least the equal of the original OEM cartridge), the same resolution (the documents look the same as the OEM) and with the same or better yields than the OEM.

Drum Coatings: Now for the most unusual news we have ever reported on a toner cartridge in our nine years of experience: We have been successfully using a drum coating in-house which has significantly improved the life of the OPC drum, while not adversely affecting the print-quality or cartridge life. This coating is easily applied using nothing more exotic than cotton balls prior to each use and can preserve the OEM drum to the extent that it can be used for two or three uses (we have actually seen the OEM go 12 - 15 uses in house, but would not recommend pushing it that far in your customer's cartridges). (NOTE: The CX is the only cartridge which requires a special type of Laser Group Drum Treatment - the CX ONLY version. All other cartridges can successfully share the same LGDT001).

The Laser Group Drum Treatment (LGDT) has shown us that when used from day one on a long-life replacement drum, it can also significantly prolong its life, as well. The exact number of uses the LGDT treated long-life drum will go before wearing out increase by at least 50% - 100%. (Again, in the lab we have seen amazing increases in the longevity of long-life drums when using the LGDT.)

The only caveat we have at this point with regard to the Laser Group Drum Treatment is: DO NOT BE CHEAP! If you find you get one or two solid additional uses out of the OEM OPC or two to three additional uses out of a new, long-life OPC, be grateful. But, do not go overboard in your efforts to reduce the cost of the replacement drums. The only time you want your customer to come back is when the cartridge is empty and when they have a smile on their face from a good experience (NEVER SOONER). If your personal experience shows that a long-life drum can be used another two or three times, lean toward the more conservative second additional use rather than going for three additional uses. Keep in mind that even a single additional use of either the OEM or a long-life drum will significantly improve your profit margins.

WIPER BLADE: We still recommend when replacing the OPC drum, no matter what long-life drum you install, replace the wiper blade at the same time (it is a cheap form of insurance).

MAG ROLLER SLEEVES: Almost a day doesn't go by when we hear from yet another trainee who complains that, "We have done everything you recommended to the cartridge, replaced the drum, put in good, strong, graphics toner and the print is still light." When we ask them if they have replaced or treated the mag roller sleeve, their answer invariably is, "No." As we found out over four years ago, the mag roller sleeve has a significant impact on the print quality. Plus the uncoated mag roller sleeve's performance diminishes over time. If you do not treat the OEM mag roller with the Laser Group Mag Roller Treatment (LGMRT001) or replace the mag roller sleeve with either a re-coated sleeve or a new replacement sleeve, your cartridge will get lighter and lighter over time, no matter what else you do to the cartridge. Text will almost always look fine, but graphics (especially large, dark areas) will show a pronounced lightening effect with treatment or replacement.

We still prefer the coated mag roller OEM sleeves (instead of the replacement sleeves), but either is a necessity. This single element will mean the difference between a good/mediocre cartridge and a great one.

MAG ROLLER TREATMENT: We now have come up with a do-it-yourself mag roller treatment which is just as easy to apply as the Laser Group Drum Treatment and just as effective. It is a very inexpensive alternative to replacing the mag roller sleeve and produces equally good results. A single bottle will treat 200 - 250 mag roller sleeves.

SEALS: If you are doing local pickup and delivery, you can continue to use the hard plastic seal dam (although the OEM-style seals look more professional). Beyond aesthetics alone, for UPS shipping we use and recommend the OEM-style seal.

In the last installment of the SX tech-tips we were testing the splitting of the SX hopper to install the new seals from Oliver Products. Although we found the seals to be wonderful, the splitting of the hopper and the clipping the two segments together, took a good deal of time, significantly affecting the value of this new seal type. A splitting and sealing device of some sort, would help, but the bottom line is the performance of the seal. For our money, the OEM-style, self-adhesive seals work extremely well and are the best value for the money.

Drum Padding Powder: One of the interesting adjuncts to using the Laser Group Drum Treatment is the fact that the drum becomes so smooth, you no longer need to use drum padding powder. This fact, in and of itself, told us that we were truly on to something, since in the nine years we have been producing cartridges we have never been able to get away from the fact the the silicone wiper blade seems to invariably stick to the OPC drum if no padding powder is used. Using the LGDT, the drum becomes so smooth and friction-free, the wiper blade no longer binds against the outer surface of the OPC. Because the OPC is so smooth, it takes the cartridge from 1 - 5 test prints before the wiper blade seats firmly against the OPC. Bottom line? If you are using the Laser Group Drum Treatment (and we wholeheartedly recommend you do), skip the padding powder.

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PLEASE NOTE: We are always ready, willing and able to provide technical support to any of our trainees on any of the cartridges we have taught them to remanufacture. In order to make your interaction with tech support as productive and beneficial as possible, we make two assumptions: We assume that you have followed our procedures to the letter and used the supplies we recommended during the remanufacturing process. If a cartridge is remanufactured in a manner other than what we prescribe or with supplies other than the ones we recommend, the extent of our technical support can only be "generic" in nature, since we will have no firsthand experience with either the methods or supplies in question. In addition, we assume that you have already done your "swaps" (as outlined in the troubleshooting section for each cartridge) and that you will be able to answer questions based on the results of those swaps before you call and ask for help. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.