Drum/Toner: As we will mention throughout all of these updated tech-tips, for the first time in our nine-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 an OEM-"Virgin" 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 density and cartridge life.

Long-life OPC Replacements: The long-life replacement OPC for the PC01 cartridge costs more than just about any other drum on the market. Generally, PC01 copiers are not used for "exotic" purposes or in high-volume environments. With those two thoughts in mind, we generally do not use long-life replacement drums in the PC01. Instead, we opt for a "virgin" OEM drum at a significantly lower price. The print-quality is still quite good and the cost savings is dramatic. When using a "virgin" OEM drum coupled with our Laser Group Drum Treatment, the case against using a long-life replacement drum is even more compelling.

Unfortunately, we have found that many PC01 virgin drums have deteriorated to the point where they cannot be used and then the only option is to spring for another empty or for a new, long-life drum. This deterioration is indicated by a grayish haze appearing on the margins of the page or a pervasive gray shadow appearing over the entire page.

Drum Coatings: Now for the most exciting 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 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 PC01 OEM drum to the extent that it can be used for three or four uses (we have actually seen the OEM go up to six uses in house, but would not recommend pushing it that far in your customer's cartridges).

While we have not finished testing on the Laser Group Drum Treatment (LGDT), it 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 25 - 50%. (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 type of drum you install (long-life or OEM), replace the wiper blade at the same time (it is cheap insurance).

MAG ROLLER SLEEVES: The silver mag roller sleeves found inside PC01 cartridges don't seem to suffer from the rapid decline in performance associated with the "black" mag roller sleeves found in the newer cartridges. With that in mind, we recommend only cleaning the silver mag roller sleeve thoroughly with Cooper's HL Platen Cleaner and not replacing the sleeve. (A coated or new mag roller sleeve will improve the graphics output of the PC01 cartridge, but most customers are only producing copies of newspaper articles or copies of invoices, so the time and expense necessary to replace the mag roller sleeve would not be warranted).

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 far more professional). Beyond aesthetics alone, for UPS shipping we use and recommend the OEM-style seal.

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 eight 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.

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