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 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.

OPC Long-life Replacement Drums: As you may have already read in the NX tech-tips, we are in the midst of a real tug-of-war here at The Laser Group on the use of long-life drums for several of the cartridges, including (especially) the EX. We have produced over 200 EX cartridges using a virgin turquoise blue OEM drum (treated with Laser Group Drum Treatment) with fantastic results. While many of these EX cartridges have been used in-house, over 90% have gone to paying customers (without telling them that they were part of an experiment, we called all of them just to "check in"). None of them reported significant differences in their perception of the print quality, copy count or overall performance of the cartridge (and the drums all went full-cycle).

Here is the dilemma: To produce the highest quality output from a remanufactured cartridge, we have advocated replacing the OEM drums with long-life drums since the advent of long-life drums. The long-life drums for the EX cost $20 - $30. Recently, our experience has been that even the drums we were hottest on (and still use when we need a replacement drum), generally last two or three times (three to five uses when preserved with LGDT). Most EX OPC drum manufacturers recommend replacing their drum EVERY OTHER TIME! That really adds up.

When using LGDT and the OEM drum from a virgin empty (available complete for approximately $25 or less) you can easily get 2 - 4 uses out of the virgin OPC! But, keep in mind, not only are you reducing the cost of the OPC (meaning greater profit for you), you are also picking up a spare PCR and mag roller sleeve (all three included in the cost of the empty!). (Keep your eyes peeled for remanufacturers selling off their virgin EX drums, they are a good investment.)

The bottom line? For us and for our customers, we will be migrating over to the LGDT treated virgin OEM turquoise blue drums entirely within the next two months. Only when the supply of virgin EX cartridges/drums is exhausted will we buy new, long-life OPC drums. So far, using the LGDT and the OEM virgin drum the results have been at least on par with the performance of the $20 - $30 long-life drums, so we are completely satisfied this is a wise idea. We recommend you consider doing the same thing (and make substantially more profit at the same time!)

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 OEM drum to the extent that it can be used for two or three uses (we have actually seen the OEM go five 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 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).

OPC Drum Pin: While we are on the topic of the OPC, we need to talk about the "EX Drum Pin". This $1.00, or so, part is worth it's weight in gold. The EX cartridge only has one drum axle (the metal axle with the two, small, phillips head screws). On the other, non-metal drum axle end of the drum, a small plastic protrusion seats in a hole on the side of the waste hopper. This hole in the waste hopper has a tendency to wear allow the drum to bear-down with more pressure on that end causing excessive wear and premature drum failure. This pin is inserted in the hole on the outside of the waste hopper and pushed in until it is flush with the side of the cartridge. This pin, in effect, is the second metal axle for the drum and well worth the price.

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 the mag roller sleeve, their answer invariably is, "No." As we found out over three years ago, the mag roller sleeve has a significant impact on the print quality and its performance diminishes over time. If you do not 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.

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.

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.

Since no vendor has come up with any self-adhesive seals which do not require splitting the toner hopper, we recommend you continue to use the hard plastic seal dams for the time-being. As for OEM-style seals, we now use (and sell) the split-hopper OEM-style seals and feel they work perfectly with one drawback: In order to use these seals, on the first recharge you must split the toner hoppers in half, clean off the exposed surface, install foam gaskets, install the seals and then clip the top and bottom halves of the toner hopper together again. Subsequent installations of the seal are extremely fast because you have done all the work up front. While this is an interesting alternative to the hard plastic seal dams, we recommend you consider this alternative only if you ship the cartridge and then we feel it is a must. Splitting the hopper is extremely easy. All the way over to either edge of the opening where you would normally insert the hard plastic seal, insert a long, thin, flat-blade scewdriver and gently, but firmly, pry up on the top half of the hopper until you hear a cracking sound (that's okay, it's the whole purpose of this endeavor). Work your way back toward the opposite end of the hopper, a little at a time, alternating from the left to the right hand side, and back again.

Once the two halves are separated, clean up any debris or rough spots left on the top or bottom of the hopper. Make certain the surfaces are completely free of toner and then lay the self-adhesive OEM-style split-hopper seal in place. After the seal is firmly pressed down into place, clip the two halves of the cartridge back together with a minimum of six clips per side (evenly spaced).

PCR: In this cartridge (and most of the PCR based cartridges) it is an absolute necessity to have the PCR recoated or replace it with a new PCR (we prefer the coated PCRs, not only because they are less expensive, but because we find the work as well, if not better than the more expensive new PCRs). After the coating has been stripped off of the OEM PCR and replaced, you can reuse the coated PCR up to five times.

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.

- End -

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.

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