Radiant Fusing: The Latest Upgrade to Laser Printing Technology

 Photo by lockstockb

The conventional fuser assembly of the laser printer utilizes both the heat and pressure rollers to complete the bonding of image to paper or media. Contact with rollers increases the likelihood of image distortion in media; particularly if uneven lateral tension is applied. More often, image distortion is caused by dirty or worn out rollers that are evident with ageing printers.

In worst cases, uneven media tension (lateral) is also the precursor to the dreaded paper jams. However, paper jams seem to have lost its stream following the entry of single pass print engines. But just as the printing Industry is about to rest on its laurels, technology called Radiant Fusing comes out and requires thorough assessment if it can indeed help printing substantially.

Radiant Fusing Technology as introduced by OCE’ USA promises to further improve the fusing activity of the laser printer. Conventional laser printer fusing devices entail media to pass through rollers in order to receive a tantamount of heat and pressure necessary for proper bonding. Radiant fusing is entirely different since this technology programs media to pass through a grid of wires – just like the bread toaster – and lets radiant heat properly fuse toner and bond its particles to paper fibers. The absence of rollers completely prevents instances of image distortion. 

Radiant fusing utilizes radiant energy, the natural source being the sun. Nikola Tesla pioneered the use of the sun’s radiant energy through various inventions and medical devices.  In laser printing, the use of radiant energy promises to be a jolt in the arm as it improves. Among the top features of laser printers running on radiant energy include the following:

Fast Print Turnout. The grid of wires can actually jumpstart heating, so heat delivered is instantaneous and needs no waiting time.

Sharper Printouts. Resolution loss, dot size deprivation and line vagueness in printouts are prevented as the fusing setup allows radiant heat coming from the grid of wires to melt toner accurately on the media.
Reduced Energy Consumption. The grid of wires heat instantly to reduce, if not eliminate the waiting time in the release of the initial printout; particularly during standby or sleep modes.
Fan-less Operation. Radiant fusing heats and cools off instantly so that the laser printer no longer require noisy fans to sustain reasonable temperature inside the printer.

Low Maintenance. Since radiant fusing operates at lower heating temperature, said technology reinforces component durability and consequently reduces maintenance and replacement costs; thus, resulting to the extended life of the laser printer.

Radiant fusing technology was initially used in wide format printing for the generation of Architectural applications and specifications, Engineering drawings, Construction instruction manuals and other related documents that require extensive accuracy and fast turnout speed. As radiant fusing enters the realm of desktop laser printing, it is definitely bound to make a few ripples. Printing Technology never sleeps and we should not be caught napping!

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