Compatible Laser Toner Cartridge - Built like the OEM Cartridge or not?

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In terms of size and shape, you won’t see any marked difference between the OEM toner cartridge and the compatible laser toner cartridge because both units are intended to fit into the cartridge compartment of a particular printer. Thus, allowing it to snap perfectly for easy loading and retrieval. However, there could be differences with regards to toner powder supplied.

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How toner cartridge components operate to produce a laser print on paper?

The process by which laser printers affix the printed image on media (paper) can be a bit fuzzy; though it’s clear that the machine relies on static electricity to run the entire printing cycle. Unlike inkjet printers that literally spray ink through micron size nozzles, laser printers use the negatively charged OPC drum to attract the positively charged toner particles into the image set over the drum surface by the laser scanning assembly. Simply put, charged toner particles freely jump into the rotating photoreceptor drum.

The host computer and printer work in tandem to generate and process the image on the printed document. Data is supplied by the host computer and received by the printer control board which deals with all the incoming signals and places the deciphered information on the page as directed. Since the information has been converted into a serial bit stream it is forwarded to the laser scanning assembly that emits it as multiple dots on the photoreceptor drum.

The photosensitive drum revolves as the laser scanning assembly transfers the stream of information across the surface of the drum. The process is referred to as registration. But before the action of the laser assembly commences, the drum is first exposed to a set of erase lamps that will clear the component from residual traces of the previous image. As the drum is now left with a neutral electrical charge and as high voltage is applied to the corona wire it creates a charged negative field. This conditions the drum to accept a uniform negative charge (-1000V) applied across it. As the images is being made by the laser scanning assembly, the toner cartridge works to apply toner on the negatively charged dots.

The toner cartridge is outfitted with a developer roller that turns simultaneously with the photosensitive drum, and expels a measured amount of toner through a restricting blade. A regulated AC voltage is applied to assist toner particles as it leaves the cartridge and literally jumps into the negatively charged dots on the drum’s surface. But toner cartridges like the Brother TN-350 are programmed to gather toner excesses from the drum and recycle it back to the cartridge. Prior to reuse, the recycled toner is first subjected to an additional positive charge before it enters the toner chamber. Once the image formed on the drum has been transferred to paper, the whole ensemble (paper and toner) moves to the fuser assembly that binds toner to paper permanently.

Toner refill kits when used in the laser printing process must be of similar formulation to the OEM toner; not only in terms of substances and grain size but also in the aspect of melting point to meet the equipment specification. Thus laser printer manufacturers insist that toner must be of high quality and similar to the original toner to avoid inconsistencies in the printouts.

Dissecting the Cost and Material Components of the HP CP1215 Toner Cartridge

Toner cartridges, particularly for color laser printers such as the HP CP1215, are expensive. Thus, many users nowadays resort to toner refilling once these cartridges run out of toner supply. Refilling is the most sensible option, considering the cost ratio of toner to the entire cartridge unit which happens to be only 10% or even less than that. Toner supplied with a compatible HP CP1215 toner refill kit is retailed at $33.95 (package includes the reset chip) compared to the OEM cartridge which comes with a price tag of $80. So in a nutshell, the bulk of the amount paid by the user for a new OEM cartridge goes to the material and production cost of the polymer casing that is about $70 in the case of the HP CP1215 OEM cartridge. The user actually saves a lot of money if a cartridge can be refilled several more times over the recommended 3 to 4 refills.

What imaging components are found inside the HP CP1215 toner cartridge? The color cartridge comprises of the toner hopper and waste chamber duo, secured into place by end caps. Releasing the 2 vital components exposes the OPC drum, together with the wiper blade responsible for cleaning the drum's surface of residual toner after each print cycle. The recovery blade completes the work of the wiper blade by channeling excess toner into the waste toner chamber. The second component is the Primary Charge Roller (PCR) that supplies the OPC Drum with a uniform negative DC voltage - a PCR function controlled by the laser printer's intensity setting. Together with the doctor blade, PCR dictates the amount of charged toner that will adhere to the developer roller; aided in the process by the foam feed roller.

Any of the 3 rollers (OPC Drum, PCR and Developer Roller) would become the main cause of print defects if left to perform its routine functions indefinitely. Therefore, when pronounced print defects emanated from these vital components, the faulty component must be immediately replaced to sustain expected print quality. Nevertheless, attempt to analyze the cause of the print defect since print irregularities may also be triggered by a defective OPC Drum wiper blade or a dirty foam feed roller that are designed only as accessory to the main rollers, but can obviously cause backgrounding even then.

The OPC Drum has a rated capacity of over 30,000 printed pages at 5% coverage, so never suspect the integrity of the OPC, particularly when the capacity is not yet breached. Besides, an OPC drum has a microchip page counter that turns off the printer automatically once the rated capacity has been reached. In most instances, the PCR and developer roller are the first components to yield to the wear and tear of everyday laser printing, and following subsequent refills using HP toner refill kits. Therefore, the mentioned components need to be replaced as soon as possible to keep the toner cartridge in tip top condition.

So, when print defects persist and the OPC Drum is still in fine form, the user is left with no option but to replace the PCR and Developer Roller.

HP 2600 Toner Cartridges - How a defective developer roller can affect the integrity of printouts?

Light prints and/or banding in printouts can only develop from defective OEM toner cartridges. Said print irregularity is even more profound with the toner cartridges of the HP 2600 laser printer. As the print cycle slowly reaches the end of its term and toner supply is close to exhaustion, the developer roller likely wears out which makes the component less effective in the even distribution of toner powder on the surface of the OPC drum.

All toner cartridges similar in design to the Q6000A, Q60001A, Q60002A and Q60003A cartridges (loads the HP 1600, 2600, 2600N and 2605 printer series) are outfitted with developer rollers. Said component is manufactured with precise tolerances because any minor deformity (like a curved roller) affects toner distribution and consequently print quality of output.

The developer roller is coated with a special surface finish intended to withstand abrasive surface friction, as it moves in sync with the OPC Drum in the course of supplying toner. Remember that this action is not limited to 3 or 4 times, but is repeated several thousand times in the process of printing. Surface tolerance between the developer roller and OPC Drum must be maintained at all times to produce acceptable print quality.

The developer roller is a critical component since worn out surfaces cannot be detected upon troubleshooting and only manifest over printouts. Therefore, most cartridge remanufacturers put premium on the replacement of developer rollers, just to ascertain that print defects will not transpire after the cartridge is refilled with toner. Remember that a substantial amount of toner will not be able to reactivate a defective toner cartridge.

HP 2600 toner cartridges are not designed for the conduct of toner refills. Therefore, once the developer roller wears out, the cartridge has to be replaced with a brand new unit. However, if print quality is still acceptable at the time the unit runs out of toner supply, then this only indicates that the developer roller is still in fine form and the user can administer refills on the cartridge.

The print capacity of the Q6000A cartridge for instance is pegged at 2,500 pages at 5% coverage and conducting 3 refills on the unit increases its capacity to 10,000 pages. Conducting refills on a cartridge with a still functional developer roller is the most sensible option as an OEM replacement costs $75 while a compatible toner refill kit is sold online for only $30. Moreover, users gets the same print quality and yield expected from an OEM toner.

Printout Defects - How to determine if the toner cartridge needs to be replaced?

Too much hype has been accorded laser printers lately, with features involving state of the art technology that is intended to produce the best possible printout. But then again, all electronic based devices and applications packed into the laser printer are designed to ease the transfer of paper from one printer component to the next and likewise help users diagnose errors even without opening the unit. However when one assesses the laser printer, one fact remains unchanged - it (laser printer) is still a mechanical beast composed of rollers, starting from the paper pick-up tray to the OPC Drum till the paper exits as a printout.

Since paper comes in contact with all these rollers, pertinent print defects that materialize over the printout can help detect if one of the rollers is in fact worn out or defective. Rollers in a laser printer come in a variety of sizes to therefore leave a trail on the printout - in the form of print irregularities. And the defective roller can be detected by simply measuring the distance between print defects. A damaged OPC Drum for instance will produce print irregularities commensurate to the circumference of the drum. Therefore, the bigger the diameter of the roller, the greater the distance between defects can be expected.

A defective toner cartridge can be diagnosed when defects on printouts appear at regular intervals at particular distances of say 32mm, 37.7mm, and 76.3mm between defects. This would indicate that the roller inside the toner cartridge is already defective and requires immediate replacement. In this case, no amount of toner refills - even from quality toner refill kits, could resolve the print issue. This condition becomes highly likely following the third refill of an empty toner cartridge because by then, cartridge parts may have worn out as the cartridge unit reaches the end of its serviceable life.

An empty toner cartridge meanwhile will not produce repetitive print irregularities but instead generate faded printouts. When met with this scenario, the user should be elated over the fact that the cartridge is still in fine form and therefore requires only a new shot of toner; that is quality refill toner powder from a reliable toner refill kit – in order to print again.

A laser printer user need not be an expert to determine when the toner cartridge requires replacement. Studying the trail of defects that materialize over the printout would show the irreparable condition of the cartridge unit.

5 Recycling Tips for the Brother TN-350 Toner Cartridge

Are you intending to refill the toner supply of your Brother TN-350 toner cartridge? Why not use the Brother TN-350 toner refill kit to just that. The refill product comes supplied with high grade toner powder that is designed to deliver the same quality prints and yield as the OEM toner. Refilling the toner cartridge is so easy that you can actually complete replenishment in less than 5 minutes. As an added reference, find below a few tips relevant to the replenishment and Maintenance of the TN-350 toner cartridge.

Vacuum Dry the toner cartridge’s supply chamber. As much as 70 grams of toner routinely lingers in the supply chamber of the toner cartridge, even when the printer has already alerted you with the “Toner Out” prompt. Thus, before proceeding with the refill, make sure that the toner hopper or supply chamber is sucked free off toner residues. Failure to do so will cause backgrounding and may even damage the toner cartridge.

Clean the Developer Roller and Blade. Using the lint free cloth, wipe off bits of toner powder that may be sticking to the developer roller and blade. Again, this will keep the cartridge from backgrounding while extending its serviceable life.

Replace worn out components. If it’s the second or third time that the cartridge is being replenished of toner, better inspect the condition of pertinent parts. Replaceable components such as the drum, transfer roller, doctor blade and developer roller will wear out over time and will require replacement to ensure the cartridge’s sustained functioning.

Clean the printer before and after replacing the cartridge. Apart from tidying the laser printer’s casing as well as removing spilled toner powder, dust and paper fragments; it is also recommendable to perform automatic cleaning and test prints using the printer’s bundled software.

Do not recycle toner powder. Used toner will not only cause backgrounding but also contaminate the cleaning mechanism of the drum unit. Eventually, bad toner will contaminate the newly installed toner and shorten the cartridge’s useful life.

Do not use chemicals to clean cartridge components. Avoid using ammonia based cleaners to prevent causing permanent damage to the toner cartridge. Instead, use a dry, lint free cloth to clean cartridge internal components.

Do not touch the transfer roller and fusing area. Avoid hand contact with the transfer roller and fusing area. Doing so would leave skin oils on the surface which could trigger print quality problems and affect the fusing of toner powder to paper respectively.

Observe proper gear maintenance. The gear side of the toner cartridge also requires careful maintenance to guarantee the proper functioning of the unit. The gear shafts should be adequately greased and replaced with lithium grease if shaft is dried up. In case toner powder contaminates the grease, the shaft and gear should be wiped clean of toner to avoid backgrounding and cartridge damage.

Take note of the above mentioned tips and follow closely the instructional material supplied with the kit; and surely you’ll have that toner cartridge going again in a few minutes. But just in case you encounter troubles along the way while refilling the cartridge with the Brother toner refill kit, rest assured that you have available over-the-phone customer assistance for your inquiries and other concerns.