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.

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.

How to Refill the Brother TN-350 toner cartridge?

When printouts manifest dusting and poor quality prints, the toner supply of the TN-350's toner chamber is most likely nearing exhaustion while residual toner particles are literally ‘dead’ and no longer capable of accepting even the maximum electrical charge. In that case, it is now time to reload fresh toner powder into the toner chamber with the use of Brother TN-350 toner refill kit.

Here's how the Brother TN-350 toner cartridge is replenished of its toner supply:

Getting Started
First and foremost, ascertain that your empty TN-350 toner cartridge is still in good working condition, as conducting refills on a defective cartridge defeats the purpose of reloading it. Select a work area with sufficient space that is thoroughly lighted and free from sudden wind movement as well. Likewise perform the refill on a sturdy workbench and provide a trashcan beside it.

Opening the Toner Chamber
Now put the empty TN-350 toner cartridge on the workbench and uncover the duct tape seal of the fill plug. Pry open the fill plug with the use of a small flathead screwdriver and possibly with a needle-nosed pliers. Most new generation toner cartridges (except Canon and HP) are designed with fill holes to thus streamline the refill process.

Cleaning the Toner Chamber
Dump toner residues from the toner hopper. The fill hole should be positioned over the trashcan for easy disposal of waste toner. After that, clean the insides of the toner chamber properly and apply suction with the use of a toner vacuum as much as possible.

Unlike other OEM toner cartridges, a toner waste chamber does not form part of the design of Brother toner cartridges. Instead of collecting waste toner on a separate compartment, used toner is repelled from the drum and transferred back to the toner chamber by the developer roller in the process of printing to blend unused toner with waste toner. This set up can cause backgrounding in printouts when residual toner particles could no longer hold even the maximum charge. That is the reason why the toner chamber should be cleared of residual toner prior to replenishment.

Transferring Fresh Toner from Bottle to Toner Chamber
Pull out the bottle of replacement toner from the kit (Follow this link to preview the contents of a toner refill kit) and shake it a little to loosen toner particles. Now Open the seal and screw on the funnel cap. Directly aim the toner bottle over the fill hole and let toner flow freely. Remember not to squeeze the toner bottle as slight pressure can easily send toner dust airborne. When all of the supplied toner powder already fills the chamber; replace the fill plug and use lint free cloth to clear the outer surface of toner residues.


Resetting the Cartridge
Remove 3 screws holding the end cap as illustrated below to reset the cartridge and get rid of the "Low Toner" message.




Once discarded, adjust the reset gear flag to its starting position. Reinstall the gear cover plate and the 3 screws. Now hold the cartridge and shake it gently to distribute toner to the magnetic roller (developer). The refill process is now complete.


The refill process using Brother toner refill kits is really simple and easy to accomplish at that. All it takes is common sense and patience to restore the cartridge back to working mode.