Why are Dell toner cartridges expensive?

Why are new generation color toner cartridges very expensive? This observation covers all color toner cartridges and not only those that loads the DELL 5100cn color laser printer. Well, technically the main reason would point out to the design of the print engine. The color laser printer uses four CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta, black) cartridges to print color images and graphics. In the previous print engine design, all 4 toner cartridges were placed in carriages that turn around a central OPC Drum. All cartridges synchronically supply required amounts of toner over the latent image created on the OPC Drum by a single laser scanning assembly. Therefore, cartridges back then were designed for the sole function of storing toner and that is why cartridges were built smaller, much more simpler and cheaper.

Recent print engine design for color laser units is different in a sense that all toner cartridges are fixed and stationary, and arrayed either vertically or horizontally. Moreover, the cartridge alignment makes it impossible for cartridges to supply toner to a single OPC Drum. Designers added 4 OPC Drums and 4 Laser Scanning Assemblies - one for each cartridge. And what better way to make the process work but to attach the toner cartridge assembly to the OPC Drum component. This results to better printouts delivered at a much faster turnout. In line with the new print engine design, the OPC drum is now housed together with the toner cartridge. So when the cartridge runs out of toner, the user technically replaces not only the cartridge but also the OPC Drum.

Solo cartridges produced in the past were already very expensive. Well, the new toner and OPC Drum cartridge combo is even more pricey. But one simple fact remains. The lifecycle of the OPC Drum is at least 3 times or more than that of the toner cartridge. The Dell 310-54808 toner cartridge (yellow) is rated 8,000 pages at 5% coverage and the OPC Drum has a life expectancy of over 30,000 pages; also at 5% coverage. Every time a user discards an empty cartridge combo, the OPC Drum is also disposed even when the component has not even reached 20% of its full potential. And considering that the toner cartridge alone can last over 3 lifecycles, imagine how much money is wasted because the Dell OEM toner cartridge combo costs $210.

However, users can prevent the ‘printing blues’ by administering toner refills on the empty toner cartridge combo. Bear in mind that a compatible DELL 5100 toner refill kit sells for only $28.95 and since it is manufactured along similar lines with the OEM toner, it is guaranteed to perform at par with the genuine cartridge. Moreover, the user can institute refills on an empty cartridge several times over the industry recommended refill frequency. This way, substantial savings could really be generated.

So, why do OEM color toner cartridges cost so much? To reiterate, the consumable has evolved to a toner cartridge and OPC Drum duo.

EA-HG Toner Technology: Now Applied to Aftermarket Toner!

Laser printing has improved several times better over the last decade with the development of the Chemical Toner some 7 years ago. This toner technology was the brainchild of Xerox Corporation, having invented the toner technology that all other printer manufacturers adopted for their own line of toner cartridges. The Chemical Toner developed by Xerox is marketed as the EA-HG (Emulsion Aggregate – High Gloss), aptly described because toner was devised to literally grow in a water-based chemical emulsion. Thus the size and shape of the chemically grown toner is environmentally controlled; resulting in toner sizes 3 microns to 10 microns in diameter, and in shapes that are consistently spherical or oval.

The spherical shape of Chemical Toner is ideal for laser printing because toner can conveniently roll over the latent images created on the OPC Drum surface. This toner type is entirely different from jet-milled toner of the previous years that sported irregularly shaped edges, resulting in toner waste as the jagged edges prevent the easy movement of toner particles. For a while, printer manufacturers enjoyed the advantage over the aftermarket toner consumable. But not for long because around 22 months ago this toner technology has likewise been replicated in the production laboratories of third party manufacturers. This only goes to show that both OEM and aftermarket toner today stand on an even keel with no one asserting supremacy over the other.

With the coming of age of aftermarket consumables - particularly toner refill kits; consumers are fully assured that printouts (laser prints) herewith will no longer show any form of disparity to the OEM toner. The bone of contention being print quality and yield in printed pages are addressed feasibly. A good example of a toner refill kit that employs this novel toner technology is the Dell 5100 toner refill kit that is intended to refill the 310-5810 toner cartridge. Retailed to users at $28.95, the consumable is rated 8,000 pages at 5% coverage. Compare this to the OEM toner cartridge that is sold at Dell outlets for $210 or over 85% more than its aftermarket counterpart. With both toner products exhibiting similar printing potentials (print quality and yield); toner refill kits are obviously the better option.

Never hesitate to use toner refill kits to support your laser printing requirements for after all both OEM and compatible toner use the same toner technology.

Laser Printer Fuser and Thermistor Sensor: How the condition of these components affects print quality?

What is a fuser thermistor sensor? Laser printers use the combination of heat and pressure to stick toner particles into paper permanently. And as such the fuser assembly of the laser printer is a vital component devised to melt toner particle and allow it to adhere to paper fibers; resulting in a permanent bond. The fuser therefore must maintain heat temperature that range from between 180 to as much as 210 degrees Fahrenheit. The formulation of toner particles should likewise meet the required melting properties and temperature range to be an effective vehicle for laser printing. If fuser temperature could not be maintained or if the toner formulation does not meet fuser specification, then it will manifest as half-baked toner peeling off over printouts.

In the case of Lexmark laser printers, the fuser's heating element is a Halogen Lamp designed to heat up and reach the desired temperature range. Because a Halogen Lamp can heat-up very rapidly in short stretches, it can however scourge paper (affects the hygroscopic properties) during printing if left unchecked and uncontrolled or cause the early burn-out of the Halogen lamp. The work of the Thermistor sensor therefore is to maintain the prescribed temperature ranges required for laser printing, particularly when the printer is used over long periods of time.

Lexmark laser printers for commercial use comes with a fuser assembly that is designed as a modular unit which can be replaced as a complete sub-assembly. Said component has a hot upper roller made of aluminum and is coated with Teflon (coating of most frying pans). The Halogen lamp heater is built into the core and comes either in metallic gray or green. The lower pressure roller counterpart is made of silicon based rubber and usually marketed as orange colored. The Thermistor is likewise mounted on the hot fuser roller to precisely monitor the fuser temperature. Heat could damage the silicon rubber pressure rollers which eventually become soft. The Teflon coating of the hot rollers could wear-off and the Halogen lamp may burnout. A dirty Thermister coated with baked-on toner could also cause the fuser assembly to overheat.

However, aside from a well-oiled printer, the final gauge of a laser printer’s capability is still the quality of its printouts which could only be delivered by a specified toner formulation. Quality toner can only come from an OEM toner cartridge or a toner refill kit compatible to the Lexmark printer. In the case of Lexmark compatibles, LTS' refill package come 80% cheaper. The toner refill kit for the LEXMARK C500 printer is only $25.95 against the OEM at $140. Both toner products deliver similar print quality and yield of 5,000 pages at 5% coverage.

Always keep the Thermistor clean to experience quality printouts and extend the effective lifecycle of your Lexmark laser printer.

Clean Earth Campaign - Canon's Recycling Crusade!

Launched during the 1990s, Canon USA's Clean Earth Campaign is a global environmental program with initiatives that include the collection and recycling of used toner cartridges from its consumer base.

The campaign has so far achieved remarkable success for today, it is recognized as America's premier corporate environmental management program. In its almost 20 year run, consumable collection has ballooned to more than 110,000 tons around the globe, to tremendously surpass its set collection targets. Used cartridges are sorted out and subjected to a thorough recycling process to conserve energy during the remanufacturing stages; thus resulting to reconditioned imaging components, new cartridges and several other printer peripherals.

Consumers who intend to participate in the recycling program are instructed to follow set procedures outlined in Canon's website; particularly on the dispatch of empty cartridges to Canon through the parcel services of UPS; that is free of charge. Just like HP and Xerox, UPS is the official carrier of packages deposited in particular drop off points and with UPS outlets as well. As added convenience to the participating consumer, shipping labels can obtained from Canon's website and printed directly from the PC. Each label comes secured with a unique tracking bar code to facilitate shipping in an efficient manner.

Canon highly appreciates the efforts of its customers at recycling Canon-brand consumables. However unlike HP's "Staple Rewards" Program; no incentives, rebates or tax deductions are offered in exchange for every toner cartridge returned. Nevertheless, Canon assures its consumer base that it operates state-of-the art recycling facilities found in several sites around the globe. Moreover, empty toner cartridges pass stringent procedures in the remanufacturing of its components.

To further strengthen this commitment, Canon applied for an ISO 14001 Certification and consequently designed its recycling plants based on the ISO standards for environmental management systems. Today, all of Canon's worldwide network of recycling facilities are ISO 14001 classified. This will put beyond question Canon's promise to conform to rated environmental policies as well as comply with ongoing environmental laws and regulations to help conserve and protect the environment.

End users of Canon toner cartridges should not be solely dependent on Canon and its recycling centers for the responsible disposal and remanufacture of used or retired consumables. Recycling can in fact be undertaken on a personal scale. The simple reloading of an empty toner cartridge with a compatible Canon toner refill kit to extend the unit's life for up to 3 or 4 print cycles is already a sign of commitment to the environment.

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Toner Refill Kits: Reduce Color Printing Expenditure on the Xerox Phaser 2135

The Xerox Phaser 2135 is a color laser printer renowned for producing high resolution, full color pages at the remarkable speed of 21 pages per minute (ppm). The unit runs on ‘straight paper path’ technology which considerably reduces the incidence of paper jams while sustaining favorable print delivery turnout. As such, the printer uses 4 sets of toner cartridges – OPC Drum combo and 4 sets of laser scanning assembly but utilizes only a single fuser responsible for bonding toner permanently to paper fibers. To simplify image development, toner coming from the OPC Drum is laid by way of electrostatic potential on the ITB (image transfer belt), before coming in contact with paper (media) and prior to entering the fuser assembly.

The Phaser 2135 prints on bundled replacement toner consumables that aggregately cost $1,100. These are supplied in four CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta and black) cartridges with each color yielding some 15,000 pages at 5% coverage. The black cartridge retails at $100 while the color cartridges are sold at a counter price of $345 each. The cartridges are high yield, so the printing cost per page (CPP) is obviously very low. Despite the low CPP, it is for a fact that the pricing of its consumables can be very restrictive to the budgets of regular laser printer users.

What makes the Xerox Phaser toner cartridge expensive to produce? The new generation toner cartridge comprises of the toner cartridge and OPC Drum duo. While the toner cartridge is rated at say 15,000 pages, the OPC Drum has a lifecycle that exceeds that of the cartridge at around 60,000 pages. Therefore, the still functional OPC drum gets disposed whenever the toner empty cartridge is discarded. In manufacturing the cartridge and components alone, the cost could reach $150 add the cost of the OPC Drum at over $250 and you’ve got a staggering total cost.

How can we reduce color-printing costs on the Xerox Phaser 2135 laser printer? The practical option would be to refill its high capacity and standard cartridges with a compatible toner refill kit. Using Laser Tek Services’ Phaser 2135 compatible toner refill kit, the user can save as much as 80% from the bundled pricing of OEM monochrome and color cartridges without sacrificing print quality and yield. Toner refills can be administered on the empty cartridge based on the Industry recommended frequency of up to 3 times or until such time that the OPC Drum has reached the end of its effective lifecycle.


Check out our Xerox Phaser 2135 toner refill kit. Place an order today and put those empty Phaser cartridges back to life.