Save Time and Money on Your Laser Printer – Part 3

Save Time and Money on Your Laser Printer – Part 3
By Jerry Arsenault 

 

 

In this edition of the series I will talk about “re-manufactured” toner cartridges for your laser printer. First, what does the term mean? When a toner cartridge is re-manufactured by a reputable manufacturer, it is disassembled, thoroughly cleaned of old toner with compressed air and some of the internal parts are replaced with new ones. These parts include: the drum, wiper blades, magnetic development roller, primary charge roller and if required, certain gears could also be replaced. Next fresh toner is added, the toner hopper is sealed and finally the cartridge is re-assembled. 

Purchasing a re-manufactured toner cartridge can offer you substantial savings over the purchase of an O.E.M. (Original Equipment Manufacturer) cartridge. It is probably not a well-known fact but most O.E.M. cartridges that you purchase today have been “re-manufactured.” Don’t believe it? Check carefully on the box and it will often state that somewhere in fine print. These companies have programs to promote the return of empty cartridges to their manufacturing facilities. Obviously, the profit margin on a cartridge where the shell is recycled is greater than one that has to be built from scratch!

What about the quality of a re-manufactured toner cartridge? This issue has been very effectively addressed by manufacturers who have a huge stake in retaining the business of their customers. The larger companies have gone the route of certification by the Canadian General Standards Board and ISO 9001 and ISO 9002. These companies offer a 100% guarantee of quality on the products they produce.

 

How about yield? Will a re-manufactured cartridge produce the same number of printed pages as an O.E.M. cartridge? The answer is yes. Manufacturers of quality, guarantee the yield as well as performance of their products. Most companies rate their cartridges by the same standard, that is, the number of pages that you can expect to print with 5% coverage of the page. That does not represent much toner on a page. The best way to determine the yield for your particular application is to do a page count on your printer when a cartridge is first installed and another page count when the cartridge is replaced. You may have to read your printer manual if you are not sure how to do a page count.  

That’s it for Part 3. In the next issue, I will cover the subject of routine maintenance of your laser printer and how to avoid costly repairs and lost productivity through prevention of major breakdowns.

 

Jerry Arsenault manages Toner Time Fredericton Inc. If you have questions about your laser printer, you can contact Jerry weekdays by telephone at (506) 450-6134 or (506) 457-2252 or by email: jerry@tonertime.ca Or visit Toner Time Fredericton online at www.tonertime.ca