Cleaning Transfer Roller?

[Synaux]

Just looking for some tips here. Especially with environments with medium print counts, but mostly high coverage rate on c550/650s the transfer roller gets gummed up every ~25k (especially in the middle on the roller).

This affects CQ.

While I simply go there and vacuum it of and take a soft rag to the middle to gently rub some of the white residue off. I would like a longer lasting solution.

Alcohol, Water, Acetone, Hydrochloric Acid? What do you guys do?

Also, I was thinking that perhaps in high coverage environments to kick up the primary/secondary voltages a bit to clean up errant toner getting on the transfer roller. Would this help?

Paper is good quality and the rollers are mostly below half life.

Thanks!

[Copier Addict]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

I definitely wouldn't use a rag on them. The most I would do is blow them off with canned air. You may just need to replace them a little more often.

[Hansoon]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

In the shop we soak them first with clean water, than use water with a very little detergent to wipe them off with a sponge. Rinse with lots of water under a running tap, blow them dry with air and continue to dry near a heater. I carry always a "pre-treated" used roller for every model in my car.

Hans

[Copier Addict]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

In the shop we soak them first with clean water, than use water with a very little detergent to wipe them off with a sponge. Rinse with lots of water under a running tap, blow them dry with air and continue to dry near a heater. I carry always a "pre-treated" used roller for every model in my car.

Hans

Sounds like a lot of labour to save a couple bucks. lol

[Hansoon]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

What do you call a "Couple Of Bucks"?

Hans

[Synaux]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

In the shop we soak them first with clean water, than use water with a very little detergent to wipe them off with a sponge. Rinse with lots of water under a running tap, blow them dry with air and continue to dry near a heater. I carry always a "pre-treated" used roller for every model in my car.

Hans

That is fascinating!
Could you be a little more specific on the detergent you typically use?

I have an old backup roller that is past EOL but was working okay before replacement. I will give it a shot.

Sounds like a lot of labour to save a couple bucks. lol

Probably not if you want to save $112.95 (Precision Roller). If you take 1 hour to clean up 5 transfer rollers you can consider that as paying yourself $564.75 per hour (if they last long enough).
Not to belittle you, but people really should strive to stray away from this throw-away-culture mentality that materialism has deluded many with.

Any other thoughts?

What about increasing the voltages to make it run cleaner?
I understand that the voltages alternate between a positive and negative current for better cleaning like the transfer belt does...would increasing the voltages affect the positive and negative?

"To remove residual toner off the surface of the 2nd Image transfer roller, a +/- DC bias is

applied alternately to the roller, thereby moving the residual toner to the surface of the

transfer belt.

The cleaning brush then scrapes off the toner on the surface of the transfer belt."
(c650 Theory of Operation, p.85)

Or would boosting the voltages be overridden by the ATVC (Auto Transfer Voltage Control) for this purpose (or always/never)?

[Hansoon]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

Could you be a little more specific on the detergent you typically use?

Just good ol' dishwashing liquid.

Hans

[blackcat4866]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

I'm with Hans on this. The key to the whole procedure is installing a dry transfer roller. If you try to do this on-site it can take hundreds to a thousand prints to dry out the roller using the bias current. Personally I use water or non-ammonia glass cleaner. It does resolve eventually, it's just hard to explain to the customer that the copies will look good next week. And if it's color, you won't be able to do a good calibration.

Alcohol or any of the oil based cleaners are damaging, and you may never get all the oil back out, giving you blotchy images until you replace it.
=^..^=

[emujo]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

Most of that residue is from cheap paper, anything more than 25% recycled will cause the roller to wear out significantly faster than its normal life span. Indicating the paper is "Recycle" will change the x-fer voltages accordingly and you might see a better return. Emujo

[jotunn]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

I can confirm Hans' method - we are using reconditioned rollers for second hand, leased or contracted machines for several years. For good results we use paint brush instead of sponge, then when all surface is wet and foamy we use our hands and we treat/handle roller like a sponge - squeezing out (I don't know proper word) all messy water with detergent, then repeating operation until roller is clean and rinsing detergent with clean water. Then we are keeping them day or two in warm place to dry.

[Synaux]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

Thanks for all the replies. I tried this and it worked fairly well even with a old ragged roller (I was unable to get all the middle residue off, but works like-new for the moment).

Most of that residue is from cheap paper, anything more than 25% recycled will cause the roller to wear out significantly faster than its normal life span. Indicating the paper is "Recycle" will change the x-fer voltages accordingly and you might see a better return. Emujo

This might very well be a stupid question emujo, but I searched all the manuals for these machines and don't see any recycle setting...for bypass I get plain, sing side only, transparency, special paper, thick 1-4, duplex 2nd side, letterhead, colored paper, and envelope. Out of those I am think colored paper would be the only useful setting.

On this note, the paper types are specified by g/m--is there a way to make it display value in # when you select a paper type?

[emujo]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

from the copy screen, go into the tray settings, "recycled" should be a choice. I don't believe you can set a paper type in user/admin/service modes. Emujo

[copier tech]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

It sounds bizare to wash transfer rollers but i've been doing it for years on Canon & KM.
But obviously you need to make sure they are bone dry before fittting.
I would leave a spare one for your customer to fit as they only unclip easy for any customer to fit!

[Synaux]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

from the copy screen, go into the tray settings, "recycled" should be a choice.

Hmmm...I dont see it on the c550/650s here.

I guess my eyesight is worse that I thought.

[CompyTech]

Re: Cleaning Transfer Roller?

In the shop we soak them first with clean water, than use water with a very little detergent to wipe them off with a sponge. Rinse with lots of water under a running tap, blow them dry with air and continue to dry near a heater. I carry always a "pre-treated" used roller for every model in my car.

Hans

Interesting. I rarely clean them, but I have cleaned them on site with just a damp cloth or just a dry wipe.I replace when worn or maintenance cycle due, but I will consider this for future reference.

Thanks.