DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

[Joel_M]

Hi - I'm new to posting but have been following this site for a year or so. I'm supporting a Docucolor 12 that Xerox dropped maintenance on last August and our local service provider no longer wants to be involved. I've worked in IT for 20 years but have limited experience working on machines like this. I've very glad to have this site and the support of some people I've met online.

This machine prints mostly card stock with some transfer paper as well. I've worked through through a couple of problems and it's printing very well right now on the heavy paper, but I'm seeing a noticeable amount of 'wave' in the edge of the paper closest to the back of the machine. The front edge of the paper is flat. The prints are useable, but I don't know what is causing the paper to be like that. It's not a curl or a wrinkle - it's 3 or 4 waves in the paper. Would the fuser nip or a worn fuser roll cause this?

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Paper type is set correctly in the Fiery and printer. I don't know the count on the fuser, I would say a lot. Where can I see that? There is a light clicking noise when it prints - it's been doing that for the past year or so. The machine is in a small business and I estimate it's printing 5000-10,000 sheets a year.

When I started working on it around the holidays it had been leaking toner on the middle of the 2nd BTR exit for at least a year, leaving marks not the back sides of the copies unless it was cleaned off regularly. I traced it back the IBT cleaner that spilling over the film seal. During this time it started making a strong ratcheting noise during image creation that would lessen when the sheet was fed through. I think it was the torque limiter slipping on the 2nd BTR drive - the 2nd BTR turned with difficulty and I found the drive gear worn. I replaced the gear, the 2nd BTR as a unit, and the film seal on the IBT. Now it's running without the leak and without the noise - very glad of that. But the light clicking has remained.

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

That could also be moisture in the paper. If 8 1/2 X 11. try turning it around and see if the waves go to the other side.....if so it's the paper. Same with 11X17 (that size is even more likely to have excessive moisture). You could also try running 8 1/2 X 11 short edge feed, although that will take longer to run the jobs.

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

I'll try that with the paper to see if it makes a difference.

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

I tested the paper and found no change regardless of the orientation of the stock. The wave is worse on lighter weight paper and better on card stock (280).

I performed the fuser nip measurement and am finding that the nip is not consistent accross the page - it has an hour glass shape. The width goes from about 10.4 at the back of the sheet to 10.1 in the middle and back to 10.5 on the side of the paper closest to the front of the machine. Moving the adjusting screws changes the width, but the hourglass shape remains.

Could toner be built up on a roller inside the fuser based on the leak that this machine had for such a long time? Or the rollers worn out? I have pictures of the test sheet if it's helpful to see them.

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Both fuser rollers are a soft type, and it is a color machine which I've found means the condition of the rollers is absolutely critical. If the bearings are seated and in good shape, it would probably be a good idea to try other rolls. If that doesn't fix your wavy edge problem, you can always remove the new rolls and save them for later (you'll definitely need them one day if you continue to service this machine).

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

As a followup, I checked the oil delivery system, pressure roll, and heat roll. The wick was very dirty so I cleaned it. The oil rolls looked good. The heat roll also looked good, but I found the pressure roll had a spot the size of a quarter worn down to the orange underlayment, with orange lines showing on the edges of the paper area. I replaced it with a spare I had from another fuser and the paper no longer has waves.

I'm still chasing a color issue - the prints are good but the uniformity is off. But thanks for your help so far.

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Glad your wavy edge is fixed! Have you run 'Max Setup' ?

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

no, I've not run max setup. I didn't think I needed to as I didn't unhook the oil system. should I?

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Max Setup would help to combat the color issue that you said the machine is having. It automatically sets the density of each color, alerts you to problems in setup, and allows you to finalize the density of each color visually.

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Is there a risk of making things worse? My biggest concern is doing something to the machine that causes it to start printing with poor image quality and then not know how to return to where it was.

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Joel,
That's a loaded question. Because the setup procedure checks certain things, it is possible that it will not work properly and then put you into a situation where you would need to fix something before it can finish the setup. I have a couple of questions: are you a technician and do you have a PWS?

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

I've been an IT technician for the last 20 years in the server and network areas, but also some deskside service and light programming. My printer experience is with HP large format printers and color lasers with disposable parts. I do not consider myself a professional copier technician like the Xerox service people this business used to have. I am comfortable with mechanical repair of any kind, but because I am fully aware that I don't know intrinsically what makes these machines perform their best I am extremely cautious and respectful of this doc12. I do not have a PWS.

When I started working on this machine during the holidays it was only because the business lost their support and the machine was no longer printing usable images. It's printing decently now and no longer makes any strange noises but the customer states that the toner on the prints does not look as 'flat' as it used to, which I think means not as dense. I'm starting to look at the quality side of things but can see there is a lot more nuance to this.

If the Max Setup indicated something that needed to be replaced I think I could handle that as long as the part was available. But if it wasn't, and the copier stopped working until it was replaced the owner would be in a bad position.

Would changing the 2nd BTR assembly be something that would need this adjustment?

Thanks for your help.

[exCSER]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Hi Joel,
The 2nd BTR replacement doesn't require anything further. Max setup includes 9 routines that include adjusting the charge applied to the drum, laser diode power (exposure), and color (toner) densities. Complete service of the Doc 12 does require use of a PWS, which plugs into the machine and provides a lot of information and the capability of testing and adjusting components. Without it, you will be limited as to what you can accomplish. If the print quality is acceptable to the client, you may be better off leaving it the way it is until something else goes wrong.
Good luck,
Don

[Joel_M]

Re: DC12 Paper wave in output on one edge only

Thank you for the advice; I plan to heed it.

Do you know if it's possible to get a PWS? Is it a Xerox device or software that runs on a laptop?