Kyocera General Question

[sparkycivic]

Thanks for sharing. How many pages on average are you getting from the DR & DV units on the 01-series?

Drums are able to get to their rated life fairly easily, they usually end up with a (very) slight density variation pattern in greys that my users never complain about. I can see it when looking at the surface too. It's a bit like those stereogram hidden pictures from the 1990's.

Developers, they are usually pretty much unusable by the time 600K comes around. The coating has worn away, the density of greys will mirror the pattern of the coating which looks patchy, and the spillage will be everywhere inside the device.

[skynet]

Drums are able to get to their rated life fairly easily

With the original charge rollers? had a 4052 today 200,000 copies most of the charge rollers had small lumps on them producing light spots approx 4cm apart.

[BillyCarpenter]

If any Kyocera tech could post the actual yields that you're getting on the following, I would appreciate it.

1. Drum
2. DV
3. PCR
4. Transfer Belt

[Tonerkiller]

Just run an 089 sample set, before you do anything. Clean the machine, run color reg.,and toner curve. If no copy quality problems or codes, you are done.

[BillyCarpenter]

Just run an 089 sample set, before you do anything. Clean the machine, run color reg.,and toner curve. If no copy quality problems or codes, you are done.

I hear ya but what if I do have an image problem?

I probably haven't put forth the amount of time learning these machines as I should. But that's over with. I've been pouring over the service manual and getting information from Kyocera techs on here. In my limited experience on the new Kyocera's, they've been pretty damn reliable.

[BillyCarpenter]

I'll be interested in any answers that you get.

On the machines that I know the best: Konica Minoltas, Toshibas, and Kyoceras ...

I guess Toshibas are the easiest to understand the process. If the patches are not in a useable range you'll get CE40, CE20, or CA00, depending on whether it's a fault with the color registration patches or the color density patches. Rarely do we have problems with the patch sensors themselves. Sometimes the shutter doesn't open or the sensor gets dirty, but I don't think I've ever had to replace a patch sensor on a Toshiba. Usually the patch is imperfectly formed for a variety of reasons. In this order of likelyhood:

Poor developing/depleted developer
Dirty grid/scorotron
Dirty laser slit glass
Worn drum/poor drum cleaning
Poor primary transfer belt cleaning
Poorly tracking transfer belt
Laser issue in forming the patch

And all of these can be diagnosed by removing the primary transfer belt and examining the patches on the belt immediately after the code occurs. There are 08 modes that record the number of errors for each color and each sensor. I could memorize all those 08 modes or look them up each time ... or I could just pull out the primary transfer belt unit and see (in this order of likelihood):

Voids in the feed direction through a CMY or K patch
Light areas in the feed direction through a CMY or K patch
Lines of CMYK or composite black in the feed direction through all patches.
Wrinkled, ripped, or perforated transfer belt.
Skewed or absent patches

Overall, the only time I look at those 08 modes is if my eyes cannot diagnose it first.


=^..^=

I wanted to swing back around to this post after I did my homework and give it the amount of attention that it deserves.

Now that I understand the image process properly, this is a very intelligent way of isolating an image problem. Blackcat is relying on his eyes to tell him where the problem resides. It makes perfect sense to pull out the transfer belt to look at the patches if you think about it. I can see this as being my go-to method.

I'll also add this and you guys can correct me if I'm off-base. Looking the the patches can also tell us (or give us a clue) that the problem is most likely in the transfer process...assuming that there's no problem with the patches?? Or just shutting off the power during the copy process and looking at the belt?

[blackcat4866]

True.

I get most of my diagnostic data from these test patterns, see attachments:
I've made them up in a variety of sizes from COM10 envelope to ANSI D or Arch F (or ISO sizes if you prefer). The 11% fill pages provide the most data, but you'll be surprised how many faults appear in the Navy Blue Solid (this color has all four CMYK and demonstrates a wide variety of image quality faults).

The Sample Print does not present the bubbly voids that appear when the developer spacers crack (which only shows in >70% image fill).

At most office copiers The ANSI A (Letter) is adequate, but on a production print machine I'd rather see the image Arch B (full bleed, 12" x 18") or if they have it ANSI B+ (ISO A3+, 13" x 19"), and on wide format whatever the largest size paper width usually Arch D, Arch E1, or Arch F.

If you have a specific size in mind, just ask.

I can start putting aside image quality samples if you like. I used to 3-hole punch them and put them in a book. It was good inspiration when I had a particularly tricky image quality issue.

=^..^=

[BillyCarpenter]

True.

I get most of my diagnostic data from these test patterns, see attachments:
I've made them up in a variety of sizes from COM10 envelope to ANSI D or Arch F (or ISO sizes if you prefer). The 11% fill pages provide the most data, but you'll be surprised how many faults appear in the Navy Blue Solid (this color has all four CMYK and demonstrates a wide variety of image quality faults).

The Sample Print does not present the bubbly voids that appear when the developer spacers crack (which only shows in >70% image fill).

At most office copiers The ANSI A (Letter) is adequate, but on a production print machine I'd rather see the image Arch B (full bleed, 12" x 18") or if they have it ANSI B+ (ISO A3+, 13" x 19"), and on wide format whatever the largest size paper width usually Arch D, Arch E1, or Arch F.

If you have a specific size in mind, just ask.

I can start putting aside image quality samples if you like. I used to 3-hole punch them and put them in a book. It was good inspiration when I had a particularly tricky image quality issue.

=^..^=

I'll take anything that you're willing to share.

Do you have examples of the problems that showed up when you ran the test charts? I'd be very interested in that. Knowing you...I'm sure you do.

[blackcat4866]

I throw them into the days paperwork, then dump them on Saturday. I can hold on to a few if you like.

I've still got binders full of Mita DC-131 and Mita 900D and Canon NP-3525 image quality faults. We won't be seeing any more of those. =^..^=

[BillyCarpenter]

I throw them into the days paperwork, then dump them on Saturday. I can hold on to a few if you like.

I've still got binders full of Mita DC-131 and Mita 900D and Canon NP-3525 image quality faults. We won't be seeing any more of those. =^..^=

That's dedication there, folks. A true professional in every sense of the word. Props.

Yeah, send 'em my way. Thank you.