fuser roll life

Discussion in 'Xerox iGen3, iGen4, & iGen5 Digital Presses' started by ktuc, Apr 14, 2010.

  1. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    I'm new to the iGen4 and we're trying to figure out why our fuser roll isn't lasting very long. We run 12x18 gloss text sheets with moderate to heavy coverage. We only get 30k to 50k on our fuser rolls (this isn't sheets, but the count on the diagnostics). We'll get a serious streak that can't be cleaned off. We could get a lot more life out of them if it wasn't for the streak.

    The pressure roller, donor roller, and fuser web have been replaced. We still get a streak after 30-40k count. It's not in the same spot, but varies from 1inch from outboard, to the middle, to 1 inch to inboard.

    Is this normal? We've only had the machine a short time so we don't know.
     
  2. ddigen3

    ddigen3 Senior Member

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    Is there a Contact Arc Adjustment procedure for the iGen4? I run an iGen3, and I know if this adjustment is off, its like balding your tires on your car. The pressure is uneven, causing wear. It sounds like what's called a "gloss differential", which is a streak lead edge to trail edge you can't clean.

    Solomon
     
  3. igen jim

    igen jim Member

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    Hi ktuc
    We had the same problem. As ddigen3 said Contack Arc is vary important. Here is two things you can try turn RDS off, This will not allow the fuser housing to move IB to OB but will need to change fuser rolls for different sizes of paper. We do this on large projects 50M + clicks. You can also have your Tech get the rough external rolls for the fuser. We average 140M clicks on our fuser rolls doing this.
    Hope this will help
    Igen Jim :cool:
     
  4. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    thanks for the advice.

    the contact arc is within spec. that's the first thing we were told to check - it's been checked several times by several people.

    i'll ask about the rough external rollers. no one has mentioned that yet.
     
  5. affromonkey

    affromonkey Member

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    we only get 30,000 to 40,000 clicks out of it on a 4, this is not unusual for us, and contact arc is fine, also when the fuser is old, there is wear where the outside of the most common size of sheet you use. to enhance the life, rub fuser oil over the fuser from time to time and when you start to get wear, rub it over the fuser again and yoou will probably get an extra 1000 clicks through it. + heavy coverage and gloss makes a fuser last less.

    "igen jim" are you sure you mean 140 million? or do you mean thousand? cus thats a hell of a lot for a fuser!
     
  6. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    affromonkey, how often would you say you change rolls? We do 50k clicks a day and we are changing it once per day.
     
  7. affromonkey

    affromonkey Member

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    about once every 3 or 4 days depending on quality, coverage and stocks, but yeh about every 30 to 50k in clicks, the company i work for used to have a igen3 aswell, and they say its ussual for the fuser to go every 30 to 50k
     
  8. igen jim

    igen jim Member

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    Rough external rolls

    Good day everyone
    Me bad that would be 140K clicks as in thousand. I have talked to my Xerox Tech about this issue. The streak ktuc is talking about is from the RDS being turned on and is normal. RDS is what moves the fuser assembly inboard to outboard witch can help extend fuser life from one sheet width to another. The big issue with turning RDS off is the the edge paper will make a grove in the fuser roll. One would need to change a fuser roll for each paper width. We only turn RDS off when printing large projects with one paper width and will extend fuser roll life 70k clicks or more without the rough external rolls. With the rough external rolls we have upward of 180k clicks when new. The rough external rolls will need to be cleaned daily. One will also need scotch bright and heat resistant gloves. Here are the parts numbers External Rolls 604K54720, Scotch bright 043P00074 and Gloves 600T80363.
    Hope this will help anyone good luck.
    Igen Jim:cool:
     
  9. ddigen3

    ddigen3 Senior Member

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    igen jim-

    I understand the artifact on the fuser roller to be known as "Gloss Differential". Is that the term your techs use too?

    ktuc & affromonkey-

    what are the reasons for your changing fuser rolls every 30-50k, specifically? I'd like to learn more from you both. I've been averaging 100K+, and in some cases as much as 440K. When quality degrades for us, its usually due to the developer age.

    Thanks for your input.
     
  10. affromonkey

    affromonkey Member

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    ussually where there is fuser wear, so there are some parts of the sheet that do not fuse properly and can be rubbed off. although i do know some of the stocks we use arent too fuser friendly, so that doesnt help, also were on a service contract with xerox so we dont have to pay for them and can change it even if its not that worn. but i dont think even in the best of circumstances we could ever last 100K on a fuser.
     
  11. igen jim

    igen jim Member

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    ddigen3
    Yes Gloss Differential thank you. I'm sure with uncoated stocks one could several 100K out of a fuser roll.
    90% of our projects are dull stock. Dull stock will wear out fuser rolls faster and are replaced because of Gloss Differential.
    We also have the standard Xerox service contract that pays for all the parts, But with fuser rolls cost around $300.00 the Xerox team came up the RDS off and rough external rolls idea and works well.
    Have a great day over and out.
    Igen Jim:cool:
     
  12. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    I have to change it because a line will develop from LE to TE on all prints. Sometimes it is sudden and quite obvious, other times it is a slow onset. We've yet to last past 56k on a roll.

    we print 12x18 gloss text and cover
     
  13. ddigen3

    ddigen3 Senior Member

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    Wow, that's really interesting. I'd like to ask a few more questions:
    1. Do you have any pressure settings cranked up? I know in some cases I've told the press the paper was a lighter weight than it really was in order to "press" it harder. This is a rarety, however.
    2. What Printing Mode are you using? (SmartSize, Normal or Enhanced Image Permanence mode?)
    3. What is your Contact Arc set to? My book has the standard of 14.5 +/-

    Thanks all!
     
  14. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    ddigen3,

    Our paper settings are accurate. We don't print on anything special, it's 80# gloss text and we have it set at 118 gsm.

    I believe we're printing in Normal mode as I haven't changed it

    Our contact arc is the same as yours, it's 14.5 plus or minus .5 mm. It's within tolerance every time i check it.
     
  15. igen jim

    igen jim Member

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    affromonkey and ktuc
    So what was the outcome of this issue?
    Have you all been able to extend the life of the fuser rolls?
    Jim:confused:
     
  16. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    We've come to an acceptable solution. We now average 100k clicks per fuser roll.

    The key is the rough external heat rollers. After the tech installed them we immediately saw a great improvement. I periodically wipe down the fuser roll with oil, clean stripper fingers, and clean the thermistors. The more often I do this the longer I can use the roll. The highest I've hit is 120k, lowest is 85k using the rough rollers.
     
  17. ddigen3

    ddigen3 Senior Member

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    Another inquiry: What brands of paper are you all using (if not Xerox stock, of course)?
     
  18. ktuc

    ktuc Member

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    We use UltraDigital from GPA, which is an offset stock. 80# gloss text. We also used about 20k sheets of the xerox brand but we also had the same fuser issues. We also had really wavy prints using the xerox stock.
     
  19. igen jim

    igen jim Member

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    We use Sterling, Utopia, Endurance Cover, Text gloss and dull. No Xerox paper. 90% of our work is printed on dull stock.
     

  20. Duc

    Duc Member

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    Ok just to put my 2 cents in - I work with three fuser rolls. One is New, this is a new roller that is used for 14.33 x 20.5 sheet size and/or critical color work. Two is Good, this is for our standard sheet size 12 x 19 and some smaller sizes as well. This is used for critical to good color work. For these two rollers we use 10pt C1S to 80# Gloss Text and all weights in-between. Three is Old, this is used for Black and White work and mostly for uncoated stocks. As a fuser roll wears out it is down graded and the fuser is tagged by wrapping masking tape around the OB lift and marking it N, G or O with a sharpie. By the time the we are done with the Old roller it is completely use up and will jam all the time and it is time to retire it. By that time we will have about 200k - 300K on it.
     
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