Truth About Toners
A Brief Definition of Quality
When discussing remanufactured toner cartridges, remanufacturers and customers frequently refer to the “quality” of the cartridge, yet “quality” is rarely defined. For most end users, quality simply refers to the ability of the toner cartridge to produce consistent prints without any observable problems. For remanufacturers, the definition of quality for toner cartridges is more complex and has five main elements:
» Reliability:
This refers to the probability that a cartridge will perform to its end of life without any defects or failures.
» Yield:
The number of pages a cartridge will produce with a defined toner application per page. (ASTM F1856 standards are 5-percent page coverage).
» Density:
This refers to the “blackness” of the toner.
» Grey Scale:
This measures the standard deviation between different levels of toner applied to the page; for example, a 20-percent application of toner should appear different than a 40-percent application of toner; no industry standards have been established for grey scale.
» Image Quality:
This refers to the “integrity” of a print; often a subjective evaluation of the “clarity” of the output-particularly relevant with color cartridges.
These elements are interdependent with one another. For example, when the yield of a particular cartridge is increased, the density may decrease and vice versa. Additionally, a toner that produces highly consistent density readings over the life of a cartridge may be limited in its ability to address all of the grey-scale variations.
High-quality cartridges will have a high reliability, consistent yield, consistent and high density, grey-scale variations at the appropriate applications and high image quality. Low-quality cartridges will be just the opposite.
Different Build Structures, Different Quality Results
Most remanufacturers have their own proprietary “recipe” for how to remanufacture a toner cartridge. And there are as many “recipes” on how to remanufacture a toner cartridge as there are remanufacturers. In some instances, if a remanufacturer does not have standardized process controls, there can be more variations than remanufacturers. Despite these variations, generally, the ingredients and process steps are roughly similar across the industry, as documented for one or more SKUs each month in Imaging Spectrum and Recharger magazines and described by some of the largest distributors such as Static Control, Future Graphics, Summit and Oasis.
The “recipe” for each cartridge has a high impact on the likelihood of the product working effectively. Unlike many manufacturing industries, the remanufactured cartridge industry has a limited degree of automation; therefore, much of the product’s success is dependent upon its labor content. As a result, producing a high-quality cartridge can be a challenge. A poor process with few controls can result in a batch of defective cartridges. As most remanufacturers know, a defective batch of cartridges can arise from something as simple as the improper cleaning of a mag roller, filling a cartridge with the wrong toner or forgetting to check the clips on a hopper. Similarly, a strong process with lots of controls will virtually guarantee a high-quality cartridge. At this point in the game, a good 15 years after the birth of our industry, most large-scale remanufacturers have conquered the manufacturing process and have in place sufficient controls to ensure a consistent product.
This leaves the build structure as the primary determinant of a cartridge’s quality. Once the manufacturing process has been optimized and employees are producing a consistent product, the quality of the cartridge will be dependent upon the percentage of components that are replaced and the grade of components used as replacements. Cartridges with a higher percentage of replaced components and higher-grade components will generally have a higher quality level than those cartridges with fewer replaced components and lower quality components. See the chart below for the spectrum of choices remanufacturers have regarding build structures for their products.
Each of the build variables has an impact on the quality of the cartridge and can alter product costs by a significant amount. For example, the price differential between virgin and non-virgin cores can vary by as much as 50 percent; the price differential between a new drum and a used drum can vary by as much as 90 percent; and the price differential between a first-tier and a third-tier drum can vary by as much as 40 percent. Ultimately, a low-quality product can cost less than two thirds what it costs to build a high-quality product.
| Build Variable | Low Quality | Medium Quality | High Quality |
| Core | 3X Use Non-Virgin Core | 2X Use Non-Virgin Core | 1X Use Virgin Core |
| Drum | Used Drum | Recoated Drum | New Drum |
| Quality of Drum | 3rd Tier | 2nd Tier | 1st Tier |
| Quality of Toner | 3rd Tier | 2nd Tier | 1st Tier |
| Print Test | Text | Moderate graphics | Intensive graphics with significant grey scale |
| Mag Roller | Re-used | Recoated | Replaced |
| Doctor Blade | Re-used | Rotated | Replaced |
| Wiper Blade | Re-used | 2nd Tier | 1st Tier |
| PCR | Re-used | 2nd Tier | 1st Tier |
| Bushings | Re-used | Re-used | Replaced |
| Packaging | Limited Support | Moderate Support | Substantial Support |
| Labor | Few controls, limited quality support | Moderate controls | Substantial controls, significant quality support |
This article first appeared in Imaging Spectrum magazine, November 2004, and is used by permission of its publisher, the International Imaging Technology Council.
