Number 213 - February 2001

Toner/Ink Cartridge Basics What is a Good Product?
by B. Simon, Algorithmica Japonica September 1999
Compliance with the printer manufacturer's specifications is the only criteria a toner or ink cartridge must meet. While the cartridge is not the only factor in good printer performance it is CRITICAL to continued proper performance. If a cartridge is neither a genuine OEM licensed (Original Equipment Maker) cartridge or is not a certified ISO 9000 cartridge it should not be chosen for critical printing tasks.     To receive (International Standards Organization) certification a Manufacturer's cartridge must meet or exceed all operational requirements Laser/Inkjet printer engine makers designed into their products. If any specification is not matched then quantities of TONER will not adhere to the paper and will leave destructive residues inside and outside the printer. Most Inkjet printers have their print head nozzles built into their throw-away cartridges. The nozzles of these cartridges are already at an advanced stage of wear from their first use. Output quality is low and clogging often occurs before the cartridge ink supply is used up. Aside from excessive printer wear, and toner finding its way into the environment the number of pages printed per cartridge is often significantly less than OEM's or ISO cartridge output. The vast majority of "out-of-spec" recycled toner cartridges cost the user more, because of both degraded performance and significantly less print page output.     There are increasing numbers of well-intentioned and responsible re-manufacturers of toner and ink jet	cartridges. They, like the rest of us, live in a world beset by dirty competition. Take a recent nasty trick that re-manufacturers of toner cartridges claim the OEM is pulling off. The most in demand cartridges are assembled in a number of regional OEM licensed factories. The claim is that these factories (all producing the same toner cartridge) are deliberately modifying components of the cartridge to be a little different from, say, factory A to B or C. Their products work perfectly in all the models they were designed for. But when these cartridges are spent and collected for recycling, re-manufacturers need to separate and process the reusable parts. What they eventually put together becomes a hidden business time bomb since the various components are not exactly the same. At first the recycler's product will work properly but, into their user life cycle, they begin to give degraded output and sometimes fail altogether.     The first thing to check when making a cartridge purchase is cartridge expiration date or guarantee. Toner and ink spoil if too old or if they have been stored incorrectly. Storage handling instructions should be printed on the box. Be sure to inspect for carton damage.     Affectionately called Dr. Simon for his expertise on printers, the author was Japan's first laser printer toner cartridge re-manufacturer. For printer related services and solutions and further information call 03-5734-7166 or email: bsimon@gol.com. URL: www2.gol.com/ users/ bsimon
Number 213 - February 2001