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Remanufacturing the Sharp AL-1000 Toner Cartridges (Xerox XD-100, XL-2100)

  • Sep 01, 2001

The Sharp AL-1000 Engine is an 8- to 15-ppm digital copier engine that runs at 600 dpi. The dual component toner cartridge of the Sharp AL-1000 houses both toner and developer. Unlike previous Sharp dual component engines, this one uses negatively charged toner/developer.

This engine has been out for a while and the cartridge is fairly easy to do. But there are quite a few cartridge versions, which are NOT all interchangeable. The three non-chip cartridges can be modified to be interchangeable by following the instructions on page 130. Because of all the variations, we felt it worthwhile to clarify them.


Figure 1: Xerox XD-100


Figure 2: Sharp AI-1000


Figure 3: Xerox Work Centre XL Series


Figure 4: Sharp AR-150


Figure 5: Xerox Work Centre Pro 16


Figure 6: Xerox Work Centre Pro 215

In July 2001, Xerox announced that it was going to abandon the small copier market. One week later, Xerox released the XL-2100 series. These machines use a new toner cartridge (the 106R482), along with the standard drum cartridge (13R551). The new cartridge is rated for 4,000 pages instead of 6,000, the rating for all the rest.

If this is the last Xerox series released for the small office, our industry will lose a significant profit maker. The Xerox cartridges that are based on Sharp engines have been an easy and profitable source of income for many years. I would love to see Sharp jump in and try to pick up Xerox's share of this market segment! In any case, the existing machines will be around for many years to come.

Currently four copier manufacturers sell machines based on this engine:

  • Olivetti Copia 9900 series.
  • Sharp AL-1000 and AR-150 series (part numbers AL-100TD and AR-150TD, respectively). The AR-150 cartridge has a chip.
  • Triumph/Adler DC-100 series.
  • Xerox XD-100, XL-2100, Pro 16 and the Pro 215 series (part numbers 6R914, 106R482, 6R972 and 6R988 respectively). The Pro16 and Pro 215 cartridges both use chips.

The list prices on these cartridges are all over the place and make no sense. The most popular cartridge with no chip is the most expensive. The two with chips are relatively cheap, and the new 4,000-page-yield cartridge costs more than the 6,000-page cartridges with chips! Xerox's website publishes its prices as follows:

  • 6R914 $179.99
  • 6R972 $93
  • 6R988 $99
  • 106R482 $119.99

No supplier offers aftermarket replacement chips for the Xerox cartridges, but several companies can reset them.

Sharp actually offers AR-150 chips to its dealers. This is one of the cartridges that it allows its dealers to remanufacture. No aftermarket chips for the AR-150 are currently available.

Besides the chips, the main differences among all of these cartridges are the shape and mounting of the waste chamber and the location and position of the oblong post on the back of the cartridge.

As you can see from the pictures the post location and position is different for almost all of them. The Sharp AL-100TD, Xerox XL-2100 and Xerox XD-100 can be modified to work in either machine.

Remanufacturing Instructions

NOTE: The developer blade, located on the outside of these cartridges, is easily damaged. Be very careful not to damage it when handling the cartridge.

  1. Remove the waste chamber located on the side of the cartridge. Some cartridges have two screws on the front of the cartridge that must be removed and some have one screw on top with a plastic tab. To remove the waste chamber of the cartridges with one screw at the top, press the tab on the bottom.


    2. Figure 7


    Figure 8


    Figure 9

  2. Vacuum or blow out the waste chamber and wipe clean.
  3. Remove the two screws on the black plastic plate with the green handle. Carefully remove the plate by swinging it upward while sliding the tabs out of the holes on the top . Be careful not to break the tabs on the top of the plate.


    4. Figure 10


    Figure 11

  4. Separate the toner hopper from the developer unit. Remove the screw near the small developer plug as well as the screw located between the larger toner plug and the smaller developer plug. Carefully lift the upper toner hopper off of the developer unit.


    5. Figure 12


    Figure 13

  5. Remove the fill plug on the toner unit and vacuum clean. Make sure that you clean the long slit where the toner is fed into the developer section.


    6. Figure 14

  6. Remove the used developer from the developer unit. With the magnetic roller side facing you, turn the roller toward you while lightly vacuuming the magnetic roller and auger until clean.


    7. Figure 15

    NOTE: To modify an AL-100TD, 6R914 or the new 106R482 so that they are interchangeable, see instructions on page 130.
  7. Slowly add the appropriate amount of developer to the developer section. While holding the developer unit with the magnetic roller facing you, turn the roller backwards and add developer. Make sure you evenly coat the magnetic roller with developer.


    8. Figure 16

  8. Add the appropriate amount of toner to the toner hopper. Replace plug.


    9. Figure 17

  9. Reattach the toner hopper to the top of the developer unit by aligning the pinholes on each. Replace the screws that hold the hopper to the developer section.


    10. Figure 18

  10. Install the green handle plate cover and two screws.
  11. Install the waste chamber.
  12. Wipe the cartridge clean.

NOTE: If the developer blade is even slightly bent, replace it. An imperfect blade will cause the cartridge to leak.

The technical staff of Summit Laser Products can be reached at 800-225-3516 or visit www.summitlaser.com.

This article originally appeared in the September 2001 issue of Recharger.

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