Remanufacturing the Ricoh 2000L (Type 1135, 1435) Toner Cartridge
First released in December 1998, the Ricoh
2000L six ppm, 600 dpi engine has many variations and part numbers. Ricoh alone has made the type 1130 (discontinued), type 1131 (Canada-discontinued), type 1135, type 1136 (Canada) and type 1435 (sold overseas). The cartridges all use the same components; the difference lies in the tab attached to the handle. Different tabs have different lengths and locations. The Ricoh type 1130, 1131, 1135 and 1136; Savin type 135 and Gestetner type 135 all use the same tabs, but the Ricoh type 1435 is different. See Figures 1 and 2.
Ricoh AP-1400
Figure 1
Figure 2
Since the identification tabs are easy to remove, only one machine is necessary to test all the variations. When producing more than one variation, take the standard tab of whatever the machine requires and spray paint it a fluorescent color. Use this tab for cartridge testing, so it
won’t accidentally be left in a customer’s cartridge. Make sure the correct tab is installed again before shipping. See Figures 3, 4 and 5 for tab variations.
Figure 3
| The following is a list of the machines that
use the Ricoh 2000L engine. OEM part numbers have been included when
known. |
| Gestetner 9870, 9873, 9877, 9920, 9940, 9940NF |
Type 135
(430228) |
| |
Type 130 discontinued |
| Infotec 3683, 3684, 3684 ISDN |
Part number unknown |
| Nashuatec P 594 |
Part number unknown |
| Rex 6820 |
Type 1135 (U.S.) (430222) |
| Ricoh Fax 1900L, 2000L, 2050L,
2900L, |
Type 1136 (Canada) |
| 2900LI, 3900L, 3900NF |
Type 1435 (overseas) |
| |
Type 1130 (U.S.) discontinued |
| |
Type 1131 (Canada) discontinued |
| Savin Fax 3651, 3687, 3705, 3720, 3740,
3740nf |
Type 135 (430223) |
| |
Type 130 discontinued |
Figure 4
Figure 5
The standard cartridge comes new with 160g toner and is rated for 4,500 pages at 5 percent coverage. The now-discontinued type 1130, 1131 and 130 were rated for 3,500 pages at 5 percent coverage. The older, discontinued 3,500 page cartridges can be filled at the 4,500 page load (160g) with no problems.
These cartridges are unique because although they use a PCR, the PCR consists of a metal shaft with conductive felt wrapped around it. It is not the solid-surface PCR we are accustomed to. This new PCR type must be cleaned without any chemicals as the felt has a conductive coating that the chemicals would remove. The best way to clean it is to blow it off with clean, compressed air. Vacuuming may cause static to build up on the roller, causing print defects.
These machines also use felt wands to clean the fuser assembly. These wands must be either replaced or re-felted each cycle.
None of these cartridges use seals, and there is no provision for seals. From our experience, they do not leak at all. We had a new cartridge shipped from overseas, and while the box was destroyed, the cartridge was fine.
Required Tools
1) Toner-approved vacuum
2) A small flat-head screwdriver
3) A Phillips-head screwdriver
4) Needle-nose pliers
5) Size T-6 Torx driver
Required Supplies
1) 160g toner
2) New drum (in development)
3) New wiper blade (in development)
4) Ricoh 1135 felt to re-felt the wand, or new wand when available
5) Conductive grease
6) 99 percent pure isopropyl alcohol
7) Cotton swabs
8) Soft, lint-free wipes
Basic troubleshooting and machine use are covered at the end of this document.
1) Place the cartridge with the handle away from you. Remove the two silver pins. See Figure 6.
Figure 6
2) Remove the black- and copper-colored Torx screws from the right side of the cartridge. Not all cartridges have the black screw, but all have the copper-colored screws. See Figures 7 and 8.
Figure 7
Figure 8
The Torx screws used in these cartridges are size T-6. They are not the tamper-proof variety used in the old CX/PC cartridges, but the normal T-6 bit.
3) Remove the two copper-colored screws from the left side of the cartridge. See Figure 9.
Figure 9
4) Pry off one of the side panels and separate the two halves. See Figure 10.
Figure 10
5) From the right side of the drum half, take a small punch or screwdriver and drive out the metal axle pin. This axle comes out easily. Make sure you do it from the right side (the keyed side). If you try to drive the axle out from the opposite side, the axle will not move. Remove the drum. See Figure 11.
Figure 11
6) Carefully pry up and remove the PCR. Note that, as stated above, the PCR consists of conductive felt wrapped around a metal shaft. Once removed, blow off the felt with clean compressed air. Handle the rollers by the metal ends only. We have found it best not to touch the roller with any part of your skin, as the oils present can contaminate the roller felt. See Figure 12.
Figure 12
7) Remove the two screws on the wiper blade, and then remove the blade. Clean out the waste chamber. See Figures 13 and 14.
Figure 13
Figure 14
NOTE: Be very careful not to damage or distort the thin mylar recovery blade next to the wiper blade. If this blade is bent or damaged in any way, replace it.
8) Re-install the two screws and the wiper blade.
9) Clean off all old conductive grease from the PCR contacts, and replace with new grease. Use only a small amount of conductive grease, since more is never better. See Figure 15.
Figure 15
10) Install the clean PCR. Most solid surface PCRs use the friction between them and the drum to turn them. Since these PCRs can’t do that, they have a gear on the end to keep them turning. See Figure 16.
Figure 16
11) Install the drum into the cartridge. See Figure 17.
Figure 17
12) Install the drum axle from the right side (side opposite the keyed end). Make sure the keyed end of the axle fits into the keyed end of the cartridge. See Figure 18.
Figure 18
13) On the toner hopper, note the location of all the gears. See Figure 19.
Figure 19
14) Remove the four loose gears from the hopper. See
Figure 20.
Figure 20
15) Remove the gear from the fill plug area by pressing in on the tab. See Figure 21.
Figure 21
16) Remove the gear from the developer roller area by pressing in on the tab. See Figure 22.
Figure 22
17) Remove the screw and holder from the left side of the developer roller. See Figure 23.
Figure 23
18) Remove the screw, holder and contact from the right side of the developer roller. Be careful not to lose the contacts. See Figure 24.
Figure 24
19) Pry off the metal bushing from the short side of the developer roller shaft. See Figure 25.
Figure 25
20) Remove the developer roller. See Figure 26.
Figure 26
21) Remove the two screws from the doctor blade. See Figure 27.
Figure 27
The doctor blade in these cartridges actually consists of two parts — a metal brace and the doctor blade, which is a very thin sheet of metal. Be very careful when handling the doctor blade, as it bends easily.
22) Remove the metal brace, being careful not to damage the alignment pins. The pin on the left side is normally tight, so take more care on that side. See Figures 28 and 29.
Figure 28
Figure 29
23) Remove the doctor blade. Again, be very careful not to damage it. Clean the blade with a cotton swab and alcohol. See Figure 30.
Figure 30
24) Clean out any remaining toner from the hopper, making sure to get the feed roller clean. It is not necessary to remove the roller, just make sure it is clean. See Figure 31.
Figure 31
25) Remove the fill plug from the hopper. See Figure 32.
Figure 32
26) Replace the cleaned doctor blade in the hopper. Make sure the lip is facing down and that the blade fits over the alignment pins correctly. See Figures 33 and 34.
Figure 33
Figure 34
27) Replace the metal brace and the two screws. See Figure 35.
Figure 35
28) Clean the developer roller with a clean, lint-free, dry cloth. We do not recommend using any chemicals at this time. See Figure 36.
Figure 36
29) Replace the developer roller into the cartridge. The long metal shaft side goes to the gear side of the hopper. See Figure 37.
Figure 37
30) Replace the metal bushing on the developer roller shaft. See Figure 38.
Figure 38
31) Replace the screw and holder on the right side of the developer roller shaft. See Figure 39.
Figure 39
32) Replace the screw, holder and contact on the left side of the developer roller shaft. See Figure 40.
Figure 40
33) Clean and replace the conductive grease on the developer roller and feed roller shafts. See Figure 41.
Figure 41
Note that the feed roller contacts also run to the doctor blade. This helps ensure that the toner is properly charged throughout the hopper.
34) Fill the hopper with 160g of 1135 toner. Replace the fill plug. See Figure 42.
Figure 42
As mentioned, these cartridges do not use seals. The OEM does not use them, and there are no provisions for them.
35) Replace all the gears on the hopper. See Figure 43.
Figure 43
36) Place the two halves together. Install the metal plates and screws. See Figure 44.
Figure 44
37) Install the two metal pins. See Figure 45.
Figure 45
The cartridge is finished. When testing the cartridge, make sure you put the proper identification tab back on the cartridge so it will work in your customer's machine.
Also, don't forget to replace the felt wand. The felt wand is in front of the cartridge bay, in the base of the machine.
Printing a Test Page
The simplest way to test a cartridge is to make a copy. To do this, place the original face-down in the feeder. Press the copy key, indicate the number of copies and press the start key. If you are having print defects and want to eliminate the scanner as a problem, there are a few reports to run.
To print out a journal, press the 'FUNCTION' key, '4,' '1,' 'YES' and 'START.'
To print out a stored telephone number list, press the 'FUNCTION' key, '4,' '3,' 'YES,' 'START' and 'FUNCTION.'
To print out a program listing, press the 'FUNCTION' key, '4,' '4,' 'YES' and 'START.'
Page Count
To display the page counts for transmission and receiving, press the 'FUNCTION' key, '6,' '2,' '2,' '2' and '2.' Then press '9,' '4' and 'YES.' Press 'YES' to display the scan and print counts and 'FUNCTION' to exit.
Cleaning the Scanner
If copied and transmitted pages come out with marks on the pages, but the reports are clean, the scanner is dirty. To clean the scanner, open the top cover, which is the keypad and display panel. Pull it open by lifting up from behind the display. Do not pull the lever on the right side, which will open up the toner cartridge bay.
Wipe the scanner bar, located at the bottom of the bay, with a damp, lint-free cloth. It is also a good idea to wipe down the long white roller and rubber feed rollers while you are there.
Fax Error Messages
These messages are at best very vague, and most are no help at all. These machines have what Ricoh calls RDS (Remote Diagnostic System), where a Ricoh technician calls the machine to diagnose/repair it. The following list contains the most helpful messages.
Add Toner Toner cartridge is empty
00-1 No paper, or jammed at other end (receiving machine)
1-00 Document jam
2-XX Machine fault
6-XX Almost always poor line condition
Paper jam at paper tray, Paper jam inside machine
Paper jam at output, Toner out
Common Cartridge Problems
A dirty or bad Primary Charge Roller
(PCR). Located inside the cartridge, this will show on the
test print as vertical gray streaks down the page, as a gray background
throughout the page, or as ghosting where part of a previously printed area is
repeated.
Dirty PCR connection. This
will show as horizontal black bars across the page or as shading throughout
the page.
Scratched drum. This will
show as a very thin, perfectly straight line that runs from the top to the
bottom of the test page.
Chipped drum.
This will show as a dot or series of dots that repeat every 75
mm.
Light-damaged drum. This will show
as a shaded area on the test print that should be white. Again, this will
repeat every 75 mm.
Bad wiper blade.
This will show as either a gray line approximately 1/8-inch thick or as
shading across the entire page. In either case, there will be a film of toner
on the drum surface.
Bad developer
roller. This will show as light print or as a mark that
repeats every 50mm.
Contact Mike Josiah and the technical staff of Summit Laser Products at
(613) 218-8376, fax (613) 218-3285 or visit www.summitlaser.com.
This article originally appeared in the June 2002 issue of Recharger.