Remanufacturing the Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W Toner Cartridge
The Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W was introduced in January 2004. Based on a Minolta
21-ppm, 1,200-dpi engine, it has a retail price of less than $180 (as of June 2004). The high-capacity toner cartridge lists for $129.99 and sells wholesale for around $112.
The Konica Minolta PagePro 1350W toner cartridge.
These machines are becoming very popular, and as simple as these cartridges are, there is still plenty of room for a nice profit. Laser printers have now joined the ranks of the inkjet machines, where a new set of cartridges costs more than the machine did new! (New drum units list for $90.)
Other machines based on this engine are the Konica Minolta PagePro 1300W and the
Epson EPL-6200.
Figures 1 and 2 show the tabs on the Konica Minolta and Epson EPL-6200 cartridges.
Although in the past this is how Minolta would differentiate between different brands, they are now identical. The difference is in the chip. See Figure 3.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Supplies Required:
1) 135-gram bottle of Minolta PagePro 1350 toner.
2) Small bottle of acetone (available at local hardware stores).
3) Toner magnet cloths.
4) Lint-free synthetic cotton 4-by-4-inch pads.
5) 99 percent pure isopropyl alcohol.
6) Cotton swabs.
Tools Required:
1) Toner-approved vacuum.
2) Phillips-head screwdriver.
3) Small common screwdriver.
4) Needle-nose pliers.
Remanufacturing Instructions
1) Remove the fill plug on the end of the cartridge. Dump the old toner out
and discard. Vacuum the outside of the housing and the developer roller. Turn
the developer roller a few times to vacuum all sides of the roller. See Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Although we don't recommend it, once clean, you can fill the cartridge, install the plug and you’re done! We don't recommend this, however, because the doctor blade needs to be cleaned each cycle. Failure to do so will allow toner to build up on the blade, causing vertical streaks and, eventually, a ruined developer roller. The best way is as follows:
2) To fully clean this cartridge, the developer roller must be removed.
3) Remove both springs from each side of the developer roller. See Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
4) Remove the blue bushing from the left side. See Figure 7.
5) Remove the pink bushing from the right side. See Figure 8.
6) Remove the developer roller. See Figure 9.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
7) Remove the two screws from the doctor blade. See Figure 10.
8) Remove the doctor blade. Carefully separate the foam seal from underneath the
blade. Be careful not to tear this foam as the cartridge will leak. See Figure 11.
Figure 10.
Figure 11.
9) Clean any remaining toner dust from the hopper and seals. See Figure 12.
10) Clean the doctor blade with a cotton swab and a small amount of acetone. Remove any remaining residue with another cotton swab and 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. See Figure 13.
11) Align the foam seal onto the small plastic posts on the hopper. See Figure 14.
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
Figure 14.
12) Install the doctor blade and two screws. Make sure the contact leaf spring is touching the back side of the blade. See Figures 15 and 16.
Figure 15.
Figure 16.
13) Clean the developer roller sleeve with a lint-free cotton cloth, and place it aside.
14) Install the developer roller, gear side to the left. Make sure the clear spacers have the flat side down and are not crimped. See Figures 17 and 18.
Figure 17.
Figure 18.
15) Install the pink bushing on the right side of the developer roller. The clear
plastic band should be over the arm of the bushing. See Figures 19 and 20.
Figure 19.
Figure 20.
16) Install the blue spacer onto the left side of the developer roller. The clear plastic band should be over the arm of the bushing. See Figure 21.
Figure 21.
17) Install the small springs on both sides of the developer roller. The clear plastic band should be under the bushing. See Figures 22 and 23.
Figure 22.
Figure 23.
18) Fill the cartridge with 135 grams of 1350 toner. See Figure 24.
19) Install the developer roller cover. The clear plastic band should be under the bushing. See Figure 25.
Figure 24.
Figure 25.
20) Replace the used chip with a new one. Make sure you have the correct chip for the brand cartridge you need. See Figure 26.
Contact Mike Josiah and the technical staff of Summit Technologies at (631)218-8376, fax (631) 218-3285 or visit www.summitlaser.com.
This article originally appeared in the October 2004 issue of Recharger.