Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!dogie!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!MAXIMILLION.CP.MCC.COM!PAVER
From: PAVER@MAXIMILLION.CP.MCC.COM (Bob Paver)
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: Re: OPC belt degradation
Message-ID: <8803041924.AA15159@brillig.umd.edu>
Date: 1 Mar 88 22:32:45 GMT
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> HI
> 	I'm not on the mailing list, so I'm not sure if this subject has been
> brought up.  We have noticed that on our LN03 & QMS1500, that the OPC belt
> degrades much faster than it should (i.e. 10K pages).  The LN03 develops faded
> areas, while the QMS1500's output becomes uniformally light.  Our other people
> experiencing similar problems and is there any solution?  Thanks.
> 							Mark London
> MRL%PFC-VAX.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU

We had a similar problem with TI21xx printers that use the same Ricoh
engine.  The OPC belts are rated for a number of revolutions, typically
20,000.  BUT, you don't necessarily get one page per revolution (graphics
and legal size take extra revolutions) AND there are 1 or 2 "overhead"
revolutions associated with each print job.  If your print jobs tend to
be just a few pages, you eat up your belt in overhead revolutions.

Unfortunately, many sales people assumed that one revolution gave one
copy and told their customers that.  OPC belts, for the record, aren't
cheap.  List price is about $200. from TI.  The belts therefore contribute
significantly to the cost of each copy.

As far as I know there is no solution.  I suspect TI, DEC, QMS and others
are plenty mad at Ricoh, the real culprit (in my opinion).
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