Sustainable Engineering: Eco-Friendly Xerographic Printing

Jan. 8, 2009
A Bias Charge Roller (BCR) system for electrophotographic equipment is said to offer a more eco-friendly alternative to the corona wire

A Bias Charge Roller (BCR) system for electrophotographic equipment is said to offer a more eco-friendly alternative to the corona wire, the traditional means of charging a photoconductor.

Made of semiconductive polyurethane (PU), the new BCR replaces the corona wire in the charging module of a printing engine. Manufacturer Fenner Precision says its new roller generates 100 times less ozone than the corona wire and lasts 10 times longer than conventional rubber, PU foam, or PU elastomeric charging systems.

More Info

Fenner Precision,
wholly owned subsidiary of Fenner PLC, Buffalo, N.Y., fennerprecision.com

Traditional corona wires see a high voltage which charges the surface of the photoconductor drum. In addition to using great amounts of electricity, corona wires emit excess ozone and nitrogen oxide (NOx).

The Fenner Precision BCR uses a contact-charging method rather than a corona wire’s noncontact method, so a single roller can replace multiple corona wires in high-speed printing and thus reduce energy demands. Also, the contact-charging method cycles more quickly than noncharging methods, letting machines print faster.

A liquid cast-manufacturing process used to make the roller gives the organic photoconductor a uniform charge distribution. The semiconductive polyurethane composite material is nonsparking and resists imaging oil in liquid-toner applications.

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