We all have been using laser toner printers and most of us wonder what goes on inside
this small but complicated piece of equipment which prints everything that we want to on a paper. From a simple text document to complex scenery, everything gets printed on a paper in few seconds. What goes on in a laser toner printer is something very quick and precise. The only reason we cant take a peek inside during the procedure is because of safety. Here is what happens inside your laser toner printer each time you give the print command:
Parts:
A printer has few main components which are:
1. Data input controller
2. Drum
3. Laser device
4. Toner
5. Fuser
Each components action and utility will be discussed along in the subsequent paragraphs.
Action:
When the print command is given to a laser toner printer the data input controller deciphers the data in its language and prepares the drum by setting the print perimeters so as to best transfer the data on a paper.
The drum which is an aluminum cylinder coated with photosensitive material cleans itself from the traces of any previous printing job with the help of a wiper like rubber blade which scrapes off all residual toner from it, or in newer models through neutralizing the electrostatic charge. After this, the drum is negatively charged uniformly through its surface down to -600v.
The laser device then draws the entire pages image on to the drum. The laser hits the drum and changes the electric charge of that point to -100v. This allows the toner to stick to that spot.
The quality of print depends up on the quality of the laser which can range from 300 dots per inch (dpi) to 1200 dpi. Higher dpi value will guarantee better quality of the image.
The toner is composed of iron oxide particles with plastic. This ensures toner to stick to the drum due to electrostatic charge. At the same time the paper is pulled in through the printers feed mechanism. As the paper is positively charged, the particles of toner are transferred to the paper.
At this point the toner is loosely stuck to the paper due to gravity and electrostatic charge. The fuser is basically a set of two rollers which are hot. These are designed to melt the toner on to the paper at 355degrees Fahrenheit. This is the reason why the paper that comes out is hot and certain materials melt and jam the printer.