Maintenance Basics | First Transfer Unit(Part 6)

In this installment of our "Maintenance Basics" series, we will explore the First Transfer Unit of the Konica Minolta color printer, with the C364 model as our reference. Understanding how the First Transfer Unit operates is crucial for maintaining high print quality and ensuring the longevity of your printer.

Drive

The transfer belt is driven by the transmission motor. When the left driven roller of the transfer belt rotates, it will rotate the waste toner transmission screw of the cleaning mechanism and discharge the cleaned waste toner into the waste toner cartridge.

 

First transfer roller

There are four first image transfer rollers inside the transfer belt to transfer the image on the photosensitive drum.

• The black water transfer roller is always pressed on the surface of the photosensitive drum.
• CMY provides a pressurization/retraction mechanism, which presses down when needed and retracts when not needed, which can reduce the wear of the photosensitive drum and transfer belt.

The fixing motor + first transfer pressurization clutch cooperate with each other to provide driving force for the pressurization/retraction mechanism.

• When the "first transfer pressurization clutch" is engaged, the driving force of the fixing motor is transmitted to the drive gear.
• The drive gear then drives the pressurization cam to push the slide plate to pressurize the first transfer roller.
• The tear plate front end activator and the first transfer pressurization sensor detect whether the pressurization is in place.

 

First transfer roller pressure/retraction control

• In color mode, all four colors of the first transfer roller will be pressurized and pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum. If the first page is in color, the output time is faster.

 

• In black and white mode, only the black/first transfer roller is pressed on the black drum surface, the color first transfer roller is in a retracted state, and the color photosensitive drum unit and developer unit stop rotating. If the first page is black and white, the output time is faster.

 

Note:

1. The black and white mode and color mode mentioned here are not the default black and white or default color on the operation panel, but the pressurized retraction state of the first transfer roller.
2. The device has an ACS automatic color selection mode. When we select "automatic color mode" on the panel, the system will automatically switch according to the judgment of the black and white color and cyan status of the original. ACS is not executed in other modes.

 

Transfer voltage

The system applies transfer current from the high-voltage unit to the first transfer roller of each color

Transfer belt cleaning

1. The transfer belt is equipped with a cleaning scraper to clean the residual toner on the surface, and then transfer it to the waste toner box through the toner collection screw.
2. When each print job is completed, the transfer belt will slightly reverse and then rotate forward to remove foreign matter from the edge of the cleaning scraper.

Service life

The transfer belt life is determined based on the print counter and the transfer belt rotation time counter

• When the print counter or the transfer belt rotation time counter value reaches the service life threshold (printing is allowed, but exceeds the image quality guarantee range), the service life arrival screen will be displayed.
• When the print counter or the transfer belt rotation time counter value reaches the service life end threshold (printing is prohibited), the service life end screen will be displayed.
• The transfer belt is not equipped with any new parts detection mechanism. After replacing the new transfer belt, it is necessary to perform the "new product release" (counter clearing) operation in the maintenance mode.

 

Conclusion

Maintaining the First Transfer Unit of your Konica Minolta C364 is essential for ensuring high print quality and extending the life of your printer. Regular checks, proper handling, and timely replacement of components like the transfer belt and rollers will keep your printer performing optimally.