The printer fuser is necessary for a printer to function properly.
In this article, we will discuss what is a printer fuser, how to it works, and what are its functions in detail. Have a look!
What Is A Printer Fuser?
A printer fuser or fuser is an essential part of the laser printer without which it cannot print.
Only laser printers have fusers and they are not used in inkjet printers.
The fusers are used to heat the toner powder and fuse with the paper fibers and form the content of the print.
How Does The Laser Printer Function?
So, what does the fuser do in a laser printer?
Due to this fuser, the toner ink sticks to the paper. Whenever you want to print something, the ink drum spreads out the ink into the pattern of the image to be printed.
The fuser consists of a pair of rollers. The ink goes between the rollers of the print fuser.
The pressure and heat of the fuser integrate the ink on the paper without smudging it.
This is the reason why the printout is warm when you take it out from the printer.
The printer rollers are covered in Teflon for preventing the wet ink from sticking to the printer rollers.
The pressure and heat of the fuser rollers maintain the speed & accuracy f printing.
Though this heat can cause frequent problems they can be dealt with easily.
The life of a laser printer depends upon the amount of toner it has used and the number of papers it has printed.
What Are The Printer Fusers Made Of?
Here are the parts of a printer fuser described in detail.
Rollers and Roller Sleeves
The fuser consists of two rollers. The top roller is made up of aluminum and coated with Teflon. The bottom roller is like a solid tube, coated with rubber.
The top roller is very hot as its melts the toner particles in the paper.
During double-sided printing, the bottom roller also gets heated up. Springs are used to holding the two rollers in place.
These springs are attached to clips and if you want to change the rollers you will have to detach those springs.
Thermostat
The thermostat prevents the fuser from getting overheated. There is a certain speed the paper should pass through the rollers, else it will burn, When heated the fuser can reach temperatures up to 420 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.
Heat Lamp
A heat lamp is a halogen bulb or a heating element inside the heated roller. it is one of the essential parts of the printer fuser.
If the printer fuse does not get hot then you can be sure that the heater lamp is no longer working.
Thermistor
A thermistor is a resistor touching the roller exactly at the place the paper enters the printer fuser.
The function of a thermistor is to control the heat of the fuser.
After the required temperature is reached, this thermistor signals the heating element or the heat lamp to shut off.
If the fuser fails to reach the required temperature you will see an error in the printer.
Electrostatic Strip
Electrostatic strip is a series of metallic tassels that is used for discharging electrostatic energy on the paper used for printing.
Fuser rollers have gears located at the ends of them. These gears are made up of hard plastic. It should turn freely and none of the teeth should be missing to make it function properly.
The Bushings are situated between the rollers and the gears. This prevents the rollers to get bent and distort.
What Are The Signs Of A Defective Fuser?
So, when do you know you need to pay extra attention to your printer fuser? Here are a few basic symptoms of a bad fuser:
- Printer Noise: Sometimes you may hear some humming or grinding noise coming from the fuser. When the gear becomes defective then you hear such kinds of noise.
- Poor quality of the image: If you see some vertical line on your printed sheet, poor quality, or overlapping images, then there may be a problem with the fuser.
- Paper Jam: If the fuser is failing then the papers may start to jam frequently or they may burn up while printing.
- Error Codes: There are some primary fuser error codes that you may get due to a problematic fuser.
- The fuser may not get heated up: If you find the fuser is no longer getting heated up or the paper is moving out of alignment then it is time you should pay attention to the fuser.
How Should You Take Care Of Your Printer Fuser?
Here is what you should do o take proper care of the fuser so that they don’t wear out easily:
- Clean the fuser rollers: You should clean the fuser rollers as they can collect dust particles and debris. You can clean the fuser using a clean, dry cloth.
Make sure to clean the Thermostat sensor with a clean dry cloth.
- Check the heater lamp: If the heater lamp is not working, then replace those as this can be one of the main reasons for a fuser failure.
- Use proper ink cartridges: Make sure to use original ink cartridges only otherwise you may have compatibility issues.
- Use proper paper: Do not use too thick or too thin or any poorly recycled paper.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
- What causes a printer fuser to go bad?
Overheating is the main cause for a printer fuser to go bad. The use of too thin, too thick paper may overheat the printer fuser.
- How do you know if I need a new fuser for my printer?
If you see black lines, overlapping images, smudging, or streaking then this suggests that the printer fuser is defective and you need to replace it with a new one.
- How long should a printer fuser last?
The life of a printer fuser is dependent on the number of pages you print and the amount of toner you use.
Small cheap printers have less span of life compared to big expensive ones.
On average, a printer can print between 50,000 to 2,00,000 pages.
Final Words
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