One of the few problems thermal labels printer repair technicians encounter is a bad print head. Considering a print head of a thermal printer from Zebra, Sato,  AMT, Datamax,and  Citizen are designed to imprint millions of characters before failure. Thermal label printers do not have fuser assemblies, paper pick up rollers or transfer roller as do laser printers that require more frequent repairs.

Prior to replacing or doing a thermal label printer repair of a zebra, Datamax Citizen or Sato printer you may want to consider doing a through cleaning of the print-head.  Zebra printer repair and maintenance technicians only replace the print head as a last resort. May times a certified label printer repair person can PM the the thermal printer and the printers print head to prevent a costly replacement. Print Heads range in price from $350 to well over $600 depending upon your printer model and manufacturer.  Qualified thermal printer printer repair technicians are not your average bred of people. If you use a laser printer technician or a computer tech to work on your expensive Zebra, Sato, Datamax or Citizen printer then you are taking a big risk.  Thermal printer repair is completely different than toner or ink based printer repairs.

Thermal printer print heads by Zebra, Datamax,  AMT, SATO and Citizen require alignment adjustments and calibrations that laser printers do not require all all.  Mis-aligned print heads will cause ghosting, lines and marks on labels if not properly service. It’s not just insert it in and let it run. This is were regular printer repair technicians and technicians trained on thermal printer repairs are different the knowledge required to determine if the bad images are due to calibration, alignment issues or the actual print head.

Make sure you receive the warranty statement on all thermal printer by Zebra, AMT, Datamax, Citizen and Sato printer repairs once services. Ask you therm printer repair company if you go to them or the manufacturer for warranty claims – if they say the manufacturer then switch vendors! Your Zebra, Sata, Datamax or AMT service company should be your point of contact for all print head warranties for the repairs they accomplished.   Most print heads come with a 6 month to 1 year limited warranty. If your company says 30-days then the part is either used or the printer repair company is not authorized and/or properly trained.

What used or refurbished HP printer is best for your company depends upon your requirements.  First, we will not consider the ink based models or the sub $800 printers due to their very low resale value.   This article will discuss the used and refurbished HP printers designed for  small and mid-size business class.  The criteria is based on HP best printers with low operating costs and a great history of dependable service.

If you are a small business looking to produce over 2,000 pages per month then the cost of the HP supplies and repairs costs should be a major concern. Many of the low end HP printers haev excessive per page costs. Per page cost is the amount of money it takes to produce a one page document. If you just look at the price tag of the laser printer you will loose big time. The lower end printers cost 3 to 4 times more than  higher end printers such as the P4015N and have a very short life. Its wiser to get a 2..3 year old HP 4250, HP 4350 or used P415N printer than has a per page cost of less than $0.008 (eight of a cent) than to purchase a $300 with a page cost of $0.03 (three cents or more) .

The HP 4250, HP 4350, P4015 are currently in the highest demand in the used refurbished HP printer market due to their durability,  longer lasting cartridges and overall low cost to operate. HP 4250 and HP 4350 repairs are inexpensive when you consider the mean time between failures. If you obtain a quality refurbished used HP printer then expect it to last 100,000 pages or more before you haev any problems.  The trick is to get a completely refurbished unit from a HP authorized repair center who offers on-site warranty service with the purchase of  the printer. Also, you want a unit with less than 150,000 pages if possible. The HP 4250 and HP 4350 has a life of  over 2,000,000 (two million) pages.

The thermal label printers by Zebra, Datamax, Citizen, Sato and others use old technology that is proven to last many years with few problems. The main part that wears out and meed thermal label printer repair is the print head. What i sthe first step to determine if the print head is bad and needs repair on the Zebra, Datamax and sato printers?

If you are getting a label image problem on your Zerba, datamax, sato or citizen thermal label prints check for a  build up of ribbon residue on the print head. Be careful not to scratch the print head when cleaning it.  Also, always unplug the label printers power. When doing label printer print head maintenance remember to only use non abrasive cleaner. Never use a scrubbing pad or or ruff texture cloth when cleaning the printer head of the Zebra, Datamax and Sato printers print head.  Some of these models cost several thousand dollars and print heads cost in the $300 to $500 dollar range depending upon you model and manufacturer of the thermal label printer so be careful.

If after doing the the thermal printer cleaning maintenance you are still getting poor images then you may want to call a service technician to adjust the gaping and alignment of the print head before repairing it.   Alignment and gaping of the print heat is usually not something a non-tech can accomplish when repairing the zebrea, sato and datamax printers.  Beyond the alignment check the ribbon to make sure it is aligned properly and i all else fails contact Advanced Business Computers for your label printer repair help.

Thumbtrack .com is a great site to list your business to achieve better seo ratings. You simply signup and connect to your companies website r blog for added exposure.   The more way you can increase your ratings, the more links you have going to you site and keywords used  effect your exposure in various search engines.  Thumbtack.com is on wya to add great exposure.

Printer, Copier, & Scanner Repair & Lease Supplies

The Copystar CS-3035, CS-4035, and CS-5035 are the same models as the Kyocera KM series (KM-3035, KM-4035, and cs-5035). They are both manufactured and distributor BY Kyocera corporation. They use the same copier print repair parts, maintenance kits, Drum units, and other internal components.  Eventual as with any copier printer, they need maintenance and replacement of parts. One to the main copier printer repairs parts consist of the drum unit. The drum that the Kyocera or Copystar copier printer scanner creates the image and then transfers the image onto the actual paper.

If you are having a fuzzy image problem, lines and/or back ground gray areas then the drum could be the cause of the problem. Usually, this requires a service technician or somebody with some knowledge of copier printer repair and adjustment to resolve. However, you can do the actual replacement yourself. The first step is to do a cleaning of he drum unit to se if the problem goes away or is reduced.

The process you are going to attempt is the “drum refresh” process that clears away debris from the drum area.  One that is done you will need to manually perform the copier printer transfer roller grid maintenance.

Here are the steps to doing the Kyocera Copystar drum refresh maintenance process:

1. Load paper into the MP tray on the right side of the Kyocera or Copystar model you want to repair. Use standard size or 11 x 17 size paper (11 x 17” I preferred to do a better cleaning).
2. Using the touch screen on the copier printer and select basic to get the screen back to the original screen.
3. No press the “Default setting/Counter” button above the number 1 key on the key pad – not on the touch screen.
4. On the touch screen select “User Adjustment” feature.
5. Select “Drum refresh” option on the screen . Make sure you already loaded the paper onto the MP tray.
6. Now press the “On” option located on the screen bottom right corner
7. The Drum refresh process should start. This copier printer maintenance task will take a few minutes. Be patient.  Once the process is completed you can close / end out the screens selections to get back to the “Basic” screen.

Now its time to manually perform the copier printer repair maintenance step of cleaning the transfer corona. This copier printer repair process is easy to accomplish.

1. Open the front cover and look for a blue brush/plastic piece that is usually on the door. If you do not fine t then get several cotton q-tip swab. DO NOT use your fingers or cloths that will leave fibers!!
2. Now look on the right side of the copier and pull open the top access door.
3. You will see the transfer roller assembly which you will need to clean. The transfer roller is a black (sometimes turns gray) sponge roller.
4. Now put everything back together and make sure you put the blue brush back.

Now run several test prints to see if the image improves. If it does not improve then you will need a certified Kyocera Copystar copier printer service repair technician to adjust the unit and possibly replace parts.

The high end HP printer scanner copiers designed for work groups, such as the HP 4345mfp and the current model  5035MFP are designed heavy usage. The HP printer scanner copier based unit is designed around the very reliable HP printer line. Basically they are the printers with the addition of the copier scanner fax  feeders and control boards. The use the all in one cartridge that contains the drum, toner, and pcr rollers so overtime you change the HP toner cartridge it’s like getting a new print engine. The repair of the HP 4345 MFP and the 5035 MFD copier printer scanners are quick and can be accomplished by any certified HP service center.

The repair costs and frequency for the HP 4345MFD and the 5035MFD are similar to the HP 4250 and HP 4350 models. They are work horses and when maintained properly with a mean repair period of 80,000 pages or more.  The ADF kit should last 80,000 to 120,000 pages and the internal maintenance kit 200,000 pages depending upon the paper used and who often you pm the machine.  The machine should be cleaned., lubricated and adjust approximately every 60,000 to 80,000 pages.  If you are in a dirty shop type of environment then the HP repair maintenance should be more frequent.

The HP 4345MFD and the HP 5035MFP are designed for a department size office of 5..10 staff members who produce  10,000 t0 20,000 pages per month.  New HP 5035MFD xs cost $599.99 and refurbished low page count copier printer scanner fax units average $2100.  The HP 4345MFD are discontinued at this time and refurbished copier printer scanner of this model range $1800 to $2000 with 90 day warranty.

The HP printer scanner maintenance repair kits for the ADF (automatic document feeder) and the 250,000 page maintenance kit are practically user installable. If you have good mechanic skill with a screw driver then you can repair or install the HP maintenance kits parts your self. However, when installing the HP 4345 and 5035 maintenance kits you should do a complete PM of the machine (lubrication and cleaning with a true toner vacuum) at the same time it ensure that parts last there expect life.

HP mid range and higher printers are considered work horses.  they are designed for easy printer fax copier repair and installation of maintenance kits.   However, thee are some exceptions to the rule.  The HP 4250 and HP 4350 series laser printers are work horse, but one with a problem.  Repairing the printers  normal problems such as paper feed issues and fuser assemblies are simple just like there previous models the HP 4200 and HP 4100 laser printers.  However, HP designed the drive gear/swing plate with a flaw: its plastic, it wear out often and you need to tear apart the printer in many pieces to repair.

The repair of the HP printer swing plate requires the removal of the coverings, circuit boards and other parts which takes an experience printer repair technician about an hour to complete.  Most technicians when learning how to do this repairs take 2 hours or more to do it.  It’s imp[important that you specify that you want a technician who has a proven repair record when doing this repair. It’s not  simple repair.  You will need to provide a good size printer repair work area the removal of the parts.

Also when repairing the swing plate of the HP laser printer you may need to replace the fuser assembly at the same time. The fuser assembly is a swap HP printer repair part that only takes a few minutes to accomplish.

Its not secret that document scanner has been increasing to digitize all documents for storage instead of printing them.  However, many people do not realize, that to prevent scanners repairs problems general maintenance is required. Just like copier printer repairs, scanners use feed rollers, separation pads,  pick up rollers repair to prevent paper jams.

Stand alone scanner repairs costs in many cases far exceed costs to repair similar problem with copier printer scanner all in one devices. Kodak and Fuji scanners are very expensive to maintain due to the companies keeping very tight control on parts and service personal (greatly limiting competition).  Of all the brands HP scanners and digital senders are the least expensive scanner repairs due to lower cost parts.  The scanner service repair main maintenance items that cause the most failures  are the ADF (automatic document feeder) parts. Depending upon your brand and model the ADF kits cost from $70  (HP, Brother, Kyocera, Canon on the lower end) to well over $350 (Fuji, Vissionaire and other brands).  Some maintenance parts, such as Fuji scanner cameras. could cost over thousand dollars!

How should you select a the best digital scanner sender?  First, determine the types of paper, paper sizes and estimate daily or monthly scans. This is very important. Not all digital scanners can handle all sizes of paper, have a large capacity ADF or have the ability to handle several  sizes in one stack. Now determine is you just want to scan the document or actually send (email) it to another site.  All digital scanners brands offer several choices.  Prior to buying one check what service calls costs, how much are maintenance programs

The current economic environment has lead to companies rethinking their desire to always have  new business class copier printer scanners. Leasing a new copier printer scanner is just like owning a new car, once its out of the show room it looses 30% of ti value but you are still liable for the full price! The trend to obtain recent model dealer select used printer copiers network equipment has driven the some brands of used copiers higher. Why?  Simple: dealers know which brands are durable and will provide trouble free usage for their clients.

What models and manufacturer are most in demand?  Currently, the number on based on review of three major off lease equipment companies (companies with an inventory of 3,000+ machines) are the Kyocera KM3035, 4035 and the 5035.  When they are received in from off lease they do not least more than a couple hours in inventory before a dealers grabs them. Kyocera copier printer scanner are know for their very high reliability and very long lasting maintenance kit. The Kyocera maintenance kit ha an estimated like of 400,000 pages.  The far superior than Canon, Ricoh, Minolta, Toshiba, Sharp and other brands.

Beyond the Kyocera the next brand are Ricoh and then Sharp brands.  Be very careful when purchasing a used refurbished copier printer  from a company going out of business.  We get calls all day long form people who said hey got a great dealer only to learn the machine is 7 to 12 years old and it needs maintenance. Copier printer scanner maintenance can run into the hundreds of dollars.  the company is going out of business so do you think they maintained their copier printers?

Before you buy a machine get the meter count, supply/maintenance status page and the then call to get the true value of the used copier printer before you buy. Or post a question here. for a quick reply.  The used refurbished printer copier resource is updated everyday and a simple questions will tell you if you are getting a deal or not.

Brother toner based MFC have been in the forefront of the multi-function all in one printer scanner copiers for the since the nineties long before Hewlett Packard  and other brands.  Brother produces good quality toner based small off and home based office printer copiers that have always preform well. Brother MFC ink based ones are very popular due to low cost. This article covers the toner based MFC color all in one repair maintenance image problems.

Repairing and performing maintenance on the Brother color copier printer scanners is not difficult if you know the steps to take. First, is to determine the cause of the problem. Just like when repairing HP, Lexmark and other copier printer scanners use the process on elimination. All color printer copiers contain four toner cartridges, a set of drums, imaging unit and fuser. Depending upon what the actual image repair maintenance problem looks like will determine which part to replace.

If the printer copier repair image problem only effects one color (black lines on color pages, or getting blue streaks/spots but not yellow, black or magenta, etc.) then you can eliminate the imaging unit and the fuser as the problem.   On the Brother MFC 9840, 9440 and similar models it uses one drum unit and four separate toner cartridges.  If you are only having problems with the cyan (Blue) then you either need to replace the cyan toner or the drum unit.  If the printer repair image problem is a yellow line then its the yellow toner or drum unit. If you are having a black line then things are a bit different because the problem can be the fuser too.

Now if the image problem does not follow and one particular problem then the cause could be the drum, image unit or the fuser. Print out several pages and see if the image problem is a pattern (repeats two or more times per page) or is a print repair maintenance problem along the whole page.  The image unit rotates once per page, the drums approx 3 times and the fuser 5 times per page.

The next step is to pull out the image unit, drum unit and he fuser and try to match the printer image problem with the actual unit.  If your technician has repair and performed printer copier maintenance repair worked on the Brother and other brands such as HP, Lexmark, Ricoh and canons then over the phone they should be able to diagnose the problem with 97% accuracy without you spending a dime of your money upfront.  If they can not give you an idea and you are in South Florida contact Advanced Business Computers printer copier repair department.