Each component inside a laser printer has its own mission to work together and deliver various prints. You can see the whole picture from our previous article: How Does Printer Toner Work?. Here, the main character in this article will be the Primary Charge Roller, commonly abbreviated to PCR.
What is a Primary Charge Roller (PCR)?
Widely used in laser printers, the primary charge roller is a cylinder made of metalcore and conductive rubber. Its main function is to adsorb toner evenly on the drum core to eliminate the residual potential on the drum core and prepare the drum for the next print job.
The Composition of Primary Charge Roller
A typical PCR is composed of different layers:
A. A metal shaft is at the core and the material is steel. The shaft is ground and plated.
B. A compound material, a conductive elastomer (foam or solid) inside with a semi-insulating coating on top, covers the core shaft. This compound is typically 0.1 - 0.2mm thick with the function to protect the OPC from arcing damage and to prevent lost charge.
The Function of Primary Charge Roller
PCR distributes static to the OPC drum, removes the remaining static, and once again, prepares to distribute static for the next print job. The image shows the interaction between the OPC drum and PCR during the printing inside a laser printer. PCR has two charges: AC and DC. The DC charge helps the OPC drum to receive the image from the laser beam and receive the toner from the Developer Roller. During the rotation, the AC charge removes the residual charge on the surface of the OPC Drum.
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