Resolving The Replace Brother Drum Message
This replace drum message is a problem that we get asked about frequently. So if this has happened to you, please be assured that youre not alone! Fixing or replacing your Brother drum is a simple process that anyone can do.
Heres exactly what you can learn from this page to help you to replace or resolve your Brother drum message:
- What does the Replace Drum message mean?
- How to find, remove and replace the Brother drum
- How to reset the drum and clear the Replace Drum message.
- Where to buy a new Brother Drum Unit.
Drum Units Vs Toner Cartridges: Whats The Difference
There is a great amount of variation between different inkjet printer models and even between different brand inkjet printers in terms of structure and designing. While the same level of high variation doesnt exist when it comes to laser printer brands and models, this doesnt mean that there isnt some kind of variation. The variations are just more subtle in laser printers than in inkjet printers. For instance, take the dilemma of drum units vs. toner cartridges.
Both these components of laser printers are seen as consumables. However, some laser printer brands or models are structured in a way that you dont have to replace both of them. In some models, youll just have to replace one component regularly while in others both are separate.
If youve owned and used laser printers for some time then you already know what the implications are of drum units vs. toner cartridges. This would be especially true if youve been handling the maintenance of your laser printers yourself. However, drum units vs. toner cartridges is something that most laser printer users cant wrap their heads around.
Even so, understanding the implications of drum units vs. toner cartridges can be crucial for both, your pocket and your print quality. Here is a small guide on drum units vs. toner cartridges designed to help you get a better grasp of the nuances.
Color Vs Monochrome Printing
Color toner works essentially the same way as monochrome toner, except the process is repeated for each of the toner colors.
The standard toner colors are cyan , magenta , yellow and black. The black is needed because the three primary colors can be combined to form any color except black.
The reason for this is black is not technically a color, but the complete absence of color.
These four toner colors, when combined at varying levels of saturation and lightness, can produce millions of different shades and hues.
This quick guided tour of toner cartridges should help provide a basic understanding of how they work.
The current technology of toner cartridges has allowed laser printers to dominate the office printing market.
In the years to come, new designs of toner cartridges promise to provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for office and home printing.
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Do I Need To Replace The Drum On My Brother Printer
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The drums should be replaced as a set in order to maintain print quality. Unlike the toner cartridges, the drum change is not automatically detected the machine when they are replaced. The drum counter must be reset manually.
Additionally, how do I get rid of the Replace Drum message on my Brother printer? I still receive the error message “Replace Drum”, or “Drum End Soon” after I replace the drum unit with a new one.
Moreover, how long should a drum last in Brother printer?
On average, a Brother drum will last as long as 3-4 Brother toner cartridges, so eventually over time you’ll have to replace the drum to make sure you get high quality prints consistently.
How do you know when your printer drum needs replacing?
Can The Imaging Drum Be Cleaned
At this point, we would strongly dissuade you from even touching the imaging drum at all. Dirt on the drum can often be spotted even before the drum is removed. Please consider that an imaging drum is extremely delicate and that by no means should it come in contact with liquids with the exception of rubbing alcohol.
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History Of The Printer
Before our modern-day printer with its incredible level of precision, the field of printing materials used very draconian methods and machinery. Until the 1980s, the concept of a personal computer was basically non-existent. There were only a few who had hard copies or the infamous dot matrix printers. These made horrendous screeching noises during the process of printing. The dot matrix printer used a grid of tiny metal needles, pressed against an inked ribbon, to form the shapes of letters, numbers and symbols on the page. They printed each character individually, line by line, at a typical speed of about 80 characters per second, so a page would take about a minute to print. These dot matrix printers can still be seen in use, as they are today used for printing bills and address labels.
The funny thing is that laser printers were already in the developmental stages as early as the 1960s. The current laser printers you see today were created by Gary Starkweather. He was an employee of Xerox and developed the principles of the laser printer of the Xerox machine, which was the flagship model of the company. After its completion, the first laser printer was named Dover and was sold by the company for a whopping $300,000 per unit. What made it so special during its time was the fact that it was able to print 60 copies per minute .
How Does The Cartridge Work
In most cartridges, the toner hopper, developer and drum assembly are all part of the replaceable cartridge unit.
When an image or text is being printed on paper, the printer gathers toner from the hopper with the developer.
The developer, composed of negatively-charged magnetic beads attached to a metal roller, moves through the hopper gathering toner.
The developer collects positively-charged toner particles and brushes them past the drum assembly.
The electrostatic image on the drum has a stronger negative charge than the beads on the developer, so the toner is pulled from the developer onto the drum.
Next, the drum moves over the paper. The paper has an even stronger negative charge than the drum, and pulls the toner particles off of the drum in the shape of the electrostatic image.
Next, the paper is discharged by the detac corona wire.
At this point, gravity is the only thing keeping the toner in place. In order to affix the toner, the paper needs to pass through the fuser rollers, which are heated by internal quartz tube lamps.
The heat melts the plastic in the toner particles, causing the toner to be absorbed into the paper fibers.
Although the melted plastic sticks to the paper, it does not adhere to the heated fuser rollers.
This is possible because the rollers are coated with Teflon, the same material that helps food slide out of non-stick frying pans.
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Techopedia Explains Drum Printer
An older form of printer that is now considered obsolete was called a drum printer because it had printed characters etched on a physical drum that spun around and impacted paper in specific ways. A series of hammers behind the paper would press the paper onto the drum at the right time, to create text on a page. This mechanical and analog type of printer has long been out of date as newer inkjet and laser jet printers use more sophisticated imaging and printing technology.
A newer kind of drum printer is a laser printer that uses a drum to hold paper in place. In this newer type of drum laser printer, the drum receives an image from the laser and transfers it onto the paper. The drum is coated with photoreceptor materials. The drum gets an electrostatic charge, and light from the laser removes that charge to create positive and negative areas to which the toner sticks.
How Often Do Imaging Drums Have To Be Replaced
In the course of time, the coating of the imaging drum loses its photoelectric properties and suffers as a result of the mechanical strain, for instance due to contact with paper. Especially inferior paper which is particularly thin can leave residues on the imaging drum. Likewise, toner residues result in a badly printed image.
There are three significant distinctions for imaging drums:
- Imaging drums, which are part of the toner cartridge
- Replaceable imaging drums
- Permanent imaging drums
A replacement of the imaging unit should be considered particularly when:
- the printer requests a new imaging drum
- the print-outs exhibit vertical stripes and reiterating spots.
In the case of semi-permanent drums one can say that for every four to five toner changes, a new drum is also necessary.
Imaging drum in a combined cartridge .
Shown on the picture: A HP toner cartridge with integrated imaging drum. The imaging drum already displays the first small scratches on the surface due to wear.
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What Is A Drum Cartridge
A drum cartridge/ imaging unit refers to the part that is attached to a tone cartridge. Its a metal cylinder with a unique coating to receive a static charge from the laser light. In essence, the drum unit isnt the part with the color.
Instead, its the part that helps the image or text stick to the print paper. Thanks to the photosensitive coating covering the cylinder.
Cleaning The Printer Drum
Your printer drum may not be worn out. It may just be dirty. To clean your printer drum, refer to your owners manual for how to access and remove it. Always wear plastic gloves while handling the printer drum as the oils from your hands can damage it. Use paper towels, q-tips, and rubbing alcohol to gently remove excess toner from the drum’s surface.
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Difference Between Drum Unit And Toner Cartridge
The toner cartridge and drum unit are different consumables. They are used in the Brother machine, and the machine requires both consumables.
What is the toner cartridge?
The toner cartridge contains powder used for creating letters and images.
You need to replace the toner cartridge when the toner is running short or print quality becomes poor because of toner deterioration.
Example: The toner cartridges for color laser model MFC-9840CDW :
What is the drum unit?
The drum unit transfers the toner to the paper.
The laser printer puts the toner on the roller called “The photosensitive drum” inside the drum unit, and then prints letters and images by fixing toner to the paper by heat and pressure.
To keep good print quality, the Brother machine detects the quality deterioration of the drum unit automatically. If the Brother machine displays “Replace drum” error message, you need to replace the drum unit.
Example: The drum unit of color laser model MFC-9840CDW :
How to use the toner cartridge and the drum unit:
To use the consumables, put the toner cartridge into the drum unit.
Example 2: The case to put the toner cartridges into the drum unit for color laser model MFC-9840CDW:
If the toner runs out or the toner cartridge/drum unit comes to the end of its life, separate the toner cartridge and drum unit and replace the unusable consumable only.
Changing The Drum Unit
The procedure for replacing the drum unit varies on your printer’s brand and model. In general, look for a front or back door on the printer that opens to reveal the toner and drum unit. Typically, you’ll need to press a button or flip a switch to release the toner and drum unit. When removing the toner cartridge, hold it only by its sides and don’t touch the strip on the front or inside the cartridge. Doing so may cause printing problems. Put the toner cartridge and the old drum unit on paper towels to avoid staining any surfaces. Remove the new drum unit from its packaging only when you’re ready to install it because exposure to light can damage the unit.
Once you’ve replaced the drum unit, you will need to reset the drum counter so the printer recognizes the new unit. If you don’t do this, you might not be able to print, since the printer “thinks” you’re still using the old unit. Check your printer’s manual for the proper way to reset the drum unit.
References
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What Is A Toner Cartridge
As you can see, both toner and drum cartridges work together to produce the expected results. More importantly, one component will not function without the other.
So, without a drum cartridge, the toner particles will not be transferred to the paper. And without the toner cartridge, there are no particles to transfer onto the paper for printing.
How Does A Scanner Improve Work On A Printer Or Computer
If youve never been faced with the prospect of buying a scanner, you may be wondering what advantage a printer would have over a digital camera. Mainly, scanners have the added benefit of being completely enclosed and controlled image capturing environments. Theres no risk of scanning an image thats poorly focused and you never have to consider motion blur and improper lighting. Often, scanners even have auto correction effects that improve aspects of images and documents before you even begin the editing process. When scanning, dust removal and crookedness correction, for example, are automatically applied to documents.
While there are a number of benefits to using a scanner, there are many more customization options available, making the process a little more complex. Theres always the right combination of speed, image quality, and portability to ensure your images are uploaded quickly and correctly.
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How Does A Scanner Actually Work On A Printer
Flatbed scanners grew to prominence in the 1980s, but were relegated to low resolutions until the late 1990s, when personal computer use was at an all-time high for the 20th century. The ability of a scanner to produce higher resolution images was also improving, as the scanner was able to cram more DPI, or dots per inch, into each scanned document. New demand for digitizing documents presented an opportunity to improve the methodology of the scanner like never before.
While scanning technology is constantly improving, currently, scanners typically go through these steps once a document is placed face down on the glass surface:
- A light sensor array attached to the scan head inside of the machine passes under the document, while a light inside illuminates the document.
- Many mirrors and lenses pass the light from the scanned document back into the light sensory array.
- A lens splits the colors of the light and the charge is measured by the scanner.
- Those measurements are converted to binary, so it can be read by a computer and interpreted as an image.
- The image is printed onto an attached printer or uploaded into the computer.
A scanner is generally built with a lid that is equipped with a pad for reflecting the most amount of light possible over the document to ensure that every aspect of the text or image is captured. The brightness of the light hitting the sensor determines how much of an electrical charge is produced.
What Is The Difference Between The Toner Cartridge And The Drum Unit
The toner cartridge and drum unit are different consumables. They are used in the Brother machine, and the machine requires both consumables.
What is the toner cartridge?
The toner cartridge contains powder used for creating letters and images.
You need to replace the toner cartridge when the toner is running short or print quality becomes poor because of toner deterioration.
The toner cartridge of monochrome laser model MFC-7840W
The toner cartridge of color laser model MFC-9840W
What is the drum unit?
The drum unit transfers the toner to the paper.
The laser printer puts the toner on the roller called “The photosensitive drum” inside the drum unit, and then prints letters and images by fixing toner to the paper by heat and pressure.
To keep good print quality, the Brother machine detects the quality deterioration of the drum unit automatically. If the Brother machine displays “Replace drum” error message, you need to replace the drum unit.
The drum unit of monochrome laser model MFC-7840W
The drum unit of color laser model MFC-9840W
How to use the toner cartridge and the drum unit
To use the consumables, put the toner cartridge into the drum unit.
The case to put the toner cartridge into the drum unit for monochrome laser model MFC-7840W
The case to put the toner cartridges into the drum unit for color laser model MFC-9840CDW
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When Should I Replace My Brother Drum
The Brother machine will display a Replace Drum or Drum Stop message when the machine has printed approximately 15,000 pages. The drums should be replaced as a set in order to maintain print quality. Unlike the toner cartridges, the drum change is not automatically detected by the machine when they are replaced.
How A Printer Drum Works
The drum is at the heart of your laser printer. It picks up toner using a static charge and then distributes it to the paper. First the entire drum is given a negative charge which repels toner. A laser decreases the charge everywhere it fires, which makes it attractive to toner. As the drum passes by the toner cartridge, toner sticks only to the areas with a lower charge, where the laser has fired. When it passes over a statically charged piece of paper, the toner is drawn off the drum and onto the paper.
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