Electrophotographic Process Lexmark MX/MS310-610

This monochrome laser printer uses the Electrophotographic Process (EP Process) to deliver high quality print at high speed.
The EP Process steps are as follows:

EP Step	Function
Charge	The charge roll deposits a uniform negative electrostatic charge on the light-sensitive surface of the photoconductor drum.
Expose	Laser light enters the cartridge and strikes the photoconductor (PC) drum in areas to be developed, forming an invisible (latent) electrostatic image of the desired print.
Develop	Once the laser exposes the photoconductor, the HVPS sends charge to the developer roll. Because of the charge difference between the toner on the developer roller and the electrostatic image created by the laser, the toner is attracted to areas of the photoconductor surface exposed by the laser.
Transfer	As the media travels between the transfer roll and the photoconductor, the transfer roll applies a positive charge to the back of the media. This positive charge attracts the negatively charged toner image from the photoconductor to the top surface of the media.
Fuse	The media – now with a “toned” image – moves through the fuser assembly. Using heat and pressure, toner is bonded permanently to the media.
Clean	The cleaning blade removes any toner that remains on the photoconductor after the transfer process. The toner removed is collected in the Imaging Unit’s waster toner bottle.

If a component fails, it is important to recognize at which step the failure took place. By knowing this, you can determine the source of the problem. Understanding the EP Process is the key to troubleshooting print quality problems.


EP Process Components Cross-Sectional