5090/ Docutech Installation Manual

By Raymond Cote

In the last few months I have had several questions concerning installation procedures on the Xerox 5090 copier and would like to share my notes with the field on this issue. Let me say from the beginning: It is infinitely important to have the correct documentation from the manufacturer—it will make life so much more enjoyable. However, if you are an ex-Xerox technician you have a fairly good idea on how to do the installation, and probably will only need some supplemental information to complete it.

 Caveats to consider

This service documentation is being supplied to you, the reader, for informational purposes only. The manufacturer’s documentation is intended for use by certified technicians. The Xerox 5090 and Docutech generate and radiate radio frequency energy; if not installed properly, they may cause interference to radio communications. These copiers will produce ozone while operating, the amount determined by the customer’s volume. Do not tamper with the ozone filter system! If more information is needed, please contact Xerox at 800-828-6571 and ask for a bulletin on “Ozone.”

Space requirements

Position the processor and the finisher in the approximate location before doing the actual installation. Keep in mind that when the processor and finisher are permanently docked together they will not be moveable like a desktop copier. The manufacturer recommends at least 24 inches at the rear of the copier and 36 inches on the left side of the processor and right side of the finisher. Sufficient space to work on the machine is critical because, while you are working on the equipment, movement of your body can be dangerous while the copier is running. And there will be times, for example, when you have to watch moving parts to see where a noise is emanating from. The front of the machine is also an issue to be reckoned with as well. Opening the processor front doors to their full capacity is not something to be compromised. Keep in mind that the front doors have to be fully opened in order to slide out the photoreceptor belt module. With the photoreceptor belt module fully extended, at least 24 inches of clearance is needed for servicing. With both processor doors closed, the manufacturer recommends 50 inches at a minimum.

To rail or not to rail

The manufacturer recommends that the 5090 copier be installed on rails. Although there are some strong merits to using the rails, I do not truly believe they are needed. I will always stand by the decision that using the jacks—to level the machine and to prevent movement while it is running—is the best way to go. In some districts, Xerox will not service the 5090 copier if it is not on rails and will require the customer to purchase the rails and have them installed under the copier. If you ask me, as a tech specialist, I will tell you that the copier doesn’t need the rails. If you are servicing this copier, don’t worry about it. Just do it.

Unpacking the copier

Once the copier is in its final position and the finisher is docked to the processor, install the jacks under the copier (and finisher) and make sure the copier is level front to back and side to side. When installing the jacks, do not try to jack it up to the second story; just take the weight off the casters so it will not “walk” while operating. Check your voltages at the outlet before you plug it in. On a four-wire plug, make sure you have at least 210 volts AC across the two hot legs, and at least 120 volts AC from each of the hot legs to neutral. Also check neutral to ground—the voltage should be less than 2 volts AC.

Now, remove all packing devices and tape; unlock the fuser drawer and inspect it for packing materials. Remove all foreign objects and make sure the connectors are in place on the metering assembly. While there, inspect the overheat thermostat, fuser wick, and the doctor blade assemblies—or replace them at this time if they are worn. Fill the oil pan with two (2) bottles of fuser agent. Make sure the metering assembly has just enough fuser agent to cover the bottom of the tray and the fuser wick is properly wet with fuser agent.

Next, open the photoreceptor belt module and slide it out to the service position. Before opening the module, kneel down on the floor and inspect the photoreceptor ground brush to see if it is actually touching the photoreceptor belt. If there is sufficient contact with the PR belt, then open the belt module and vacuum out the whole assembly. Dump any developer in the developer housing and install new developer. (Here’s a tip: When installing developer, use the crank to manually rotate [clockwise] the mag rollers while adding the developer.) Pour the developer from the bottle directly on the mag rollers from top to bottom, evenly coating the rollers. Use both bottles of developer that comes in the box. If there is a PR belt in the copier, do not replace it until the install is almost complete. It is recommended that we wait until the copier is running before we replace the belt, just in case there is an unseen disaster. Install a toner cartridge (in the toner dispenser) if it needs one and close the drawer at this time.

Now. Check all five (5) dicorotrons for cleanliness and any physical damage to them. Charge one, Charge two and the Preclean dicorotron should be the yellow-chopped dicors (Xerox part number 125K1450). The Detack and Transfer Dicors should be the white ones (Xerox part number 125K1081). Check and clean with a soft dry cloth all five Dicorotron shields (Xerox part number 55K520). Incidentally, while the dicorotrons are out of the machine we can inspect the connectors for any discoloration or foreign matter; if you notice any discoloration of the connectors, it indicates that arcing is taking place and should be replaced. Install a new transfer assist blade (Xerox part number 33K750) on the transfer dicorotron assembly. Re-install all dicorotrons and shields and replace all inner panels in the copier. Make sure the finisher is locked in the docked position and tighten up on the 10mm screw that locks the lever(s) in position.

Place three jacks under the finisher and extend the jacks until the weight just is off the floor. Inspect the finisher for any packing tape or devices associated with shipping. Make sure all doors are working and staying closed. This is a good time to vacuum out the whole copier and clean it up before attaching the power cord to the copier. Clean the copier using a mild spray cleaner and a moist cloth. You would be surprised how different a clean copier looks. (If you have the time and money, you may want to consider sending out all the panels and doors to a body shop to have them spray-painted. As an ISO (independent service organization), my company has experimented with soft pastel colors and it has changed the copier so drastically that people have to ask us if this is really a Xerox machine!)

Putting it all together

With all the rear panels still off, install all connectors from the finisher to the processor. You will note that there are several connectors that originate from the finisher that have to be plugged into the processor’s low voltage power supply. Each one is clearly identified with a number. Connect all ground straps to the processor frame, and the air hose from the finisher compressor to the processor compressor.

Next, complete the bus line connectors to the finisher Core PWB and the PHN DIO PWB. There will be three bus lines going to the finisher—all three should be marked with their destination to the various PWB’s. When you are connecting the shared lines (bus line) to the various PWB’s, you will feel (and sometimes hear) a distinct click when they are being mated. Make sure that you do not go beyond the “click” when mating the lines; If you do, pull it back slightly until it “clicks” in the home position. Many problems have emanated from bus lines that have been pushed in too far (beyond the “click”) or if the connectors themselves become loose from mating and un-mating them over the life of the bus lines and connectors. (NOTE: Do not forget to use the ground strap from the finisher to the Low Voltage Power Supply. Without this ground strap, there will be problems.)

With all the plugs/jacks, ground straps and bus lines connected, we can now hand-crank the copier to see if there is anything holding it immobile. While on your hands and knees, locate the main drive motor (behind the AC maintenance panel) and lower it to access the motor. Use a 10mm ratchet wrench (with a two (2) inch extension) and rotate the motor in the direction of the arrow on the motor. Keep in sight all moving components and belts. If there is no (great) resistance to turning the machine by hand, then it probably is OK to proceed to the power-up step.

Power, Power

The wall outlet should have been checked by this time, and I want to add that you (the tech) should not take the word of anyone that the power is “just fine.” Always check the wall outlet first. Electricians are people, and people do make mistakes. It reminds me of an incident while doing an installation in northern New Jersey a few years back: The customer said the electrician completed his assignment and power was available. He was right; they had power, 440 volts at the outlet. The electrician had a request for a device that was not on his power list. The customer and the electrician argued over who made the mistake. Bottom line: You, the tech, would have been held accountable for someone’s mistake. Trust me on this one. We live in a society where we all love to point a finger at someone else when something bad happens.

Fortunately, the power cord is color-coded for easy installation to the power block in the rear of the copier. It’s a no-brainer, and make sure the ground connection is tight. Install the black (inspection) cover on the power connection device.

With all this said and done, it’s time to power up. Install the plug and trip all circuit breakers, switch on the copier and power up. While the power-up is in progress, keep an eye on the machine to see if anything weird is happening—smoke, sparks, fire or what-have-you. Anything could happen—and if you believe in Murphy’s Law, it will happen.

By the way, never compromise the Underwriters Libratory (UL) certification unless you are independently wealthy and want to pay big bucks for a Band-aid on an electrical repair. If you see something that dose not conforms to UL, stop and correct the situation. If the customer wants to ignore the safety issue pack your bag and head for the hills.

Red Light, Green Light, One, Two, Three

By this time the copier should be counting to 14—at milestone 14 the software is fully loaded and you should hear a distinct “thump, thump” from the document handler. The “thump, thump” is the servo motors cycling. The operator screen should be brightly lit and the message “Please wait, fuser is warming up” should be clearly displayed near the top of the UI screen. Meanwhile in the rear of the machine you will notice the fuser rod glowing brightly, indicating that the fuser is in fact warming up the fuser heat roller. If the system was assembled correctly you should see a “ready” indication after about seven (7) minutes.

When you reach the ready condition, enter “diagnostics” and access the DC-330 component control. Select “DC-330” and then “chain 1.” Select “main drive,” but before you press the start button be prepared to open a door if you hear a loud noise or any indication there might be a problem. (So, here we are—with one hand on the front door and the other one poised to punch the start button, we must look like the Karate Kid or something!) OK, press the print switch and prepare for the worse. Once the copier starts to run (in diagnosis) and there are no strange noises or weird odors emanating from the copier, sneak around to the back of the copier and inspect (do not touch anything, especially if it’s moving) all drive components, belts, idlers or any device that seems to be moving. Let it idle like this for a few minutes to insure all motors and systems are functioning. Usually, not always, when there is a problem with power up and running the copier it will show up now.

Press the stop button and select the “Current Program” icon. Place a clean “original document” on the (clean) platen glass. select 10 copies and press Start Print. The copier will start and the message “Adjusting Copy Quality” will be displayed on the UI. After the copies are delivered to the face-up tray we can start to make the final adjustments on this copier. Usually, but not always, when a copier is shipped, the photoreceptor belt is usually damaged in some way. Now is the time to install a new one and run the DC-951 diagnostics to break in the new developer and photoreceptor belt. Load five reams of paper in tray 3 and select DC-951. When the system is ready press start print and watch the bells and whistles ring as the copier goes through its “automatic adjustment procedure”. Depending on the age and condition of the flash lamps (Xerox part number 122E275) and the photoreceptor belt (Xerox part number 1R88), it can take anywhere between 550 to 750 copies before it finally passes the DC 951 automatic set up. If it takes more than 1,000 sheets of paper that could indicate a problem somewhere.

As always, when working on a Xerox copier the technician should always be prepared with the proper service documentation because, idealistically speaking, you will never have a trouble-free installation and the proper documentation is always needed. Actually, it has been my experience to have (an almost) trouble-free installation if and when I have the proper documentation available. But if I forget one manual, the copier seems to sense this and will not let me get away with that. It’s almost psychic. Sometimes I think the machine is alive and waiting for me: “Let’s get the tech!”

All kidding aside—if we made it this far then the machine should be exercised and turned over to the customer for use.

I want to thank the field for some very interesting observations and fixes for some re-occurring machine problems. Next month I would like to discuss the painting of the optics cavity in the Xerox 5090 copier—something that is urgently needed if and when you start getting all the weird 09-xxx codes.

Raymond Cote can be reached at 718-931-2830 or e-mail: VillageCopierNY@AOL.COM.