Optics Painting for Xerox 5090 Family of Copiers
By Raymond Cote

 

Summer is over and for the most part everyone at work is behind their desk bright eyed and bushy tailed. Usually after Labor Day we notice the volumes starting to build and we also have noted that service activity is starting to increase as well. It has been my observation that service activity increases because of the fact that most copier machines sit idle or volumes drop off to almost a trickle during the summer months. Usually a week after Labor Day volumes start to build and we start seeing the results of copier inactivity. 

For some unknown reason it seems as if this is the month when we start replacing Photoreceptor belts (1R88) for various problems. Quite a few technicians have asked me: When should I paint the optics tub on the Xerox 5090 (family of copiers)?  Actually there are several indications that you should be aware of. One of the biggest tip offs is a rash of unexplained 09-xxx system faults where you replace the photoreceptor belt (1R88) prematurely. If your 5090 copier is properly set up and adjusted accordingly (to factory specifications) you should get between 500,000 and 750,000 impressions from a photoreceptor belt.

Before you paint the optics on any copier you should first check the following areas to make sure the copier is within factory specification.

A)                  Charge One and Two Dicorotrons must be adjusted to the factory recommended height (critical adjustment) from the Photoreceptor belt. Look in the adjustment section for the proper height specifications. Make sure that you have the correct Dicorotrons installed. There are two types used in the 5090 copier (depending on your tag level). Charge Dicorotron height for all copiers without tag P-235 ADJ 9.6 that use 125K1080 Dicorotrons. For copiers with tag P-235 ADJ 9.7 that uses yellow chopped Dicorotrons 125K1450. Be careful with the Dicorotrons, I have seen the wrong ones used in the charge area many times. Not sure what tag level you have? Open the left door and look at the Matrix card in the pocket on the left door. If the retrofit has been done you will see P-235 drilled out or crossed out with a black felt tip marker. If the Tag has not been installed you will see the P-235 number clearly. Still not sure? Remove the photoreceptor inner panel (PL1-B8, 2K18040) and observe the bracket for the Dicorotrons. On the outboard end of the bracket you will see two adjustment knobs, then it has the retrofit (W/Tag 235). This was a mandatory retrofit in the field and all 5090’s should have them installed.

B)                  Charge One and Two Dicorotron must be balanced.  Check the adjustment ADJ 9.8

C)                 Check and adjust if necessary the ESV height. ADJ 9.5. Make sure that not only is the height at the correct level but that the ESV unit is parallel with the Photoreceptor belt (critical adjustment).

Once the Charge and ESV adjustments have been made many 09-3xx system faults will go away because the copier is within factory specifications.  Next I would inspect and clean the optics tub, lens and platen glass. After the copier has been reassembled run DC-951 to completion. The use of the test pattern 82E2770 with 14 inch paper is critical because the 14 inch paper will give you a better view of the top to bottom balance (density).  If you continue to get 09-3xxx system faults running DC-951, it may be time to paint the optics tub.

As a technician for the manufacturer I did not see too many optic paint jobs because the equipment was replaced before the optics tubs got to that condition. Keep in mind the sales force was too busy in upgrading copiers and therefore it was rare that we saw this activity. However as an independent on my own, it was not too uncommon that this phenomenon occurred because the fleet of 5090’s is aging gracefully.  Combined with random 09-3xx system faults you may be having image quality issues and an abnormal consumption of toner. When you have a dedicated operator on a copier, they pretty much know how many boxes of toner they use on a given month. They might not know exactly what the percentage of coverage is that they are getting but they do count the empty toner containers and they know how many waste toner bottles (93K460) they use. So don’t be surprised when an operator says something like “we use too much toner”. Somehow they know.  Developer 5R161 should last between 750,000 to 1 million copies. If you find that you’re replacing developer prematurely that may be an indication something is out of whack.  Oh, and by the way, did I mention replacing  Photoreceptors (1R88) prematurely as well?       

There is good news and bad news when you confront the customer. The good news is the copiers will not only run better after the optics is painted but the toner consumption will decrease and  the yield will be higher.  The bad news is the copier will be out of commission for at least one business day.  When I paint the optics cavity of one of my customers, I will ask for a Saturday if it’s at all possible. If not I will schedule it for a Friday afternoon. This way it has the whole weekend to dry properly. On Monday morning I re-assemble the copier and run my DC-951 adjustments and then return the copier to the customer.

Before you start work on the copier, a complete inspection is necessary. Remove the platen glass (PL4-F3, part number 90P411) and check the glass for abrasions from the Document handler belts. If the glass is abraded, damaged or in any way discolored replace it. Otherwise if you don’t, then you will be condemned to the same system faults you originally had. Order and replace the flash lamps (PL4-F3, part number 122E275) and the cooling tubes (part number 52E313). Usually when the copier has about 50 million copies on it the cooling tubes are starting to discolor and they can restrict the intensity of the flash.     

It’s recommended that you wash the optics cavity with formula “A” or a good substitute before the actual paint job.  On the day of the paint job,  make several test copies (if you can) so that they can be compared with the post paint job copies.  Select 64% reduction and when the wash tub is in the lowest position turn the copier off and remove the power cord.

1)                  remove the following:  Platen glass (90P411) , flash lamp holders (113K842), light shields (55K4312), and the cavity bottom panel (600K36550). With the copier in 64% reduction you should not have any problems in getting the bottom panel out.  Use a drop cloth to protect the lens and the X & Y motors. As a precaution I would also cover the photoreceptor belt with a drop cloth.

2)                  Wash the optics cavity if it wasn’t already done and don’t forget to wash the other components mentioned above.

3)                  Prepare for painting: You should have the paint (part number 600K36520) and the application kit (600K36530).  The paint kit is the special optics paint with a Titanium Oxide ingredient in it. The application kit is a drop cloth, 3” paint roller and a 1” disposable foam paint brush.

4)                  Paint the optics cavity completely and while that is drying, apply a coat of paint to the light shields and the cavity bottom panel. Allow the paint to dry for at least two hours and then apply a second coat to the optics cavity, bottom panel and the shields.

5)                  When you return to the copier the next day, install new flash lamps to the flash lamp holders and install new cooling tubes. Replace the Bottom panel, light shields and then the flash lamp holders. Install the new platen glass.  Install a new Photoreceptor belt and restore power to the copier. While it’s warming up check the HSFI counters and replace any HSFI items that are directly related to the optics and the photoreceptor area. Replace the developer, vacuum out the cleaner housing, install a new photoreceptor brush (4R57) and install all inner panels.

6)                  Select DC-107 and reset flash lamps, then enter DC-131 MIN 169 and reset the number to 100. This will tell the copier you have installed new flash lamps. Hopefully when you installed the flash lamps, you used plastic gloves to prevent human oils (from your hands) contaminating the glass envelopes. As a matter of fact, you should wash them down with film remover just in case someone at the factory might have accidentally touched them when they were packaged. If oil contaminates a flash lamp the results will be an explosion in the cooling tube. It’s recommended that you save the old ones just in case of a failure. At least you have a spare so that when you re-order the new lamps the customer can be running.

7)                  Cover the platen glass with several sheets of 20 pound white paper to run Preflash setup. On completion, run Xerographic set up with the test pattern  on completion load three reams of 14 inch paper in tray 3 and run Xerographic Setup. Check density and return the copier to your customer.   

Xerox Paint (part number 600K36520) is recommended for use only because the manufacturer approves of it. If money is of no object then it’s probably the wisest thing to do. In my experience I have experimented with several brands of store bought paint and have always gone back to one brand.  The brand I have selected has excellent reflective capabilities, holds up well under high heat conditions, and is cheap (compared to Xerox brand).  The paint I have selected is BEHR “Premium Plus” Ultra Pure White No. 4050 available where better paints are sold.  The paint has a tough surface for all climate conditions. The paint is mildew resistant and 100 % acrylic latex paint. The price is about $ 20.00 for a quart of paint. After 3 years of operation the paint seems to be holding up well. The paint is not yellowing  and the color appears to be bright.  The way I figure it is if the optics cavity has to be repainted again it was certainly worth the price I paid for it.

Xerox application kit (part number 600K36530) is nothing more than a 3” disposable paint roller, plastic tray for the paint, a one inch disposable foam paint brush, and a grey drop cloth. If money is no object then purchase the kit, if you are close to a well supplied paint store, you can purchase the disposable foam paint roller and a one inch foam paint brush for about $ 5.00. Plastic drop cloths can also be purchased at the paint store for about $ 2.00.

When you complete this task I would appreciate any feed back you may have about the project. If you need any information about adjustments please use the Xerox documentation and service guides. If additional information is needed contact me and I will try to help you out.  I can be reached at the following e-mail location:  VillageCopierNY@AOL.COM.      

All techs and self maintainers are encouraged to submit material to me that may be of interest to the field.  Try to keep in mind that when it takes you a long time to figure something out there is another tech or self maintainer that will experience the same hurdles and would appreciate any help they may get.  If there is something that is of interest to you please let me know and I will try to address it in another article.

Xerox is the registered trade mark of Xerox Corporation. The author is NOT affiliated with Xerox Corporation or any of its affiliates and is an independent service provider.