Kyocera Corporation (President: Goro Yamaguchi) introduced a new imaging component that is expected to set a new standard for durability in office document equipment, including laser printers and multifunctional products (MFPs) that use electrophotographic technology.
Kyocera's new LF Series amorphous silicon (a-Si) photoreceptor drum features a coefficient of friction 30 percent*1 lower than that of the company's conventional a-Si drum, while upholding the conventional model's status of offering the world's longest operating life (approximately 1 million printed pages without drum replacement)*2. The new product is now available for shipment to equipment manufacturers worldwide.
Product overview
| Product name | LF Series a-Si photoreceptor drum |
| Size | Diameter: 30-40mm; Length: 360mm |
| Production facility | Shiga Yohkaichi Plant (Japan) |
In a key enhancement to the MS Series a-Si photoreceptor drum that Kyocera launched in 2011, the new LF Series incorporates a proprietary coating with submicron-scale variations in surface topography — including microasperities measuring approximately 1×10-4 mm. This unique surface treatment serves to reduce friction with peripheral components that contact the drum by approximately 30 percent. Consequently, by reducing internal friction, the new a-Si drum contributes to extending the operating life of the printing equipment as a total system, while retaining the world's longest drum lifespan of approximately 1 million pages.
Kyocera has promoted environment-friendly document equipment through its long-life a-Si photoreceptor technology since 1984. The company hopes that the longer equipment life made possible by its newly developed LF Series print drum will reduce environmental impact even further.
2. Contributing to higher-quality printing through improved toner-cleaning performance
Higher-quality printing can be attained using toner particles with a nearly-perfect spherical shape for uniform toner transfer. However, toner with irregularly-shaped particles is commonly used because spherically-shaped particles reduce efficiency in toner-cleaning systems. The LF Series reduces friction at the cleaning-blade interface by forming precisely controlled, submicron-sized asperities on the surface of the photoreceptor drum. This unique feature simplifies toner cleaning while enabling the use of toner particles having a nearly perfect spherical shape, thus contributing to higher-quality printing. By combining Kyocera's thin-film technologies (utilizing DC electricity) and advanced surface processing technologies for photoreceptor drums, the LS Series provides the industry's highest level of print quality while lasting up to approximately 1 million pages.
*1) Compared to Kyocera's conventional a-Si drum with similar functions.
*2) World's longest operating life among conventional a-Si drums with similar functions, based on research by Kyocera as of January 18, 2017.
*3) World's first a-Si photoreceptor drum with submicron-sized asperities for electrophotographic printing, based on research by Kyocera as of January 18, 2017.