Xerox Docutech 6180 Family of Printers - Cleaner Assembly

Quite a few techs have mentioned concerns about the cleaner assembly in the Xerox Docutech - 6180 family of printers. In many instances, maintenance is never performed on the cleaner module unit until there is a reported copy quality problem that was directly related to the cleaner module. Most problems are due to impacted waste toner in the Augers (22K11721); that's why it's important to always check the HSFI screen on every call and perform all activities that are due. Over the years I have discovered that if you do the bare maintenance (HFSI's) on every call, it will reduce your unscheduled visits by about 80 percent. All too often when we are on a service call, we overlook the obvious and dive right into the customer's complaint only to discover that if we had addressed the HSFI issue, it would have solved the problem about 85 percent of the time. But, like the 800-pound gorilla, who listens to logic?

I have always found it better to start with the basics when troubleshooting a copy quality problem that you think is related to the Cleaner module. The HSFI chart is always a good place to start. (see below table).

Preventative maintenance can save you big bucks when planning your annual budget for any copier or printer. It was always my policy to stay on top of maintenance and thereby reduced the number of service calls I received. Most HSFI items are inexpensive and easy to perform. Service calls always cost more when you take into consideration labor, auto expenses, tolls, insurance, parts, etc.

I found myself doing a lot of preventative maintenance calls on cleaner assemblies and it paid off in the sense that I was able to increase my mean copies between service calls. It really didn't matter if the customer was on time and material or a FSMA customer. They all appreciated the little extra time you spend on their copier if it meant greater reliability, days between service calls or mean copies between service calls.

There is one HSFI that will never appear on your maintenance screen which I found to be a critical issue in preventative maintenance, and that is the refurbishing of the cleaner module assembly at 10,000 K intervals (5,000K intervals on low volume copiers and printers). Have one Cleaner assembly in your inventory that was stripped down, cleaned and had any worn parts replaced. If you visit a printer or copier that has about 10 million copies on the present cleaner assembly, it is a good idea to swap out that cleaner with the one you refurbished in your shop. When the cleaner assembly is on your workbench, you can really see where the dirt accumulates and all the hidden passages that get clogged up. It's virtually impossible to clean them 100% in the field and that's the reason it should be replaced at the 10,000K interval.

The first cleaner module I rebuilt was a disaster because I didn't plan ahead. When the cleaner module was completely stripped down, I noticed it needed new rollers and two gears. Sounds simple enough, I thought and when I ordered the parts I put the disassembled cleaner in a cardboard box and promptly forgot where I put it. The parts came in a few days later and it took me three weeks to find the cleaner assembly. My shop is so neat I could find anything in nothing flat as long as I was not looking for it.

In any event, it was a good experience to totally strip it down to the bare casing and clean all ports, crevices and channels. Re-assembly is a snap if you have the documentation handy or took notes as you took the device apart. All gears, rollers and wiring harness assemblies can be cleaned and inspected for wear. The use of a deep sink to clean the aluminum cleaner body is probably the way to go as all loose toner will end up in the sink. No harsh chemicals or dangerous cleaner tools are needed outside of Scotch Bright pads and some mild cleaning detergent (Formula "A"). Allow the cleaner module body to thoroughly dry overnight before you re-assemble the device.

With the Cleaner Module on your work bench, start off by removing the following parts from the front of the cleaner: Cleaner blade cover (PL4-E7), Brush cover and brush, Augers, Cleaner blades, and the two plastic gears. From the rear remove the wire harness and all gears. Remove both the front and rear plates and gently remove the Detoning Rollers. Be extremely careful in removing the Detoning Rollers because we don't want to scratch the rollers on the cleaner frame when sliding them out. The Detoning rollers should have a slight green coating on them. If you see the coating and it doesn't appear to be worn too thin, they may be re-used as long as you did not have any fault codes that were related to shorting out of the Detoning rollers. I think it's interesting to note here that you can get false shutdowns from dirty Detoning Rollers. If they appear to be in good condition, then they probably are good enough to use. However if you see they are worn from the Cleaner blades, then they will have to be replaced. One of the arguments I hear all too often is "Why should I change the Cleaner blades when the old ones are in such good shape?" What some techs don't seem to realize is the Cleaner blades scrape off excessive toner on the Detoning Rollers and eventually they become feathered (razor blade sharp) and start to scrape off the protective coating on the Detoning Rollers. When the cleaner blades scrape off the coating on the Detoning Rollers, they short out and create all kinds of system problems. Change the Cleaner blades prematurely (or at least on time) to get maximum life from the Detoning Rollers.
Cleaner Module Assembly

PL4-E7

Decsciption                                    Part number                            Cost

Cleaner Brush                                4R57                                      

Front Cover Assembly (Brush)         2K16483

Gear (Auger)                                  7E10290

Cover (Cleaner blade & Auger)         2K16321

Auger (2)                                       22K11721

Flicker Bar Assembly                     25K280

PL4-E9

Decsciption                                    Part number                            Cost

Gear (Brush drive)                           7E10261

Gear (Detoner roller) (2)                   7E10271

Gear (Idler)                                     7K3310

Rear Plate (Plastic housing cover)    15K5115

Front Plate (Plastic housing cover)   15K5104

Detoning Roller (2)                          22K10960

If you use mild soap and water to clean the Cleaner Module, please allow it to dry (at least) overnight before re-assembly. All parts (see above) should be inspected and cleaned. If any parts are worn, they should be replaced before you return the cleaner assembly to service. When you reassemble the Cleaner assembly, use your saved notes or documentation from the service literature. Or, if you have a fully assembled spare Cleaner assembly in inventory, compare it to the one you are working on. If you do not have documentation please contact me at VillageCopierNY@AOL.COM and I will e-mail you specific details and instructions for reassembly.

Over the years I have learned that the engineers in Rochester have designed the HSFI as a guide. The Docutech printer was never intended to do short runs or do one or two copies. Our customers however use the printers as they see fit and don't really care that the machine is designed for high volume runs. Some printer companies are so slow that any work they can run on the printer is fair game. The truth of the matter is the Docutech family is happier when they are running one million copies a month or more. When the system printer is functioning at one million plus a month, the HSHI interval is the best maintenance solution. However if your customer is cranking out a lot of short runs (stop and go), it is advisable that you shorten up on the HSFI intervals. And this especially true for the toner filter bag (pink). You may have to replace the filter bag at 500K intervals because it fills up rather fast from short runs. It seems the dirt level in a copier that has many short runs is a lot higher than a printer that does long runs. It's due to the start up and shut down process that causes the excessive dirt level inside the system. Theoretically if we can keep the system going 24 hours a day, the dirt level will be almost zero.

Please contact me at VillageCopierNY@aol.com if you have any questions or concerns about the Cleaner Module.