Fuser and belt lifetime is calculated based on running length.

How about drum? Will it be related with color saturation like toner?

The answer is YES. Surprising, right?

It is easy to think drum lifetime is only related with rotation cycles.

Also vacant cycles during warming-up or calibration are also counted.

But there’re more factors which is making effect on drum life time.

  • Paper size : printing amount is converted to A4L size which means 210mm per page in length.

  • Paper type : standard test is done with plain paper. But heavy weight paper consumes more of drum life time, because drum charging enenry is different.

  • Color saturation : standard test is done with 5% saturation of each CMYK.  But  5% saturation and 20% saturation consume different amount of drum lifetime! High coverage rate means charging time and toner absorption rate is more.

  • Print Density : standard test is done with default setting. If you increase color level (chromatic ratio), it cosumes more of drum life time.

  • Printing method : 1-side, 2-side, continuous, pages per print, length per print…

    Test standard for sheets is 5 page printing of A4 each time (5% coverage) and it is 70K pages. For rolls, we test 20 meters per time repeatedly (5% coverage) and it reaches 100K pages. Actual test has been done.

 

In conclusion, roll to roll printer is consuming less than sheet-fed printer. So XEROX C5005d drum lifetime is 70K A4L pages, but BIZPRESS13R drum lifetime is 100K A4L pages. Because sheet printing requires more adjustment vacant cycles which consume drum life time. But this data is for 5% color coverage for each CMYK.

If you print 20% color coverage for each CMYK, lifetime can be much lower (not 1/4 but it can be 1/2…).