Inside each toner cartridge are many components that work together to deliver your prints. In our series "How a Laser Printer Works" we take a deeper dive into each individual component. Let's take a look at the Organic Photoconductor (OPC) drum.
 
The OPC Drum is probably the most recognizable component inside toner cartridges. Its important job is to receive the image to print from a laser inside the printer and then transfer the image (be it text or a picture) to paper.
 
An OPC Drum has many layers to help it interact with the other components in a cartridge. Here is a schematic drawing of just a few of the layers of the substrate of a drum.



The layers must all work together to do a very specific job in three steps: 


STEP 1: The PCR charges the OPC Drum to the correct electrical properties, usually a negative charge.


Step 2: The laser from the printer writes the image to be printed to the OPC Drum, discharging the electrical properties on the drum.



Step 3: The Developer Roller adds the toner to the OPC Drum. The toner is only attracted to the discharged areas.

Each OPC Drum is tested for its charge ability, sometimes referred to as sensitivity. This determines how much toner will attract to the drum. The less sensitive the drum is, the less toner it will attract, resulting in lighter prints.
 
Every drum is tested multiple times to ensure the print performance is optimal. Once approved, it is placed in our high performance Static Control cartridges and tested again to make sure it meets our high quality standards. 

Static Control understands the importance of the OPC drum within a cartridge. Our long history in developing and manufacturing premium imaging systems for laser and ink jet cartridges means we can offer the best in cartridge solutions.
 
See the functions of the OPC drum along with each essential component inside a color toner cartridge by clicking here.