Cleaning Out a OPC Wide Format Copier

Do you mean white lines ? I take it you've checked the usual suspects, i.e. optics, drum charge and mag roller? This should be covered in the manual...

Well, most of the copy has broad bands on the mid-grayish side, with thin white lines between them. They seem to correspond with the rollers? anyhow, the broad bands do not blot out the information transferred from the original drawing, just obscures it somewhat....

I just picked up the machine in Massachusetts this past Sunday. I haven't had any time since then to even open the puppy up, let alone start the cleaning process.

I just received the toner vacuum this afternoon. It'll be a real help once I start sucking up toner dust, which seems to always get into everything and every crevice.

Any idea where I can purchase a "mylar bar" that is used to clean the drum cleaning knife edge? It's missing from the machine. I tried Googling for it with no luck so far, but then again my search was for only a few minutes this afternoon. Business concerns take precedent currently.

The Ricoh Service Manual for this copier is 481 pages long, so it's going to take me a while to go through it.

I have no experience with that particular machine, but your description sounds like a problem with the plastic scraper that removes unused toner from the OPC drum. I imagine that it must be very difficult to keep such a wide scraper in contact the full length of the drum without scratching it.

A machine that old could probably benefit from cleaning the transport rollers with 'Rubber Renu', or something similar, but that has nothing to do with longitudinal streaks or lines. Transverse streaks or lines could be due to roller problems, especially if they repeat at intervals close to the roller circumference(s).

Hey dkwarner, I was planning on cleaning the OPC drum and "cleaning knife"/"scraper" while I was inside the machine. Most likely I'll have to remove the knife to clean it....a couple of screws and walla!

One particular problem I'm having is finding a replacement "mylar bar" to help scrape the unused toner off of the drum. I can't find them anywhere. Possibly there's another technical term for them, but know knows?

Is that "Rubber Renu" a silicon-based spray that is applied to the rubber rollers that I keep reading about and seeing in the YouTube videos? I'll do a Google search for it....

If you remove the scraper, which sounds like the "Mylar bar" you refer to, be extremely careful not to bend it. It might require more than one person supporting it to remove it safely. Even a slight bend would prevent continuous contact with the drum surface, and result in even worse grey streaks...

If it is on some form of spring-loaded swivel, it may be possible to lift and clean it in place. If so, be extremely careful not to scratch the OPC drum in the process. A scratched drum would leave permanent marks on every copy, and for a machine that old, is probably unavailable. If it should somehow be available, it will probably cost way more than you paid for the whole machine...

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice dk. Everything I'm reading so far online says not to mess with the OPC drum or clean it...and that includes cleaners of any type.

I still have to read more of the Ricoh Service Manual and go from there...

BTW, I found this on Craig's List for $350! When it was new ten years ago they were running something like $8,000 retail. Now days, a serviced used unit typically goes for $1,800 and above. The seller also gave me a Ricoh toner cartridge (cost around $170) and 4 rolls of 48" wide paper. Their worth amounts to over 1/2 of what I paid the guy for the copier! It was a GRAND STEAL!!! LOL