The
Remanufacturing Process
Empty
Cartridges.
Before
you can recycle a cartridge you must first secure a supply of
used cartridges. The nature of our market means we must supply
“off the shelf” products and unlike other remanufacturers not
rely on getting our own cartridges back.
Although
we welcome empty cartridges from our
customers we have had to develop our own sources for empty cartridges.
A double advantage really - as nearly all the cartridges we collect
are empty originals, we only remanufacture a cartridge once and
avoid many of the problems associated with third, forth etc.,
life products.
The
Factory Environment.
Our
whole production facility is geared to cleanliness and quality
control, the first because it is impossible to achieve the second
without it.
Keeping the cartridge
in one spot for the whole process drastically reduces the
spillage of used toner - and with the filter system at the work
benches changing the air in the entire factory 10 times an hour
we are able to operate in a superbly clean working environment.
Preliminary
Testing.
Quality
control starts from the moment an empty cartridge is logged in
- it is first tested, by both visual and print inspection for
its suitability for remanufacture. At this stage a work sheet
that follows each cartridge through to completion is started.
Cartridge
Processing.
Recycling
a cartridge looks to be a relatively straightforward process but
if you gave someone a manual and all the relevant tools and materials
- and even a few months experience - you would still be lucky
to get a 75% success rate.
There
is no short cut to the other 25%, it requires a depth of
knowledge and experience, coupled with a commitment to quality
few remanufacturers possess.
An
"empty" laser cartridge is a misnomer, it will contain up to 25%
of its original toner and although basically an inert substance,
with the properties of very fine soot it needs careful handling.
Most
remanufacturers work by breaking the  cartridge
down to its component parts and reassembling a piecemeal cartridge
at the final stage. For a variety of reasons we work on the
cartridge as an integral unit.
Also
producing a wide range of cartridges from scattered component
parts would be a nightmare.
Operating
on individual cartridges makes it an easy and straight forward
task to change production from one type to another - allowing
us to respond quickly and effectively to customer needs.
We
have yet to be convinced that reassembling a cartridge with different
parts from different cartridges does not carry its own inherent
dangers.
Quality
Assurance.
Once
the cartridge has been broken down, thoroughly cleaned and inspected,
refilled and fitted with any relevant replacement parts, the reassembled
cartridge is immediately tested by a separate group of technicians.
Every
cartridge we remanufacture is put  through
an exacting print test, with individual sheets for blank space,
solid black, grey scale and large and small text.
If
any faults appear the cartridge is immediately returned to the
original operator for correction, which gives us a fast positive
feedback that virtually eliminates repeat operator error.
At
this stage the tested cartridge is black bagged and moved into
the flow rack. Here we stock up to 1,500 finished but not packed,
cartridges. This allows us a uniquely flexible response to individual
orders, as we can pack to your own specific requirements and still
ship over 90% of orders the same day.
At
this stage each cartridge is given an individual serial number,
which is also put on the cartridge box and the work sheet. We
keep copies of final test sheets with the work sheet. This enables
us to trace the operator, date, materials batch etc. of every
cartridge we make.
Packaging.
Packaging
is an important part of our finished cartridge. Apart from the
need to provide suitable protection, we package in new, high quality
 brown
boxes of the same dimensions as the original - not because we
intend to imitate but if the user receives what is obviously a
quality product in a form similar to the one he or she has previously
used, it enhances the perceived value and increases the chances
of it being treated correctly.
The
cartridge also has to withstand repeat handling by national carriers
- our packaging passes a one metre drop test on all sides, edges
and corners.
Whilst
we produce under the Laserxchange brand name, some cartridges
are plain labeled but many are private
labeled - As our boxes are only printed with standard handling
instructions, our unique labeling system allows us to customize
the entire range of laser cartridges from a single label stock,
which means you can have your own brand for a small origination
cost and no volume commitment.
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