SUMMIT

TECHNOLOGIES
Remanufacturing the HP-1500/2500/2550 Black and
Color Toner cartridges
By Mike Josiah and the technical staff at Summit Laser Products

Unlike most basic engines, there have actually been three different releases to this series. The first
in October 2002 was the HP-2500 series based on a 17 ppm (black) 600 Dpi engine, (2400 DPI with
RET). Those machines went for approximately $1000.00 when new. Then in May 2003, the 1500
series were released. The 1500 series is based on a 16ppm, 600Dpi engine, but the new machine
prices dropped to as low as $550.00! For both these groups, the color speed stayed at 4ppm, and
the cartridges used are the same.
Then in June 2004, the 2550 series was released. The Black print speed jumped to 20ppm but the
color still stayed at 4ppm. Resolution also stayed the same at 600Dpi (2400 Dpi with RET). The list
price on these machines dropped to $499.00. The 2550 machines also use a new set of cartridges.
Both groups of machines use a five cartridge system. Four color toners, and a separate drum
cartridge. The cartridges used by these machine groups are as follows:

HP Color LaserJet 1500/2500 (Canon EP-87)

C9700A Black 5,000 pages at 5% $115.54 List*
C9701A Cyan 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
C9702A yellow 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
C9703A Magenta 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
C9704A Drum 20,000 Pages Black, 5,000 color $241.68 List*

HP Color LaserJet 2550

Q3960A Black 5,000 pages at 5% $115.54 List*
Q3961A Cyan 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
Q3962A yellow 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
Q3963A Magenta 4,000 pages at 5% $139.18 List*
Q3964A Drum 20,000 Pages Black, 5,000 color $241.68 List*
Q3971A Cyan 2,000 pages at 5% $103.00 List*
Q3972A yellow 2,000 pages at 5% $103.00 List*
Q3973A Magenta 2,000 pages at 5% $103.00 List*

* The pricing on all cartridges is current as of April 2005. Prices at this time are the same for both
series. According to HP, the actual average life expectancy for the drum unit is between 6000 to 8000
pages.
Figures 1-8 show the differences between the two cartridge types. Mainly the big differences are the
two end caps. We are currently looking into universal end caps so that one cartridge can be used for
both. The toner is the same for both cartridges. As with most other HP cartridges, these cartridges
use a chip. Unlike previous HP color cartridges, the chip does not need to be changed in order for
the cartridge to work. The toner low circuitry will be disabled, but after the user presses the
CANCEL button, the cartridge will work.

Figure 1

Figure 2
Figure 4 Figure 6
Figure 3 Figure 5
 Figure 7

Figure 8
The machines that use these cartridges are as follows:

HP-1500/2500 Engine HP-2550 Engine

Canon imageClass Canon LBP-5200
MF8170C HP Color LaserJet 2550 L
Canon LBP-2410 HP Color LaserJet 2550 Ln
HP Color LaserJet 1500 HP Color LaserJet 2550 n
HP Color LaserJet 1500 L
HP Color LaserJet 2500
HP Color LaserJet 2500 L
HP Color LaserJet 2500 n
HP Color LaserJet 2500 Tn
Unlike the HP-4600 engine which is a single pass engine, these machines are a carousel type.
Similar to the HP-4500, but much more advanced. The carousel system is much less expensive to
manufacture than the single pass systems. Probably one of the main reasons for this is that the single
pass systems have a separate laser-scanner unit and all the associated circuitry for each color
cartridge. The carousel system has one for all of them. Because of these differences, we will again go
into the printer theory. While this system is not as complicated as a single pass, there is still quite a
bit going on that has to happen in a very precise way. This is a bit a bit wordy, but if you are going to
do these cartridges successfully, it is helpful to know how they work.
 HP-2500 Color Printing Theory
The HP-2500 color printing process is best explained as a series of stages. (Figure 9 shows a
breakdown of most of the critical printer components as located in the machine.)

Figure 9
In the first stage, the Primary Charge Roller (PCR) places a uniform negative DC voltage on the OPC
drum surface. The amount of the negative DC voltage placed on the drum is controlled by the
printers intensity setting.

In the second stage, the laser beam is fired onto a rotating mirror (called the scanner). As the mirror
rotates, the beam is reflected into a set of focusing lenses. The beam then strikes the drums surface,
neutralizing the negative charge and leaving a latent electrostatic image on the drum. The areas
where the laser did not strike the drum will retain the negative charge.

The third or developing stage (See Figure 10) is where the toner is developed on the drum by the
developing section (or supply chamber), which contains the toner particles. As the toner stirring blade
turns inside the hopper it pushes the toner towards the develop roller. The friction from this process
causes a negative potential to develop on the toner. The toner will start to coat the developer roller. At
the same time, a negative DC bias voltage is applied to the developer roller. This voltage is controlled
by the printers intensity setting, and causes either more or less toner to be attracted by the developer
roller. This in turn will either increase or decrease the print density. The final amount of toner on the
developer roller is controlled by the doctor blade, which uses pressure and a second DC bias voltage
to keep the amount of toner on the roller constant.

As the laser exposed areas of the OPC Drum approach the developer roller, the toner particles are
attracted to the drums surface due to the opposite voltage potentials of the toner, and laser exposed
areas of the OPC drum.
Figure
10

The fourth stage is the Primary transfer stage. This is where

there are some large differences from monochrome printers
and even the HP-4600,(See Figure 11). The first step in the
Primary transfer stage is where the transfer roller places a
positive charge on the back side of the transfer belt. The
negatively charged toner on the drum is then transferred to
the positively charged transfer belt. This process is
repeated for each color. The positive DC bias voltage is
increased for each successive color to make sure that all
the toners stay in place on the belt.
Figure
11
The fifth stage is the secondary transfer stage. As the paper reaches the transfer belt, it also runs
by the secondary transfer roller. This roller places a positive charge to the paper which causes the
toner to transfer from the belt to the paper. After the transfer process is complete, another DC bias
voltage is placed on the secondary transfer roller to prevent any toner from sticking to it.
The paper separates from the transfer belt with the help of the static charge eliminator and the
stiffness of the paper.
In the sixth stage, the image is then fused onto the paper by the fuser assembly. The fuser
Assembly is comprised of the upper heating assembly and lower pressure roller.
The lower pressure roller presses the
page up into the upper heating
assembly which then melts the toner
into the paper. The upper heating
assembly consists of a flexible sleeve
with an induction type heating coil
inside. This type of fuser affords
instant on fusing with little to no wait
time, and low power consumption. This
sleeve also has a DC bias voltage on it
to help hold the toner to the paper, and
prevent it from scattering. See Figure
12

Figure
12
The seventh stage is where the transfer
belt is cleaned. The transfer belt is cleaned
whenever the printer is turned on, when the
printers covers are closed, at the start of a
print job, and after a specific number of
pages. The auxiliary transfer belt cleaning
roller has a positive DC bias voltage placed
on it. This voltage actually keeps the toner
on the transfer belt to prevent toner from
falling off into the printer. See Figure 13
At this point another DC Bias voltage is
placed on the transfer belt cleaning roller.
These charges are stronger than the
charge previously applied by the auxiliary
transfer belt cleaning roller, so the earlier
charge now behaves like a negative
charge.
Is your head spinning yet?? Its pretty
straight forward from this point on
Another DC bias voltage is placed on the
transfer belt by the transfer roller to
produce a difference between the belt and
OPC drum. Another DC bias voltage is
placed on the OPC drum cleaning roller.
This causes the transfer of the residual
toner to the drum.
Figure
13
The last stage is the drum
cleaning stage. See Figure 14
The drum is cleaned after all the
above takes place by the wiper
blade. This part is fairly standard;
the wiper blade scrapes the toner
off the drum, and the recovery
blade guides it into the waste
chamber. The difference here is
the movement of the waste toner
to the waste toner case. The
waste toner is picked up from the
drum unit by an auger or waste
toner screw as HP calls it. The
toner moves across the waste
toner transport plate to another
auger which moves it finally to the
waste toner case. This waste
toner case is part of the transfer
belt.
As you can see, the DC power
supply (Dc Bias voltages) is
extremely busy during the entire
printing process. All though these
machines have proved very
reliable, I can see where even a
small deviation from this power
Figure
supply can cause major issues. 14
Printer Calibration:
At the start of all this is the calibration cycle. The printer will calibrate itself whenever the printer is turned on,
when a new toner or drum cartridge is installed, and at specific page intervals determined by the total number
of pages printed. Calibration consists of a solid block and halftone of each color being printed to the transfer
belt. As the printed areas get to the top of the belt, a sensor will detect them, measure the density, and adjust
the printer accordingly.
Toner Low:
Toner low is determined by sending a beam of light through the cartridge. There are two separate clear plastic
lenses on the non-gear side of the cartridge. If the amount of light received at the optical receiving sensor is
below a predetermined threshold, the toner low signal stays off. If the amount of light received is above that
threshold, toner low comes on and is written to the chip.
Reset Chips:
These Reset chips (or memory tags as HP likes to call them), function the same as other HP chips. They
control the Toner Low, Toner out, and Replace (Color) Cartridge Messages. Each color cartridge has a
specific chip. Be careful not to mix them up. As stated earlier, the chips do not need to be replaced for the
cartridge to function, but all the toner low functions will be disabled if they are not. When a used chip is used,
the CANCEL button must be pressed to clear it. At this point a Non-HP Print cartridge will show. This
message shows the first time only. The supplies status page will print, but no cartridge information will be
listed. At the time of this writing, separate dedicated chips are in development, but we are also working on a
universal chip that when combined with the universal end cap will allow you to build one cartridge for both
engines.
Due to the nature of color toner, it is not recommended that the initial color of a cartridge be changed. It is
virtually impossible to get all the toner out of a cartridge, and if two colors are mixed, the color output will be
affected. Another reason not to try and interchange is that there are tabs in one location for black cartridges,
and in another for color. These tabs are what the disengage block uses to move the developer roller away
from the drum.
Taking test prints, cartridge troubleshooting as well as minor printer troubleshooting will be covered at the end
of this article.
 Tools Required
1.Toner approved vacuum or toner approved dust collector system
2.A small screw driver (Common Style)
3.A Phillips head screwdrivers #1, #0
4.Needle Nose Pliers
5.Small razor knife
6.Jewelers screwdriver set

Supplies Required
1.2500/2550 Dedicated Color Toner
2.New replacement chip (Separate chips for each color)
3.Shipping cover
4.Lint free Cloths
5.Conductive grease
6.Non-hardening silicon caulk (GE, Phenoseal brands work great)
Remanufacturing the Brother HL 2030 Toner Cartridges
TN-350 (TN-2000 Europe)
By Mike Josiah and the technical staff at Summit Laser Products

15
Figure

16
Figure
1) Remove the three screws from the right or non-gear side end cap. Note that the bottom screw is
smaller than the others, and that the screw by the developer roller is longer. Use a jewelers or #0
Phillips head screwdriver to remove the bottom screw. Remove the end cap. See Figures 15 & 16
 17
Figure
2) Remove the two screws from the gear side end cap. Note that the screw by the gear is a machine type.
See Figure 17

18
Figure

19
Figure
3) Note the gear locations, and remove the 5 indicated gears. Leave the large gear that drives the mixing blade in
place. See Figures 18 & 19
 20
Figure

21
Figure
4) Remove the single screw from the stabilizing plate located on the non-gear side. Remove the plate. Be careful
not to loose the spring attached to the doctor blade. See Figures 20 & 21
 22
Figure

23
Figure
5) Remove the developer roller. See Figure 22
6) Remove the fill plug, and dump out any remaining toner. Again, be careful not to loose the spring attached to
the doctor blade. The spring can be removed, but sometimes it is very hard to put back on correctly.
See Figure 23
 24
Figure

25
Figure
7) Remove the doctor blade cover by gently prying up from the center tab. Remove the cover by lifting it up. You
may have to use a knife to separate the cover from the sealing foam. See Figures 24 & 25
 26
Figure

27
Figure
8) Remove the two screws and doctor blade. Carefully cut the sealing foam away from the bottom of the blade. If
you are going to re-use the blade, be very careful not to bend it. See Figures 26 & 27
9) Vacuum/blow the cartridge clean.
 28
Figure

29
Figure
10) If you are going to install a seal, remove the seal exit plug by pushing it out from the inside, and then pulling it
out from the outside. See Figures 28 & 29.
 30
Figure

31
Figure
11) Clean the developer roller and doctor blade seals. See Figure 30
12) Install the seal. See Figure 31
 32
Figure

33
Figure
13) Check the dr. blades sealing foam. This is the same type used in the HP-4200/4300 series. If it is still
sticky, it can be re-used. If not, remove it with a razor knife, and replace it with a small amount of silicon
caulk. See Figures 32, & 33
 34
Figure

35
Figure
14) Install the doctor blade and two screws. See Figure 34
15) Fill the hopper with the correct toner for this cartridge. Remember, it is not a good idea to change the
colors! Install the fill plug. See Figure 35
 36
Figure

37
Figure
16) Install the developer roller. Large hub side to the gear side of the cartridge. See Figures 36
17) Install the stabilizing plate and screw. Make sure the small bearing is not worn or damaged. See Figure 37
 38
Figure

39
Figure
18) Clean the contacts on the inside of the end cap, and associated roller hubs. Replace with new conductive
grease. See Figure 38
19) Replace the end cap and three screws. Remember that the long screw is installed by the developer roller.
See Figure 39
 40
Figure

41
Figure
20) Install the doctor blade cover. Insert the pin into the hole in the end cap, drop the other side in place. See
Figure 40
21) Install the 5 gears as shown. See Figure 41
 42
Figure

43
Figure
22) Install the end cap and two screws. Machine screw is installed by the developer roller. See Figure 42
23) Replace the chip. See Figures 43
 44
Figure

45
Figure
24) Make sure the lacking assembly is working properly. See Figure 44
25) Install the plastic developer roller cover. See Figure 45
Taking Test Prints
Demo Page
With the printer ready, press the GO button once.
The Demo page will print out
Configuration/Supplies Status pages
With the printer ready, press the GO and CANCEL JOB buttons simultaneously.
Both the Configuration, and the Supplies Status pages will print out

Repetitive Defect Chart:

Pre ICL Roller 22.1mm
Developer Roller 33.9mm
ICL Roller 37.9mm
Primary Charge Roller 38.1mm
RS Roller 41.9mm
T1 transfer Roller 44.3mm
T2 transfer Roller 56.9mm
Fuser Pressure Roller 66.6mm
Fuser film 75.6mm
Transfer belt drive roller 89.0mm
Transfer belt tension roller 90.0mm
OPC Drum 148.3mm
Cartridge Troubleshooting:
Primary Charge Roller (PCR); The primary charge roller if dirty will show on the test print as vertical streaks down the
page, or as a background throughout the page. If there is any physical damage, it will repeat at intervals of 38.1mm. If
the back grounding is not all the same color, that usually indicates that more than one cartridge has a problem. Use a
color chart to determine what cartridges are bad. (green = cyan and yellow) etc.
A Dirty PCR Connection will result in dark color horizontal bars across the page, or as shading throughout the page.
Color will follow the color of the cartridge
A Scratched Drum will show up as a very thin, perfectly straight line that runs from the top to the bottom of the test page.
A Chipped Drum will result in a dot or series of dots that repeat at 148.3mm intervals
A Damaged Developer Roller will either leave a mark or a blank spot (depending on the type of damage) at intervals of
33.9mm.
A Light Damaged Drum will show up as a shaded area on the test print that should be white. Again this will repeat at
intervals of 148.3mm.
A Bad Wiper Blade will result in vertical shaded lines down the page, or as shading across the entire page. In either
case there will be a film of toner on the drum surface.
Some of the more common Printer Error Messages:
These machines do not have a text display, everything is indicated by lights.
Toner low: A color cartridge light is on steady
Toner out/cartridge missing: A color cartridge light is blinking
Drum life low: Drum cartridge light is on steady
Drum life out/missing: Drum cartridge light is blinking
Non HP cartridge installed: cartridge light is blinking, and the Attention light is on. Press Cancel to continue.
Attention light blinking: Top cover is open, paper is out, paper jam.
If the printer has the Attention, Ready, and GO lights on, that indicates a service error. Press and hold the GO and
CANCEL JOB buttons to see the secondary message
Secondary messages:
Attention, ready, Go lights still on: Beam detect error
Ready light on: Scanner error
Ready and Go lights on: Fuser error
Attention light blinking: Fan motor error
Calibrate Now
If you are experiencing problems with color in OEM cartridges, The Calibrate Now feature can be run. This forces a
calibration cycle to run. This procedure does not always fix the issue, but it can.
This must be done through the HP Color LaserJet 2500 series toolbar installed on the PC.
Open the Color LaserJet 2500 series toolbar
On the Troubleshooting tab, click Diagnostic Tools
Click calibrate now.