by Craig Rummler, Future Graphics

What Works

Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro

1350W Toner Cartridge and Drum Unit
n January 2004, Konica Minolta set new standards for lowcost monochrome laser printers with the release
of the PagePro 1350W. Designed to replace the
slower PagePro 1250W released back in 2002,
Minolta used the same engine for the
PagePro 1350W and increased the print
speed from 17 ppm to 21 ppm. At a
price of only $179, the Minolta PagePro
1350W became the fastest sub-$200 monochrome laser printer on the market. The only
sub-$200 printer Hewlett-Packard (HP) offers
is the HP 1012 that prints only 15 ppm and sells for $20 more
than the Minolta.

With a small footprint, measuring only 15.2(w)x15.9(d)x 3.7(h),

the PagePro 1350W can handle legal-size paper as well as a large
variety of print media, including card stock, transparencies, labels
and envelopes. Like the older PagePro 1250W, the PagePro 1350W
can also print up to 1200 x 1200 dpi.
The Minolta PagePro 1350W engine uses a separate toner and
drum unit. The machines ship with a starter cartridge that prints
1,500 pages at 5 percent coverage. Replacement cartridges from

Tools & Supplies Needed:

Tools Required:
# 2 Phillips-head Screwdriver
Small, Flat-blade Screwdriver
Jewelers Screwdriver
Needle-nose Pliers
Spring Hook

Supplies Required:
Cotton Swab
Drum
Lint-free Cloth
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Toner

Minolta are available in a standard yield 3,000-page cartridge that

lists at $78 and a high yield 6,000-page cartridge that lists at $126.
The toner units do have a chip on the bottom of the cartridge, and
testing is underway to determine the functionality of the chip.
The drum unit, which does not have a chip, lists at $105 and lasts
for 20,000 pages.
Machine Compatibility:
Minolta PagePro 1350W
Cartridge Information:
Standard Capacity 3K1710566-001
High Yield 6K 1710567-001
Drum Unit 20K 1710568-001

Craig Rummler, development engineer at Future Graphics, is responsible for new product
development, customer technical support and technical training. Having worked more than
12 years in the imaging supplies industry, Rummler has a strong background in Lexmark and
Canon cartridge parts development and engineering, as well as toner development and cartridge
remanufacturing. He has worked with leading cartridge manufacturers,
such as Nu-kote International, Laser Imaging and Earth Corporation.

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What Works

Rummler: Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro 1350W

Photo 1

Toner Hopper Remanufacturing Instructions

Steps 1 and 2:
Using a spring hook, remove the two tension springs that hold the Mylar
tabs to the toner hopper on each side of the developer roller.
See Photos 1 and 2.
Steps 3 and 4:
Rotate the blue developer roller end cap so that the arm sits over the
developer roller. See Photo 3. Slide the end cap off the developer roller
axle. See Photo 4.

Photo 2

Photo 3

88 Imaging Spectrum Magazine August 2004 www.i-itc.org

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Steps 5 and 6:
Rotate the pink developer roller end cap so that the arm sits over the
developer roller. See Photo 5. Slide the end cap off the developer roller
axle. See Photo 6.
Step 7:
Carefully lift the developer roller from the toner hopper. See Photo 7.
Carefully clean the developer roller using a lint-free cloth.
Note: If the developer roller is damaged, it must not be used and no aftermarket rollers are available.
Step 8:
Remove the two screws holding the doctor blade. See Photo 8.

Photo 7

Photo 8

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What Works

Photo 9

Rummler: Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro 1350W

Photo 10
Steps 9, 10 and 11:
Carefully remove the doctor blade. See Photo 9.
Note: Do not bend the doctor bar contact that rests on the ledge of the
blade. See Photo 10. Clean the doctor blade using alcohol and a cotton
swab. See Photo 11. Dump out the remaining toner from the hopper.
Step 12:
Clean the hopper using dry, compressed air or a vacuum. Be very careful
not to damage the doctor blade sealing foam. See Photo 12.
Step 13:
Place the doctor blade onto the hopper so that the Mylar tabs on each side
of the cartridge are not held down by the blade, and the doctor blade contact tab hits the ledge of the doctor blade. See Photo 13.

Photo 11

Photo 12

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Photo 13

Photo 14

Photo 15

Step 14:
Install the two screws that hold the doctor blade in place. See Photo 14.
Step 15:
Place the developer roller onto the hopper. The rounded ends of the
Mylar washers located on each end of the roller must fit into the hopper.
See Photo 15.
Step 16:
Slide the developer roller end caps onto each end of the roller.
See Photo 16.
Step 17:
Carefully press down on the ends of the roller and slide the end cap into
position. See Photo 17. Rotate the end caps toward the doctor blade.

Photo 16

Photo 17

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What Works

Photo 18

Rummler: Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro 1350W

Photo 19
Step 18:
Place the tension springs onto the clear Mylar tabs. Attach the springs to
the toner hopper. See Photo 18.
Step 19:
Remove the fill plug from the hopper. See Photo 19. Fill the hopper with
toner and re-install the fill plug.
Step 20:
Using a small Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the two screws that
hold the cartridge chip. See Photo 20. Replace the chip and re-install
the two screws.
Test the cartridge.

Photo 20

Drum Unit Remanufacturing Instructions

Step 1:
Place the drum unit face up on the workbench so that the arrows are
pointing towards you. See Photo 1.

Photo 1

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Photo 2

Photo 3

Step 2:
Remove the drum shutter from the positioning post on the non-contact
side of the unit. See Photo 2.
Step 3:
The drum shutter on the contact side of the cartridge is keyed and needs
to be moved down in order to remove the shutter from the positioning
post. See Photo 3. Remove the shutter.
Note: Do not lose the tension spring that opens the shutter.
Step 4:
Rotate the drum unit so that the contact end of the cartridge is facing you.
Using a jewelers screwdriver, remove the small screw from the side of the
cartridge. See Photo 4.
Step 5:
Rotate the cartridge again so that this time the non-contact end of the
cartridge is facing you. Remove the small screw from the side of the cartridge. See Photo 5.

Photo 4

Photo 5

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What Works

Rummler: Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro 1350W

Photo 6
Step 6:
Flip the cartridge onto its top. Remove the small screw located next to the
drums drive gear. See Photo 6.
Step 7:
Rotate the cartridge so that the contact side is facing you. Remove the
small screw located just below the contact end cap. See Photo 7.
Step 8:
Using a small, flat-blade screwdriver, carefully pry the bottom section of
the cartridge off the positioning post. See Photo 8.
Step 9:
Lift the bottom section of the waste hopper away from the drum. See
Photo 9. Clean the waste hopper using dry, compressed air or a vacuum.

Photo 7

Photo 8

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Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Steps 10 and 11:

Remove the two screws that hold the drum axle end cap to the toner hopper. See Photo 10. Remove the contact end cap.
Note: A small contact wire will fall from the end cap. See Photo 11. Do
not lose this wire; it must be re-installed during the reassembly process.
Step 12:
Lift the drum from the hopper. See Photo 12. If you plan to reuse the
drum, place the drum in a protected area out of the light. Carefully clean
the drum unit using dry, compressed air or a vacuum.
Note: Do not damage the foam or the felt roller in the drum unit.
Step 13:
Place the drum into the clean unit. See Photo 13.

Photo 12

Photo 13

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What Works

Photo 14

Rummler: Remanufacturing the Minolta PagePro 1350W

Photo 15
Step 14:
Slide the drum axle contact plate into the cartridge. See Photo 14.
Step 15:
Install the straight end of the contact wire into the positioning slots on the
cartridge so that the angled end points away from the drum. See Photo 15.
Step 16:
Install the two screws that hold the contact end plate in place. See Photo 16.
Step 17:
Slide the bottom section of the drum unit onto the cartridge. See Photo 17.

Photo 16

Photo 17

96 Imaging Spectrum Magazine August 2004 www.i-itc.org

Step 18:
Install the two screws that hold the bottom section of the drum unit on
the contact side of the cartridge. See Photo 18.

Photo 18

Photo 19

Photo 20

Step 19:
Rotate the cartridge around. Install the two screws that hold the bottom
section of the drum unit to the gear side of the cartridge. See Photo 19.
Step 20:
Place the drum-shutter tension spring onto the shutter. See Photo 20.
Steps 21 and 22:
Place the shutter onto the positioning post on the contact side of the
drum unit. See Photo 21. Place the loose end of the tension spring into
the slot between the contact end cap and the drum unit. See Photo 22.
Step 23:
Place the other end of the drum shutter onto the positioning post on the
non-contact side of the drum unit above the plastic tab that acts as the
drum shutter stop. See Photo 23. The drum unit is now complete.

Photo 22

Photo 21

Photo 23

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