Apple LaserWriter II General Maintenance
Routine care, Apple's service schedule and the safety rules for the Apple LaserWriter II range: the II SC, II NT, II NTX, IIf and IIg. The five models differ only in their I/O board. The engine, a Canon LBP-SX, and every other part are common, and the same care applies to all five.[1] Fault-finding is on Apple LaserWriter II Troubleshooting Guide.
Safety
editApple's LaserWriter safety rules for the range:[2]
- Switch off and unplug the printer before servicing. Do not work on it under power except for live checks and adjustments, and with the covers off keep away from the high-voltage power supply, the DC power supply and the power supply block.
- Never disconnect the optical fibre cable or open the laser access hatch with the printer on. The beam is infrared and invisible and can permanently damage eyesight. Keep screwdrivers and other shiny tools out of its path, because a reflection is as dangerous as the beam.
- Leave the printer switched off for at least 5 minutes before touching the fuser rollers.[1] The owner's guide gives their working temperature as about 400 °F (about 200 °C).[3]
- Do not wear an earthing strap while working on a plugged-in printer, and take off jewellery first. Wear one for board work with the printer unplugged: the I/O board carries CMOS parts, and chips, ROMs and SIMMs should be held by their edges.
- The printer weighs 45-46 lb (about 21 kg).[1] Apple's safety section warns against straining your back when lifting or moving a LaserWriter.[2]
- Toner is fine plastic powder. Wipe spills with a dry tissue and wash skin or cloth in cold water; hot water makes toner gel and set into fabric. Toner attacks vinyl.
Things not to do
editApple's owner's guide tells the user not to lubricate the printer, not to touch the exposed gears and electrical contacts inside the top unit, not to open the light-blocking shutters or the drum protection shutter on the toner cartridge, and not to put anything on top of the printer.[3] Never use an ammonia-based cleaner on or near a LaserWriter II. Apple gives two reasons: it discolours the plastic, and it can react with the toner.[1][3]
At each toner cartridge change
editA LaserWriter II toner cartridge lasts about 4,000 pages, less with heavy graphics. Apple's owner-level maintenance is done each time the cartridge is changed, using the cleaning pad and swab packed with every new cartridge.[3]
Fitting a cartridge
edit- Pull the old cartridge out level so that no toner spills into the printer.
- Take the new cartridge from its foil bag, holding it by the recess at its wide end. Do not touch the drum area.
- Hold it level and rock it slowly to about 45 degrees four or five times to spread the toner.
- Slide it in narrow end first, following the arrows, until it seats.
- Flex the black tab until it loosens, then pull the sealing tape out completely. Remove the tape only with the cartridge in the printer; a cartridge with the tape already out spills toner.
Do not move the printer with a cartridge installed.[3] A Low Toner light that comes on part-way through a job does not harm the printer; rock the cartridge to redistribute the toner and refit it, and replace it only if the light stays on.[3]
Interior cleaning
edit- Let the printer cool. Open the green felt cover over the fixing rollers.
- Remove the used cleaning pad. Take the cotton swab off the new pad.
- Wipe the fixing rollers with the white felt tip on the end of the new pad, then pull the tip off and throw it away.
- Fit the new pad into the fixing roller assembly and close the green cover.
- Dust the discharging pins with the green-handled cleaning brush, which clips into a holder inside the printer, and put the brush back.
- Wipe the transfer corona wire and the diagonal wires above it very gently with the swab. The transfer corona wire breaks easily.
- Wipe the transfer guide, the metal plate behind the transfer corona wire, with a soft, slightly damp cloth.
- Close the printer.
Exterior
editUnplug the printer and wipe the case with a soft cloth dampened with water, with mild soap if needed. Keep liquid out of the power inlet.[3]
Apple's service schedule
editBefore any preventive maintenance Apple's technician reads the page count from the startup page, switches off and unplugs, lets the fuser rollers cool, sets up for ESD, and spreads a drop cloth against grease and spilled toner.[1]
Page count
editThe number at the bottom of the startup page is the count of pages printed since the I/O board was fitted. If the board has been replaced or upgraded, the count belongs to the board. Apple's instruction is then to read the repair log label on the bottom of the printer and ask the owner.[1][2] The II SC prints no count; its test page is vertical lines only.[1]
Cleaning by the service provider
editEvery 12 months or at each service call:[1]
| Service point | Tool or solvent |
|---|---|
| Primary corona wire | Cleaning brush supplied with the printer |
| Transfer corona wire | Cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol |
| Transfer guide | Cloth dampened with water |
| Fuser rollers | Fuser cleaning pad |
| Exterior case | Cloth dampened with water |
| Separation claws | Cloth dampened with alcohol |
| Paper guide | Cloth dampened with alcohol |
| Lower delivery guide | Cloth dampened with alcohol |
| Feeder guide | Cloth dampened with water |
| Registration rollers | Cloth dampened with water |
The 1992 Service Guide gives the first five of these as the user's tasks, done as needed, and lists a dry cotton swab for the transfer corona wire in the dealer's version of the table.[2]
Parts replacement
edit| Interval | Work |
|---|---|
| Every 50,000 prints | Replace the ozone filter; check that the upper and lower fans run |
| Every 100,000 prints | Replace the fuser assembly, transfer guide assembly, preconditioning exposure assembly, paper feed roller assembly and transfer corona assembly |
Apple's LaserWriter II refurbishment kit, 652-0597, held one of each of the five 100,000-print parts.[1] The owner's guide gives the same 100,000-page service interval and asks the owner to have the dealer replace the ozone filter once a year.[3] Apple's minimum life for the engine is 300,000 pages, with no monthly duty limit.[1]
| Part | Apple part number |
|---|---|
| Ozone filter | 961-0003 |
| Ozone filter (for case with door) | 961-0007 |
| Fan, upper | 959-0022 |
| Fan, lower | 959-0021 |
| Fuser assembly, 110/115 V | 661-0440 |
| Fuser assembly, 220/240 V | 661-0444 |
| Fuser heater, 100 V, 620 W | 938-0003 |
| Fuser heater, 220 V, 570 W | 938-0004 |
| Fuser roller cleaner | 970-0049 |
| Delivery sensing lever | 949-0186 |
| Transfer guide assembly | 971-0019 |
| Transfer corona assembly | 971-0026 |
| Preconditioning exposure lamp assembly | 971-0025 |
| Paper feed roller assembly | 971-0017 |
| Cleaning brush | 970-0047 |
Apple notes that its parts lists are a selection and that part numbers should be checked against current price pages before ordering.[2]
Paper
editUse 16-20 lb (60-80 g/m²) photocopy or bond paper in the cassette, and up to 36 lb (135 g/m²) by manual feed with the face-up tray open. Paper must not scorch, melt, transfer material or give off hazardous fumes when heated to 200 °C for 0.1 seconds. The cassette holds 200 sheets of 20 lb paper; loading more causes pickup jams and poor registration.[3][2]
Power supply and mains voltage
editUS and Japanese printers run on 100-115 V and European and Australian ones on 220-240 V. The power supply block, the DC power supply and the fuser assembly (with its heater) are different parts for each mains voltage. Converting a printer means replacing all three with the parts for the new voltage.[1]
| Part | 110/115 V | 220/240 V |
|---|---|---|
| Power supply block | 661-0427 | 661-0443 |
| DC power supply | 661-0424 | 661-0442 |
| Fuser assembly | 661-0440 | 661-0444 |
The DC power supply carries circuit breaker CB1 and fuse FS1 (125 V, 6.3 A, part 941-0005). Apple's parts list also gives a 3.15 A, 250 V medium time-lag fuse (740-0061).[2] Apple's no-power table checks the DC power supply's +5 V output at DC controller connector J212-4; the steps are on the troubleshooting page.[2]
Capacitors
editApple's service documents for the LaserWriter II give no component-level parts lists or capacitor values, so there is no recapping guide for this range. The only capacitor Apple names is C211 on the DC controller, which holds the printer in a fuser-error state after a heating fault. It discharges by itself in about 30 minutes or can be shorted out by hand; the procedure is on the troubleshooting page.[1]
I/O board handling
edit- Never insert or remove an I/O board with the printer switched on. Apple warns that this can permanently damage the printer and the board.[1]
- Hold the board by its edges and metal bracket, slide it into the guide rails as far as it goes, and tighten the two retaining screws.[1]
- The NT and NTX boards leave the factory set for AppleTalk and the SC board at SCSI ID 4. The IIf and IIg arbitrate between their ports and normally need no setting.[1]
- Memory upgrades need the right SIMM speed: 120 ns or faster on the NTX, 80 ns on the IIf and IIg. The memory tables are on the NTX and IIg pages.[2]
Operating environment
editApple specifies 10-33 °C and 20-80% relative humidity in use, and 3-35 °C and 10-80% in storage.[1] Keep the printer level, ventilated and out of direct sunlight, away from dust, flames and ammonia fumes.[2]
Related pages
editReferences
edit- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter II (Service Source), 225 pp., hosted as File:Laserwriter ii.pdf (see LaserWriter II Service Source). Basics: Product Information p. 1, Preventive Maintenance pp. 8-10, Parts Replacement Schedule p. 11 (PDF pp. 3, 10-13). Specifications pp. 2-14 (PDF pp. 15-27). Troubleshooting: Capacitor Discharge pp. 2-4 (PDF pp. 30-32). Take Apart: I/O Board p. 1 (PDF p. 56). Additional Procedures: I/O Board Installation pp. 1-9, Voltage Conversions pp. 10-11 (PDF pp. 207-217).
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Apple Computer, Inc., Apple Service Guide for LaserWriter Printers, Volume I, 072-0631-B, January 1992, hosted as File:Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I.pdf (see Apple LaserWriter Printers Volume I). Introductory safety section (PDF pp. 5-8); Tab 3, LaserWriter II: parts list pp. 4-6 (PDF pp. 82-84), pre-power-on checklist p. 14 (PDF p. 92), table A p. 24 (PDF p. 102), tables M14 and N2 pp. 47, 52 (PDF pp. 125, 130), NTX and IIf/IIg memory upgrades pp. 56, 58 (PDF pp. 134, 136), preventive maintenance pp. 59-60 (PDF pp. 137-138).
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter IINT/NTX Owner's Guide, 030-3450-B (1990), hosted as File:LaserWriter IINT NTX Owners Guide 1990.pdf (see Laserwriter Iint Ntx Owners Guide 1990). Chapter 6, Maintenance, pp. 81-94 (PDF pp. 99-112); Appendix E, Specifications, pp. 163-166 (PDF pp. 178-181).