Replacement of spare parts, assembly of semifinished components. After fulfilling the first use cycle toner cartridges are returned to remanufacturing sites, where they are refilled and refurbished. Some of the empty cartridges (“empties” or “core”) are sorted out and disposed. While this can be perceived as average failure rate, the cartridge’s life cycle also can be thought of as a number of subsequent refurbishment cycles. Cartridges are remanufactured by specialised companies. They reuse the cores of original equip-ment manufacturers (OEMs) and refurbish it with replacement parts from different suppliers and refill it with toner.
The first step in any remanufacturing process is obtaining the empty cartridge (“core”). At least 70 percent of first remanufacturing cycle cores is abandoned. Next, the remanufacturer must disassemble the cartridge. Disassembling a HP 96A is a multistep process that requires the removal of sensitive components such as the OPC drum. After completing the desired degree of disassembly, components can be checked to determine their suitability for reuse. The com-ponent performance in a second (and additional) cycle is again impaired and the failure rate rises. Not all of the toner powder is fixed on the paper, the rest is collected returned to remanufacturing together with the cartridge where it is prepared, sieved and reused.