What Is a Drum Cartridge?
A drum cartridge is often found in laser printers, copy machines and fax machines.Often confused with the toner cartridge, the drum cartridge is the revolving drum that transfers the toner to the paper. The drum cartridge is also known as the photoreceptor drum and depending on the machine may need cleaning occasionally in order to work properly.
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Significance
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A drum cartridge made replacement for the consumer fast and easy. The photoreceptor drum in early copiers and printers was a messy chore since the drum had residual toner still affixed and this would adhere to the user's hands and clothing when changing the drum. The cartridge changed this, as it was simply a matter of sliding the drum in or out to make the change without having to touch the actual drum.
Function
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The drum cartridge is commonly found in non-color copy machines and laser printers. The toner is released to the drum as needed to make the copy or print the document making an exact image of the data that was input into the machine. In a fax machine, the photoreceptor drum prints the image of the fax that is being received.
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Considerations
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A drum cartridge needs to be cleaned occasionally. This can be done by sending the drum for service or in some cases, by the consumer. The user manual that comes with the machine will often specify how the drum is to be cleaned. Before investing in a new drum cartridge, the user should determine if the drum is actually worn out or only dirty.
Benefits
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A drum cartridge is favored because of its long life. Unlike a printer cartridge that runs out of ink and is rendered useless, the user generally only has to replace the toner cartridge for the machine to work properly. This can have an enormous cost savings over ink jet or another types of ink cartridge.
Warning
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Toner, because it is a fine powder, is considered to be a hazardous waste in the United States. Care should be taken when changing either the drum cartridge or the toner cartridge to avoid breathing in the toner powder. Both the old photoreceptor drum cartridge and the toner cartridge should be disposed of properly. Many cities have a recycling center for computer and electronic waste and many office supply stores will take back the old cartridges for proper disposal.
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