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Padding powder is a term which originated in the copier industry for photoreceptor drum lubricant. Padding powder has been used for many years in the copier industry. Padding powder was then later used in the laser printer industry and plain paper facsimile industry. In concept, the photoreceptor drum is "padded" with dry lubricant to lubricate and minimize friction between the drum and the wiper blade. Zinc stearate has been the standard padding powder for years and years. Later, Kynar was developed by Xerox and has been sold for a long time. In actuality, Kynar is nothing more than ground plastic similar to nylon or Teflon. Kynar may have a slight edge over zinc stearate in PCR compatibility, however, they perform almost the same otherwise. However, after laser printers using charge rollers came into being, some suppliers in the cartridge remanufacturing industry found that this Kynar did not stick to the charge roller as badly as zinc stearate. Consequently, with Kynar, the failure rate decreased and the compatibility went up.

TABLE 1. PERFORMANCE AND PROPERTIES OF PADDING POWDERS

Product	Useful Time	Lubricity Factor	NX Blade Flipping	PCR Compatibility	Component to pad
Zinc Stearate	5 pages	3	failure	poor	drum only
Kynar	5 pages	3	failure	medium	drum only
Toner	_	3	failure	_	_
Methuselah	8000 pages	10	success	excellent	drum/wiper blade/Dr. Blade

Please note in the above Table 1 that the zinc stearate and Kynar each last for around five pages with the idea that after five pages, the toner then kicks in as a lubricant. In other words, the padding powder is a startup lubricant to last until the toner gets on the drum. From this point on, toner will continuously be in contact with the drum surface performing the lubrication function. These products have gotten by in the cartridge industry for the printers up to 8 pages per minute without much notice of a defect. However, when the NX printer came out at a speed of 17 pages per minute, the wiper blade flipping problem became common. When Methuselah padding powder was released in the small remanufacturing market, it was found to prevent the wiper blade flipping problem. LaserLand, little by little, convinced customers to try it. In time, it has built its reputation. It has been used to sell drum coatings by coaters. For example, some drum coaters have sold it or given it away to their customers to enhance the performance of their drum coating. Many remanufacturers have called me telling me that their drum coatings have failed until they have used Methuselah powder. Others have called me up telling me that it prevents wiper blade bendback on the difficult NX.

Note in Table 1 that the Methuselah powder has a much greater lubricity than the other powders by far. This can be a two edged sword. If you do not use this feature properly, it can be detrimental. Thus, care must be taken not to over-pad the Methuselah powder. If you overpad, the lubricity of the drum will be too great. To properly apply Methuselah, wipe the powder off after you apply it so that there is not much visibility of the powder on the drum. Once the powder is wiped on the drum, it becomes invisible yet you can feel its slipperiness if you rub the drum. It is this invisible slipperiness that lubricates the drum under the toner for 8,000 pages. In case you were wondering, Methuselah powder is toner-compatable and Steve Michlin also has a patent where Methuselah powder is used as a toner additive for lubricating toner.

One good way to evaluate the difference in lubricity may be done by "feel". Place any of the above powders between your index finger and thumb and rub them together. You can feel the difference in smoothness and lubricity. The Methuselah powder is more smooth, more lubrous, more slick. However, it won't come off for quite a while. It does the same on a photoreceptor drum or photoreceptor belt. It lasts. It has been used in the industry for quite some time with great success. So, if it makes components such as drums and wiper blades last longer on the NX, WX and 4019/4029/4039 cartridges, the most difficult test, just think of what it can do on the EX, SX, and other cartridges. It is phenomenal.

Some remanufacturing customers are also copier technicians. For a long time, many such customers have used this powder in the copier industry with great success. However, typical of LaserLand, after a successful product has been developed, development is in the works of other new products without a massive effort in marketing. At most trade show networking seminars, somebody mentions the problems of wiper blade flipping leading into long discussions on the Methuselah padding powder. Then a surge of telephone calls comes in with customers ordering only padding powder. Using Methuselah is just like putting STP in your car's oil. Word has gotten out in the remanufacturing industry and Methuselah powder is now unquestionably the standard of the industry.

LaserLand has achieved great recognition and credibility with its patented Methuselah padding powder. Although inexpensive, it solves many problems, lasts a long time, and achieves great results. We continually get compliments, especially from remanufactureres who were once skeptical and are now believers. Many remanufcturers have gotten used to the problems with the Kynar and zinc stearate and have put up with them, not realizing that there is a far superior product which both works better and lasts hundreds of times longer. Most remanufacturers now use Methuselah on everything. Many even put Methuselah powder on PCRs.

In conclusion, Methuselah powder has changed the definition of padding powder. With Methuselah powder, rather than lasting a mere 5 pages, it can last for 8,000 pages, lubricating invisibly under the toner. Methuselah powder has the least amount of detrimental effects on the PCR. Most important of all, Methuselah is a true lubricant and reduces frictional heat and wear much greater than any other material. Thus, your defect rate decreases and component life increases. This has been borne out by thousands of remanufacturers worldwide.

For further information, call LaserLand, Inc at 1-800-608-6637 or 1-248-738-5800, or you may fax us at 1-248-738-5801.