Title: The role of paper-nip interactions on electrostatic toner transfer forces in Xerographic printing

Authors: Tao Wu, Chaohui Tong, Nikolas Provatas

Addresses: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada. ' Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada. ' Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L7, Canada

Abstract: We present a new model that uses a 3D stochastic fibre networks to simulate the role of paper structure and paper-nip interactions on the process of toner transfer in Xerographic printing. Our simulations show that the surface properties of paper under deformation in the print nip are critical in establishing the electrostatic field responsible for transferring toner to paper. When the spatial distributions of simulated electrostatic transfer fields – established in the presence of paper surfaces in a state of z-compression – are compared to the distribution of toner experimentally printed onto laboratory handsheet, good agreement is found.

Keywords: digital printing; xerography; computer modelling; paper physics; paper-nip interactions; electrostatic toner; transfer forces; stochastic fibre networks; xerographic printing; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMTM.2008.017485

International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.14 No.1/2, pp.52 - 65

Published online: 12 Mar 2008 *

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