In multifunction devices and printers, toner is melted by heat and fused to the paper. The fusing unit accounts for approximately 60% to 80% of the total power consumption of multifunction devices and printers, making reduced power consumption in the fusing unit essential for improving energy efficiency.
To reduce the power consumption of the fusing unit, we have developed a new fusing unit called CHBF*1 that combines a ceramic heater which has low thermal mass and high heat-transfer efficiency with heat pipes. By replacing the conventional heat-storage approach with a system that directly supplies only the required heat, we have made it possible to print with lower power consumption. Furthermore, by combining this new system with ELFEAT, our newly introduced toner, we were able to lower the fusing temperature and achieve one of the industry's highest levels of energy efficiency based on our research (as of October 1, 2026, in the A3 multifunction color printer category).
Conventional fusing units sometimes emit trace amounts of UFPs*2 when the units reach high temperatures. With the CHBF, in addition to lowering the fusing temperature, we added new heat pipes capable of rapidly transferring heat, thereby preventing both ends of the fusing belt from becoming excessively hot. Furthermore, the unit is equipped with a sealing mechanism that reduces UFP emissions to below the detection limit, minimizing the impact on indoor air quality.
In addition, the use of heat pipes reduces wait times after continuous printing on small-size paper, thereby increasing productivity.
The fusing belt is nipped between a pressure roll and a flat ceramic heater, and it rotates while sliding against the flat ceramic heater. In developing CHBF, we reviewed the surface conditions of each component and the lubricants used, thereby ensuring stable sliding over the long term. This extends the service life of the fusing unit, which not only improves usability but also contributes to reducing the environmental impact throughout the fusing unit’s entire lifecycle. Additionally, wear and deterioration of individual components are detected to enable more effective reuse and recycling, thereby increasing the reuse rate of components.
- *1: Contact Heated Belt Fusing
- *2: Ultrafine particles are particles smaller than 100 nm.