rubber (EPDM) printer sync roller

[zilp]

I have a laser printer that shifts the image vertically on the page, and I strongly suspect the lack of grip of the sync rollers is responsible.

Unfortunately, I can't find a matching replacement part, so ... and suggestions how to either DIY this, or have it custom-made at a reasonable price?

It's a bunch of small rubber rollers on a (driven) steel axle, diameter ~ 14 mm, according to the service manual they are made of EPDM, though I guess other materials should work as well.

As this is the sync roller, the diameter is very critical to get the right feed speed, so just adding a layer of something grippy unfortunately doesn't work.

[ch_scr]

There are special cleaner products to make the roller in printers grippy again, e.g. "Electrolube RRR250 Rubber Roller Restorer".
Would give one of these a try. An actual printer technician might know which one works particulary well (or not), let's hope one chips in.

[BradC]

There are special cleaner products to make the roller in printers grippy again, e.g. "Electrolube RRR250 Rubber Roller Restorer".

I have a can of that. Has worked wonders on an old A0 DesignJet 750 which is still running.

[zilp]

There are special cleaner products to make the roller in printers grippy again, e.g. "Electrolube RRR250 Rubber Roller Restorer".

I have a can of that. Has worked wonders on an old A0 DesignJet 750 which is still running.

Any clue what those rollers are made of?

Also, the datasheet that I found for that stuff suggests that it's purely a cleaner!? Like, is this really just paper dust stuck to the rollers rather than a change in the rollers' material?!

I guess I am a bit skeptical that these magic tinctures that don't even specify which materials they are supposed to be used on do actually do anything, or if they do do something, that they don't just damage the material even further ... it just smells so snake-oily ...

[SeanB]

Most of them are a blend of MEK and alcohol, often ethanol. MEK is easy to obtain, and cleans the synthetic neoprene and natural rubber well, though it also does dissolve a lot of plastics. You just as a first attempt can use a cotton bud damped down with methanol or isopropyl alcohol, and rub the rubber surface vigorously, and see if that helps. You will see a black layer on the cotton, but that is normal. Leave to dry before you attempt to put paper through again.

[zilp]

Most of them are a blend of MEK and alcohol, often ethanol. MEK is easy to obtain, and cleans the synthetic neoprene and natural rubber well, though it also does dissolve a lot of plastics. You just as a first attempt can use a cotton bud damped down with methanol or isopropyl alcohol, and rub the rubber surface vigorously, and see if that helps. You will see a black layer on the cotton, but that is normal. Leave to dry before you attempt to put paper through again.

The MSDS for that electrolube stuff lists unspecified alkanes and "3-BUTOXYPROPAN-2-OL", so no ketones, and no ethanol/isopropanol/methanol either.

Now, what I could find suggests that EPDM is pretty resistant to (m)ethanol, IPA, and MEK, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to wipe it down with some IPA ... but then, I'd think that paper dust also isn't particularly soluble in IPA, so I'd be surprised if it had any effect!?