FAQ
What is a remanufactured cartridge?Remanufactured cartridges have been recycled and reprocessed from an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) empty cartridge. XPS sister company Xiclado collects empty cartridges of which only the best are used by XPS to remanufacture to stringent quality control standards. Toner, chip and other worn-out parts are replaced by premium, new aftermarket parts guaranteeing that the cartridge will run another lifecycle.
What are the main advantages of using remanufactured cartridges?1: Equal or better quality at a much lower price than the original cartridge
Original equipment manufacturers are selling their products according to the “razor and blades” principle. This is because the printers are often sold at or below cost to generate sales of proprietary high priced cartridges which will generate profits for the company over the life of the equipment. Toner is the black gold for the OEMs and that is why they desperately defend their market share against the aftermarket industry. They are not able or willing to compete on price and therefore only compete on quality. XPS quality target is to build its remanufactured cartridges equal or better than the original cartridges but at price savings up to 70% of the original cartridge.
2: Save the environment
350 million laser cartridges are dumped every year and this figure increases by 12% every year. Each discarded cartridge adds approximately three pounds of unnecessary waste to our landfill. This waste will take as long as 1000 years to decompose. Additionally, it takes nearly a gallon (3.5 liters) of fossil oil to produce one laser cartridge, not counting the energy required in the production process. Remanufacturing the cartridge prevents it from ending up in a landfill, it doesn’t use oil to produce and it only uses a small percentage of energy compared to producing new cartridges. By using XPS remanufactured cartridges you can reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment.
What is the difference between remanufactured, new build, compatible and refill?Original equipment manufacturers are selling their products according to the “razor and blades” principle. This is because the printers are often sold at or below cost to generate sales of proprietary high priced cartridges which will generate profits for the company over the life of the equipment. Toner is the black gold for the OEMs and that is why they desperately defend their market share against the aftermarket industry. They are not able or willing to compete on price and therefore only compete on quality. XPS quality target is to build its remanufactured cartridges equal or better than the original cartridges but at price savings up to 70% of the original cartridge.
2: Save the environment
350 million laser cartridges are dumped every year and this figure increases by 12% every year. Each discarded cartridge adds approximately three pounds of unnecessary waste to our landfill. This waste will take as long as 1000 years to decompose. Additionally, it takes nearly a gallon (3.5 liters) of fossil oil to produce one laser cartridge, not counting the energy required in the production process. Remanufacturing the cartridge prevents it from ending up in a landfill, it doesn’t use oil to produce and it only uses a small percentage of energy compared to producing new cartridges. By using XPS remanufactured cartridges you can reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment.
New build/Compatible vs. remanufactured cartridges:
New build/Compatibles are made of a complete new plastic shell instead of using a used OEM core as with remanufactured cartridges. In Europe these cartridges are generally referred to as new build. In the US they are mostly called compatibles. Apart from the fact that these cartridges do not help to save our environment the new build/compatibles also have a high risk on intellectual property infringement for both the producer as well as the reseller. Remanufactured cartridges have almost no risk on patent infringement because it is allowed to repair/remanufacture a cartridge by law. If a new build/compatible cartridge is also marked and sold as an original cartridge it is called a counterfeit cartridge. A lot of counterfeit cartridges are coming from Asia.
Refill cartridges vs. remanufactured cartridges:
Refill cartridges also use the original OEM cartridges but they only replace the toner and if necessary reprogram or replace the chip. Refilled cartridges are not taken apart or cleaned and important parts are not inspected nor replaced. The drum is always reused which cannot guarantee another lifecycle. Remanufactured means better and higher quality. All worn components are replaced with new parts (blades, drum etc.). All sections are cleaned and the hopper is filled with toner before the cartridge is resealed. An XPS remanufactured cartridges guarantees another life cycle.
Will using remanufactured toner cartridges void my printer or copier warranty?New build/Compatibles are made of a complete new plastic shell instead of using a used OEM core as with remanufactured cartridges. In Europe these cartridges are generally referred to as new build. In the US they are mostly called compatibles. Apart from the fact that these cartridges do not help to save our environment the new build/compatibles also have a high risk on intellectual property infringement for both the producer as well as the reseller. Remanufactured cartridges have almost no risk on patent infringement because it is allowed to repair/remanufacture a cartridge by law. If a new build/compatible cartridge is also marked and sold as an original cartridge it is called a counterfeit cartridge. A lot of counterfeit cartridges are coming from Asia.
Refill cartridges vs. remanufactured cartridges:
Refill cartridges also use the original OEM cartridges but they only replace the toner and if necessary reprogram or replace the chip. Refilled cartridges are not taken apart or cleaned and important parts are not inspected nor replaced. The drum is always reused which cannot guarantee another lifecycle. Remanufactured means better and higher quality. All worn components are replaced with new parts (blades, drum etc.). All sections are cleaned and the hopper is filled with toner before the cartridge is resealed. An XPS remanufactured cartridges guarantees another life cycle.
The law prohibits original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from voiding their warranty obligations on the grounds that a consumer uses a remanufactured toner cartridge.
Is the quality of a remanufactured cartridge inferior to a new cartridge?When developing new aftermarket cartridges XPS quality target is to build its remanufactured cartridges equal or better than the original cartridges. Therefore you will experience no significant difference in print quality or page yield with a XPS remanufactured cartridge. XPS cartridges contain only premium aftermarket parts and quality toners that work well with the OPC drum to meet OEM performance.
How are XPS cartridges tested? • All cartridges are produced according the same standards as the OEM ones.
• All incoming materials (toner, drums etc.) are tested with incoming inspection
• Every cartridge is print tested
• Randomly cartridges are taken from each batch that is ready for shipment to the customer (CET = Customer Evaluation Test). The batch is released when no mistakes were found.
• One of every thousand remanufactured cartridges is randomly taken from production and tested in the lab by pulling the pull seal and running it in a printer till it is empty. Print quality and toner usage are monitored over life.
What is XPS’s return rate on remanufactured cartridges?• All incoming materials (toner, drums etc.) are tested with incoming inspection
• Every cartridge is print tested
• Randomly cartridges are taken from each batch that is ready for shipment to the customer (CET = Customer Evaluation Test). The batch is released when no mistakes were found.
• One of every thousand remanufactured cartridges is randomly taken from production and tested in the lab by pulling the pull seal and running it in a printer till it is empty. Print quality and toner usage are monitored over life.
Customer return rate Monochrome cartridges < 0,5%
Customer return rate Superior Color cartridges < 2 %
Customer return rate Superior Color cartridges < 2 %