Drawn tubing is used for this application because of its straightness and the extremely tight tolerances that are required on the outside diameter. After the tubing is received by our customers, they diamond turn the outside to a mirror finish on specially built lathes. Then, the tubing is anodized to protect against oxide build up, and shipped to the end customer who applies a photosensitive coating.

The photosensitive coating that is applied to these OPCs is so sensitive that inclusions or oxides as small as 1-2 microns can cause a defect that will impact the function of the photo-receptor. In order to meet this difficult quality requirement, Hydro's Ellenville, New York casthouse has a state-of-the-art metal filtering system used in the production of primary-quality aluminum billet. This system, known as “TKR”, employs in-line degassing and a ceramic filter box that removes even the smallest defects from the aluminum. Our customers tell us that the metal produced by the Ellenville filtering system is as good or better than anything being produced anywhere in the world.

Most printer cartridges also employ another aluminum tube called the developer sleeve. Hydro is a major supplier to this market as well. The developer sleeve is centerless ground before having magnets inserted into the inside of the tube. This product is used to transport the toner from the cartridge to the paper during the printing operation.

Hydro OPCs and developer sleeves are used by companies such as Xerox® and Lexmark® along with just about everyone that produces “recharged” laser printer cartridges for the aftermarket.

Depending on the customer’s requirements, Hydro supplies both seamless and porthole tubing for these applications. Each month, we produce over 3,000,000 specialty drawn tubes for the laser printer and copier industry.

Copier tubes are produced in Ellenville. Specialty tubes for laser printers are produced both at Ellenville and our St. Augustine, Florida facility.