It came to our attention that due to most people working from home and the closure of schools across the country, majority of our workplace MFD’s are unused and inoperative.
We recently spoke to Keith Stevenson at Ricoh, one of our suppliers on our RM3781 Multifunctional Devices framework to understand and guide our customers on how to handle their devices and printers during this unprecedented time.
With the most modern MFDs it is advisable to leave the devices plugged-in, connected to the network and turned on even though they may be going to extended periods of zero use. The energy save functions of a device are customer configurable (often centrally over the network) and the best setting would be default to auto-off which means the device can come back to life as required. There are a number of reasons for this and users should be assured that these devices can use as little as 1W of power when in auto-off mode but can still then carry out the functions described below to protect your investment and help your supplier.
1. Environmental issues
Room temperate both + and -, the effects air conditioning can have if a device is in close proximity to a supply. Auto-off will mean the device can “self-control”.
2. Fusing and paper feed system degradation
When unused for long periods a device may develop flat spots on both the fusing and feed rollers. In auto-off it will periodically cycle up-down to prevent this.
3. Toner congealing
If the toner in a device has not been cycled for a period of time it can become congealed and block the toner supply systems, along with the development unit(s). Again, in auto-off it will periodically cycle up-down to prevent this.
4. Meter reads
You still have a contractual requirement to send meter reads on the right day to the supplier, if automatic meter reads are being used then the device must be on and connected. This will also help suppliers know which devices to plan preventative maintenance for devices that are in use.
5. Software solutions
Leaving the devices on prevents any licenses being re-allocated to other machines and being left short when they return to action.
As you return to work, and areas return to normal use you may want to consider whether devices have been in safe/clean environments. If you want to be assured of a devices cleanliness beyond what you can achieve with a simple wipe then ask your supplier if they provide a cleaning service. Ricoh’s service is attached as an example.
For more information please get in touch with the team or read our blog which provides an overview of YPO’s Multifunctional Devices framework.
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