Toner adhesion to printer components is an important factor in determining the force needed for good image quality. Controversy remains as to the dominance of electrical or mechanical (Van der Waals) forces as force measurements have yielded a large range of results. A new measurement tool has been developed to measure the cumulative distribution of toner adhesion from toner transferred onto an intermediate belt. The tool consists of a metered pulse of air directed perpendicularly onto a toner isopel pattern. Printed thin lines of toner were used to calibrate isopel removal to known air force. Air velocity at toner level was found through Navier-Stokes. Resulting removal distributions correlate to transfer field parameters. The last few percent of toner remain attached to the substrate due to toner damage which results in high mechanical adhesion.
Julie G. Whitney, Brandon A. Kemp, "Toner Adhesion Measurement" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP26), 2010, pp 229 - 233, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2010.26.1.art00063_1