In copying machines and laser beam printers, toner is fixed to the paper by heat and pressure via the fixing roller. With conventional fixingroller systems, the roller must be kept hot at all times by a heater located in the center of the roller, even when in standby mode.

Canon's on-demand SURF (Surface Rapid Fixing) technology employs a linear ceramic heater and fixing-film sleeve with high thermal conductivity and low thermal capacity. The heater activates only when the fixing-film sleeve rotates, transferring heat via the film to fix the image to the paper. As such, the technology virtually eliminates warm-up time and, depending on the product, enables the fixing unit to achieve standby power consumption of 0W.

Canon has also developed on-demand fixing technology for its color printers and copying machines. One system utilizes a double-layer fixingfilm sleeve, such as those used in monochrome machines, which includes an intermediate rubber layer. In another, the base layer of the fixing-film sleeve is made from thin metallic film instead of heat-resistant resin and employs a three-layer structure which includes a rubber layer and release layer. The inclusion of the soft rubber layer contributes to improved tonerfixing performance and ensures the uniform application of heat to the toner to produce consistently high-quality color images.

Color on-demand fixing system

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