Transient Temperature Distribution and Thermo-Mechanical Coupling Response of Paper in the Fusing Process of Laser Printers

The hot-press fusing process of a laser printer is one of the principal causes for paper folding and bending deformation. In order to predict and control the deformation of paper, first, the following analysis method is proposed for the transient temperature field analysis of the continuous moving paper: discretizing the thermal analysis process, replacing the moving paper model with the moving heat source, and simulating the movement speed of paper by setting the flow boundary conditions. Second, taking the steady-state thermal calculation results of the printer in the standby mode as initial conditions, the temperature distribution characteristics of paper during the movement are obtained with the paper model placed in a whole-machine environment to analyze the transient temperature field. Third, using the method of multi-field coupling, the transient temperature field results of paper are taken as the external load of its static analysis to analyze the deformation of paper during the fusing process; therefore, the quantitative deformation results and deformation characteristics of paper after fusing are obtained. According to the results, more precise boundary conditions can be achieved by calculating the temperature field of paper in a whole-machine environment. The method of transient temperature field analysis for continuous moving objects proposed in this study can effectively simulate the movement process of paper. The results reveal the mechanism of paper wrinkle and bending deformation in the fusing process, which can be used to predict the conveying performance of paper and guide the design work of the printer.