The Sharp Z-80 engine was first used in the Xerox XC personal copier line, which included three series of copiers. Hundreds of thousands of these analog copiers have been sold in the U.S. since their original introduction in November 1996. The XC 800 series featured a copy speed of 8 copies per minute (cpm), while the XC 1000 series featured an increased speed of 10 cpm and the XC 1200 series had a 12 cpm copy speed. All models ship with starter cartridges, have a maximum copy size of 8-1/2 x 14" and a toner-save mode. In 1997, Sharp released the Z-820, Z-835, and Z-845 copiers using the same engine.
The engine features a dual-component developing system using a drum cartridge and a toner cartridge. Both toner and developer are housed in the toner cartridge and have OEM weights of 170g and 165g respectively.
With the exception of the starter cartridge, the drum unit features an automatic drum count resetting mechanism. Starter cartridges can be reset manually through the copier diagnostics mode after the cartridge has been installed in the copier.
The assembly and disassembly of the cartridges is fairly easy, however, you may find that the developer cap can be difficult to remove. Static Control is in the process of developing a solution. The wiper blade is made of polyurethane attached to a metal stamping. The doctor blade is in a fixed position and made of steel. The developer roller has an aluminum sleeve with a silver coating. It is important to note that although the Sharp and Xerox cartridges use the same internal components, the cartridges are not interchangeable between printers without modification.