Conversion of Laser Printer To Unprinter PDF

Conversion of Laser Printer to Unprinter
A Project Study
Presented to
The Faculty of the Electronics Engineering Department
Electrical & Allied Department
Technological University of the Philippines
Taguig Campus
In Partial Fulfilment
Of the Requirement on the Course
Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering
Project Study II
Submitted by:
Katyrynne R. Garcia, ECT
Verlyn D. Lingo, ECT
November 2014
Chapter 1
BACKGROUND AND ITS PROBLEM
1.1
Introduction
Unprinter is a device which is equivalent to the reverse engineering
of printer that aims to offers the solution of reducing the amount of papers
that are wasted everyday by removing printed ink from paper making it
instantly reusable. Printer has made it possible for books, newspapers,
magazines, and other reading materials to be produced in great numbers,
and it plays an important role in promoting literacy among the massesIt
has undergone many modifications over the years to meet the needs of
people in different eras.
With people having great benefits with the capability of printer to
instantly produce hard copies of data results to high amount of wasted
paper. In fact, According to Mr. Hidde-Jan Lemstra, people use an
average of 10,000 sheets per person every year, according to statistics
40% of these sheets is thrown away on the very same day and 80% is
thrown within a week. Also, according to Development Bank of the
Philippines, the world average per capita consumption of paper is 43 kg.
Reports show that the annual per capita consumption of paper in the
Philippines is 13 kg as opposed to the worlds per capita consumption of
43 kg. In the country, Manila and other urbanized areas show the highest
density in paper consumption (DBP 2005).The Project involves use of a
Technological University of the Philippines Taguig
Page 1
green laser light with a 532 nm wavelength that is readily absorbed by

dark toner, but which passes harmlessly through cellulose fibers in paper.
The project also involves Reverse Engineering since a Samsung ML-2525
laser printer will be disassembled to (a) analyse the system, subsystem
and component, in order to identify the inter-relationships among them,
their functions and solution principles (b) identify and analyse how will the
532 nm will be integrated inside the laser printer (c) identify what
components should be remove and replace inside the laser printer to be
able to convert it to an Unprinter and (d) modify control buttons making it
direct controlled buttons.
In all of this, the Unprinter aims to boost paper reuse over recycling.
The aim is to design it with the same concept on how printer works which
requires little or no change on how people work, easy to implement, and
delivers stunning cost savings, reduce paper consumption and CO 2
reductions.
Page 2
1.2
Background of the Study

Companies, groups, and individuals conducted and currently
conducting their own studies and possible solutions on how to reverse
engineer a printers capability to unprint. In previous work on the subject
has explored the applicability of ultraviolet, visible and infrared (IR) lasers
under nanosecond pulses for toner removal. Others who have tried to
solve this problem have results to discolouration of the paper. Toshiba
launches worlds first eco-friendly MFP system during 2012; this can erase
images and text on the prints. Toner is mostly composed of carbon and a
plastic polymer. It's the polymer in the toner that is vaporized. In
Cambridge University made it successful marks to remove the toner from
paper, leaving it good as new. The University of Cambridge tested tonerprint removal from paper by employing a variety of lasers.
The researchers conducted a pre-survey to know the demand or
the needs of the Unprinter in different industries including schools and
businesses. The pre-survey has 10 questions. For your reference, PreSurvey questionnaires are attached in this document as Annex A and the
tabulated results with graphical representation as Annex B.
The total respondents are 41 these are the; 8 working students
from the course of Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering and
Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology these respondents are
currently working as a Technicians and IT Support; 11 students are from
Page 3
the courses of Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering, Bachelor of

Tourism Management and Computer Engineering Technician; 22
Employees working as a Programmer, Lawyer, Engineer, Financial
Analyst, Procurement, Legal Associate and Executive Assistant. The 41%
of the respondents say that they print occasionally and the 63% always
uses a printer, those who usually uses the printer are the employees. The
68% of the respondent use the paper that are already used as a scratch
especially to for the students, 24% will rather print at the back. The 65% of
the respondents estimated are 1 to 10 of paper being dumped per day and
the remaining 35% are more than 11 papers. Only 12% of the respondent
have heard about the Unprinter, but the feedback who wanted to use this
device in school and workplace are more than 80%, for those who dont
prefer to use it at home is because they seldom print and they will only
buy if the cost of buying will be more cost efficient than buying new paper
yet this will be useful in the companies and Printing businesses. Upon
reading what it can do the respondent says that it is eco-friendly because
it will contribute to preservation of trees and protect the environment,
reusing paper means less than demand for new paper and less for cutting
trees, practical because it will save money in time, and will lower the cost
of the company in time, convenient because it saves time and money in
buying new papers, company will no longer need to find ways on how to
efficiency recycle and dispose used papers.
Page 4
1.3
Objectives of the Study

General Objective
To innovate a laser printer to unprinter.
Specific Objectives:
1. To determine (a) process (b) factors and (c) specifications of the 532
nm green laser that must be considered in order to remove printed text
from used paper (Annex G 532 nm Laser Factors and Specifications
Template).
2. To modify a laser printer by disassembling and analyzing its
components.
3. To integrate the 532 nm green laser and other materials inside the
laser printer reversing its function from printing to unprinting.
4. To modify laser printer control to direct unprinter button control.
5. To test the reliability and functionality of the unprinter by making 7501000 used papers reusable (Annex H Reliability and Functionality
Test Template).
Page 5
1.4
Significance of the study
1.4.1 Business Sector

The study would benefit a wide range of printer users from
Corporate, to Printing Businesses and to Individual Users.
Average office employees uses 10,000 sheets of paper every
year, most of which are discarded within just a few days. This
project can save these unused sheets by making it reusable
again.
Saving paper will eventually lessen not only the purchasing
costs, but also storage and space for unused papers. Saving storage and
space leads to increase in efficiency especially to individuals, whenever
we have fewer sheets of paper in our homes and offices, we spend less
time looking for those that are misplaced or lost.
1.4.2
Environment
The project will also have a significant contribution in conservation
of trees and reducing the emission produced by manufacturing and
recycling the paper (reduction of CO2).
Paper is an office/school necessity for some essential tasks, but it
has an environmental cost. Creating paper from trees requires a lot of
natural resources: trees, water, and energy.
Page 6
Facts:
It takes more than 1 cups of water to make one sheet of

paper.
Over 40% of wood pulp goes toward the production of paper.
Reducing paper use reduces greenhouse gases: 400 reams

of paper are like 1.25 acres of pine forest absorbing carbon
for a year.
Even with recycling efforts, paper makes up over 25% of

Minnesota's
garbagewe're
throwing
away
lot
of
resources!
This project reduces our impact to the environment by saving
paper.
1.4.3 University
The project will also have a significant contribution in the University
as this will promote practical use of paper and will reduce paper
consumption. Saving paper around the university would lead to lesser
waste around the campus.
Page 7
1.5
Scope and Delimitation of the study
1.5.1 Scope of the Study

1.
Removal of ink shall be limited to papers with toner inks.
2.
Paper must have no damage.
3.
Paper size shall be limited to

a.
Letter Size
b.
A4 Size
c.
Legal Size
1.5.2 Delimitation
1. To obtain good result wherein paper will become reusable user should
repeat unprint process if printed ink is still visible in the used paper.
Page 8
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
2.1
Research Literature
2.1.1 The Laser Unprinter
Figure 2.1.1 Laser Printer construction
Sebastian Anthony written an article posted in ExtremeTech,

entitled The Laser Unprinter. The content talks about the difference
between the Laser Printer and the Unprinter using laser beam.
Using Laser printer make a new ways to print in high-quality. Now,
the team and researchers from the University of Cambridge in England
have created a laser unprinter that can remove or erase ink without
damaging the paper. Despite both methods using lasers, to (un)printing
are fundamentally very different. In laser printer is used to give individual
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pixels on a piece of paper that is a positive charge shown in the figure

2.1.1. Negatively-charged toner particles stick to these positive regions,
and a heat source then fuses the toner to the paper. While in the laser
unprinter uses very short pulses of laser light on the order of picoseconds,
then used to ablate the toner. Laser unprinter must ablate the toner
without damaging the paper. So the team uses green laser light that is
readily absorbed by dark toner, but which passes harmlessly through
cellulose fibers in paper.
According to S. Anthony, manufacturing paper is incredibly messy
business that produces millions of tons of CO2 every year. Recycling
paper is definitely a step in the right direction, but its still a very resourceintensive process. And the primary goal of unprinting is to cut down on the
carbon footprint of the paper and printing industries, by simply deleting or
removing the ink of used papers, rather than re-pulping them. As a result,
it could cut down on electricity usage, CO2 output, and most importantly
fresh water, which is growing scarier by the year. It is also convenient if
the individual takes longer to buy a new ream of papers. In a worst-case
scenario, The University of Cambridge unprinting method has half the
carbon emissions of recycling and best-case, unprinting is almost 20 times
as efficient. Its now a matter of building the technology into a commercial
device, which the team admits is probably a long way off. High-powered
picosecond lasers are the reserve of labs.
Page 10
2.1.2 Paper Re-use: Toner removal short pulsed lasers
Figure 2.1.2 Idea of the construction

A blog by U. Kakodkar discuss the Paper re-use: Toner Removal
Short Pulse Laser. This blog is based on the article Toner-print removal
from paper by long and ultrashort pulsed lasers, the authors are David
Ricardo Leal-Ayala, J. M. Allwood, M. Schmidt I. Alexeev affiliate with
University of Cambridge, UK, Chair for Photonic Technology, Germany
and Proceedings of The Royal Society. U. Kakodkar wrote in his blog that
The researchers have been developing methods to remove print-toner
that has firmly clung to the paper in types and pics, hoping to re-use the
paper and thereby control resources wastage. As of now, there are only
Page 11
three destinies of used papers these are to recycled, incinerated or

disposed of in a landfill. And according to U. Kakodkar Toner-print
removal from paper would allow paper to be re-used instead of wasting
thus, saving both, environment and money. If successful methods are
invented and deployed on large scale, burden on Mother Nature due to
paper production and use would be eased to a great extent. So far,
nanosecond pulses of ultraviolet, visible and infrared (IR) lasers have
been tried with some success for toner removal. But the research has not
so far been graded. Now, a team of four researchers from University of
Cambridge and Chair for Photonic Technology, Germany, have expanded
on this work by testing a wider range of ultrafast and long-pulsed lasers.
They have measured material removal capacity of the lasers and have
proposed an operating window for the toner-removal process. The
researchers have considered ten distinct laser set-ups for study, weighing
all aspects of laser ablation and optimal material removal efficiency, with
color analysis under the L*a*b* color space. The outcomes of laser
ablation of toner material from printed paper were subjected to scanning
electron microscope examination and attenuated total reflectanceFourier
transform IR spectroscopy measurements, to test the efficacy of toner
removal techniques using laser. The conclusion is that, with the right laser,
it is possible to remove toner from paper to enable its re-use. The
technological imprint now having been established, examining the
financial and marketing angles would be the next step in developing and
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implementing a civic strategy for re-use of printed paper, in every city of

the world.
2.1.3 1200x600dpi 24ppm Mono Laser Printer ML-2525
Figure 2.1.3 Samsung, Mono Laser Printer ML-2525

Mono Laser Printer ML-2525 is a Samsung product; it performs
with speed options from 18 to 24ppm, and resolution up to 1200 x 600dpi,
the ML-2525 series offers the flexibility to meet all your daily print
requirements. And with a FPOT (First Print Out Time) of less than ten
seconds, you wont be kept waiting; Samsung ML-2525 series printers
also offer a choice of consumables to meet your cashflow needs. High
yield toner cartridges, which are ideal for heavy users, last longer and give
you lower costs per page. Optionally, low yield toner cartridges have the
advantage of lower initial outlay; The Print Screen function is a quick and
easy way to print the contents of your screen, and its especially useful if
you handle a high volume of web-based information. You can pull together
web pages, pictures or other documents in separate windows on your
Page 13
screen, and print them all together in a single operation instead of

having to process them individually. All you do is press the Print Screen
button on the printer control panel. The Print Screen facility can be used in
two ways either pressing the Print Screen button for less than two
seconds prints out the contents of your screen as you see it or pressing
the Print Screen button for longer than two seconds just prints the active
window.
The researchers would like to modify the printer to the design of the
unprinter according to how will it process, because of the low cost and its
streamlined design indicated by the Samsung; the Output cover as well as
adding to the streamlined look the output cover also helps to keep the
noise level down when printing ensuring a tranquil office environment; the
Control panel Clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate for maximum
effectiveness. These series have the power button on the top, making it
easier to turn on / off. Plus the Print Screen button enables quick and easy
professional print outs; it has an enclosed cassette tray Stylish and
practical. The enclosed cassette tray provides a compact finish and
ensures the paper is kept dust free and clean, helping guarantee reliable
professional prints and; Stylish with its streamlined exterior these series of
color laser printers are designed to fit perfectly into any professional
business, helping to add a touch of style. This printer is currently available
in the Quezon City, Philippines at PC Gilmore.
Page 14
2.1.4 Green Lasers

Green laser pointers appeared on the market circa 2000, and are
the most common type of DPSS lasers (also called DPSSFD for "diode
pumped solid state frequency-doubled"). They are more complicated than
standard red laser pointers, because laser diodes are not commonly
available in this wavelength range. The green light is generated in an
indirect
process,
beginning
with
high-power
(typically
100
300 mW) infrared AlGaAs laser diode operating at 808 nm. The 808 nm
light pumps a
crystal
of neodymium-doped
yttrium
aluminum
vanadate (Nd:YVO4) (or Nd:YAG or less common Nd:YLF), which lases

deeper in the infrared at 1064 nm. This lasing action is due to an
electronic transition in the fluorescent neodymium ion, Nd(III), which is
present in all of these crystals.
The Nd:YVO4 or other Nd-doped crystal is coated on the diode side
with a dielectric mirror that reflects at 808 nm and transmits at 1064 nm.
The crystal is mounted on a copper block, acting as a heat sink; its
1064 nm output is fed into a crystal of potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP),
mounted on a heat sink in the laser cavity resonator. The orientation of the
crystals must be matched, as they are both an isotropic and the
Nd:YVO4 outputs polarized light. This unit acts as a frequency doubler,
and halves the wavelength to the desired 532 nm. The resonant cavity is
terminated by a dielectric mirror that reflects at 1064 nm and transmits at
532 nm. An infrared filter behind the mirror removes IR radiation from the
Page 15
output beam (this may be omitted or inadequate in less-expensive

"pointer-style" green lasers), and the assembly ends in a collimator lens.
Nd:YVO4 is replacing other Nd-doped materials such as Nd:YAG and
Nd:YLF in such systems because of lower dependency on the exact
parameters of the pump diode (therefore allowing for higher tolerances),
wider
absorption
band,
lower lasing
threshold,
higher slope
efficiency, linear polarization of output light, and single mode output. For
frequency doubling of higher power lasers, LBO is used instead of KTP.
Newer lasers use a composite Nd: YVO4/KTP crystal instead of two
discrete ones.
Some green lasers operate in pulse or quasi-continuous wave
(QCW) mode, to reduce cooling problems and prolong battery life.
An announcement in 2009 of a direct green laser (which does not require
doubling) promises much higher efficiencies and could foster the
development of new color video projectors.
In
2012, Nichia and OSRAM developed
and
manufactured
merchant high-power green laser diodes (515/520 nm) which can emit
green laser directly.
Because even a low-powered green laser is visible at night
through Rayleigh scattering from air molecules, this type of pointer is used
by astronomers to easily point out stars and constellations. Green laser
pointers can come in a variety of different output powers. The 5 mW green
Page 16
laser pointers (class llla) are the safest to use, and anything more powerful
is usually not necessary for pointing purposes since the beam is still
visible in dark lighting conditions.
The United States Coast Guard requires their air crews to return to
base if a green laser is pointed at them, and have their eyes examined for
eye damage. People have been given up to five years in jail for aiming a
green laser at an aircraft.
2.1.5 How Paper is made from Tree
Figure 2.1.5 Stack of paper photo from Shutterstock
Paper is made from trees; it is made in different kind of paper. A

website called Wonderopolis supported by Verizon foundation provided by
Stands4 wrote a brief explanation about how paper is made. A tree is
something tall and strong and it can be turned to a sheet of paper which is
something thin and weak. The process begins with the raw wood, which is
made up of fibers called cellulose. Cellulose is a long chain of linked
sugar molecules that gives wood its remarkable strength; it is the main
Page 17
component of plant cell walls, and the basic building block for many
textiles and for paper. Cotton is the purest natural form of cellulose. In the
laboratory, ashless filter paper is a source of nearly pure cellulose. The
cellulose fibers are stuck together with a natural glue called lignin. Lignin
is a constituent of the cell walls of almost all dry land plant cell walls; it is
the second most abundant natural polymer in the world, surpassed only by
cellulose. When the lignin is removed and the cellulose fibers are
separated and reorganized, paper can be made.
Wonderopolis also discuss that; its also possible to make paper
from a variety of other types of plant fibers, such as cotton, flax, bamboo
and hemp. For example, cotton fibers are often used to make the paper
that money is printed on. The overwhelming majority (about 95 %) of the
raw material used to make paper, though, comes from trees. To make
paper from trees, the raw wood must first be turned into pulp (Pulp is a
lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically
separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper). Wood
pulp is a watery soup of cellulose wood fibers, lignin, water and the
chemicals used during the pulping process. One of the method is
mechanical pulping involves using machines to grind wood chips into pulp.
The resulting pulp retains most of its lignin, though. The short fibers
created by grinding leads to weak paper most suitable for newsprint,
phone books or other types of low-strength papers. Another is the more
commonly used method is chemical pulping, also known as kraft.
Page 18
Chemicals are used to separate lignin from the cellulose fibers, leaving a
pulp mixture that can make stronger papers. Depending on what type of
paper is desired, the pulp mixture might need to be bleached to create
whiter paper. Papermakers use a variety of chemicals to bleach pulp to
the color they want. Once the pulp is ready, it is then used to make paper
in a process that is quite similar (in the basics) to the process first used by
the ancient Chinese more than 1,900 years ago. Because the pulp mixture
is so watery (sometimes as much as 99% water!), the cellulose fibers
need to be separated from the watery mixture. A huge machines spray the
pulp mixture onto moving mesh screens to make a layered mat. The mat
of pulp then goes through several processes to remove water and dry it
out. Finally, the mat is run through heated rollers to squeeze out any
remaining water and compress it into one continuous roll of paper that can
be up to 30 feet wide. When the paper has the desired thickness, it may
be colored or coated with special chemicals to give it a special texture,
extra strength or water resistance. As a last step, the paper rolls are cut to
size and packaged for shipping to other facilities for additional processing
to turn it into all sorts of specialized papers.
2.1.6 Paper Recycling

Kathryn Sukalich wrote an article; what the industry must know
about paper recycling. When paper is throw its next destination is in
recycling center where contaminants such as plastic, glass or trash are
Page 19
removed. Next, the paper is sorted into different grades. For example,
newspaper is a lower grade paper because it has already been recycled
numerous times, while printer paper is higher grade paper. The grade of
paper is determined by fiber length, which shortens after each trip through
the recycling process. After being recycled five to seven times, the fibers
become too short to make new paper and will need to be mixed with virgin
fibers, according to the EPA. A paper can be recycle five to seven times
depending on the paper quality because the fibers become too shorts after
many times paper can be recycled.
Figure 2.1.6 At a recycling center, paper is sorted and stored in bales.

(Photo: Earth911)
K. Sukalich discuss that once paper is sorted, it will be stored in

large bales until a mill needs it, and then it will be transferred to the mill for
processing. At the mill, large machines process large quantities of paper
at a time. First, the paper will be shredded into small pieces by a pulper,
which also contains water and chemicals. This mixture is heated, and the
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pieces of paper break down into their fibers. This pulp is forced through a
screen to remove adhesives and other remaining contaminants. Next, the
paper will be spun in a cone-shaped cylinder to clean it, and sometimes
ink will also be removed. At this point, the pulp is sent through a machine
that sprays it onto a conveyor belt. Water will drip through the belts
screen, and the paper fibers will start bonding together. Then heated
metal rollers will dry the paper, and the paper will be put onto large rolls,
which can be made into new paper products.
2.1.7 Paper Industry in the Philippines

The Environmental Studies Institute, conduct a project entitled
Integration of Solid Waste Management Tools in Specific European and
Asian Communities (ISTEAC). The project discuss an article about; The
paper industry in the Philippines comprises 39 local recycling paper mills,
6 abaca pulp mills and 1 integrated paper mill situated in the province of
Surigao that has a tree plantation and supplies its own requirement for
pulp to produce paper, or a total of 46 industry players. The recycling
paper mills depend steadily on continuous supply of waste papers to
support their day-to-day operations. The local mills are committed to
provide a constant supply of high quality and reasonably priced paper
products serving the needs of allied and related industries Locally made
products including their annual capacities are as follows: (a) Industrial
Grade Packaging Paper, 426,000 MT; (b) Newsprint, 231,000 MT; (c)
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Printing and Writing, 232,000 MT; (d) Tissue paper, 35,000 MT; and (e)
Kraft paper and Board, 662,000 MT. This amounts to a total capacity of
1,586,000 MT per annum. Actual production capacity at 75% capacity is
1,189,500 MT per annum.
Table 2.1.1 Annual paper mill capacity
Paper Products
Quantity (MT)
Industrial grade packing paper 426, 000
Newsprint 231, 000
Printing and writing 232, 000
Tissue Paper 35, 000
Kraft paper and board 662, 000
Total 1, 586, 000
The Environmental Studies Institute discuss that; the demand for

paper and paperboard is greatly influenced by economic growth,
increases in school population, and population growth. Reports show that
the annual per capita consumption of paper in the Philippines is 13 kg as
opposed to the worlds per capita consumption of 43 kg. In the country,
Manila and other urbanized areas show the highest density in paper
consumption (DBP 2005); the primary raw materials for paper making in
the Philippines are recycled fibers or waste papers. This is due to the
limited supply of local wood pulp and the exorbitant cost of Final Draft 11
imported wood pulp. There are mills that use 100% waste papers, while
some combine recycled fiber with imported wood pulp at a certain ratio
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depending on the desired quality of the end product; the environmental

impact considered it as one of the key players in the economic recovery,
the pulp and paper industry is also regarded as one of the major sources
of environmental impacts. Their production process uses significant
quantities of water and discards nearly the same volume of wastewater,
containing various amounts of water-conveyed pollutants besides the solid
and gaseous wastes generated by the process.
2.1.8 How Laser Printer Works
Figure 3.2.2 Overview Parts

John Burek discusss a brief explanation about how printer works, posted in the
site of computer shopper. Burek discuss; that in most cases, the PC is
collaborating with the DC controller (1) in the laser printer to queue up and
translate printing data; a raster image processor (RIP) converts images and text
into a virtual matrix of tiny dots. The main actor, however, is the photoconducting
Page 23
drum (2), a specially coated cylinder that receives a positive or negative charge
from a charging roller (3) (or, in some printers, a corona wire). A laser beam (4),
switching rapidly on and off and deflected off a rotating mirror (5), scans the
charged drum horizontally in precise lines. When the beam flashes on, it
reverses the charge of tiny spots on the drum, corresponding to dots that are to
be printed black. After the laser scans a line, a stepper motor advances the
drum, and the laser repeats the processall, of course, blindingly fast. Next, the
drum's laser-kissed portion encounters the developer roller (6), which is coated in
charged toner particles from the toner hopper (7), part of the toner cartridge.
Charged toner clings to the discharged areas of the drum, reproducing, in
reverse, your images and text. Meanwhile, a belt or roller assembly (8) draws
paper inside from the paper tray (9), past a transfer roller or charging wire (10)
that applies a charge opposite the toner's to the paper. As the paper sheet meets
the drum, the drum-borne toner transfers to paper. A cleaning blade (11) then
cleans the drum, and the process continues in a smooth, circular flow. (Color
lasers work similarly, but the paper may require four passes by the drum for four
toner colors. Alternately, the printer may transfer each color layer to an
intermediate belt before applying it to the paper, or employ four drum/toner
assemblies.) Last, the page, with its imprint of tenuously anchored toner, reaches
the fuser (12)a heat roller and a pressure roller. It melts the toner, which
contains resins and sometimes wax, onto the page. And the pages will pop out
on the tray.
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2.2 Research Studies

2.2.1 Foreign Studies
a. Toner-print removal from paper by long and ultrashort pulsed
lasers
David Ricardo Leal-Ayala, J.M. Allwood, M. Schimdt, and I. Alexeev
conducted a test on a wide range of pulsed lasers. The study has a total of
10 laser set-upssix on the ultrashort pulsed and four in the long-pulsed
category.
The following are the set-up and materials used during the test:
Figure 2.2.1: Ultrashort-pulsed laser samples(a) 800nm at 1000fs, (b)

400nm at 500fs, (c) 266nm at 120fs, (d) 1064nm at 10ps, (e) 532nm at 10ps,
and (f ) 355nm at 10ps. (Online version in colour.)
Six in the ultra-short- pulsed regime and four in the
long-pulsed
category.
Ultrafast
ablation tests
were
performed on a Fuego Integrated Picosecond MOPA laser

(Time-Bandwidth Products) and a Spitre Pro XP Ultrafast
Amplier (Spectra-Physics). The former runs at a constant
pulse width of 10ps with adjustable wavelengths between
Page 25
366, 532 and 1064nm. The Spitre laser device works at

wavelengths of 266, 400 and 800nm with variable pulse
lengths ranging from 20fs to 3ps. Long- pulsed tests were
performed on a QuikLaze 50ST2 laser (New Wave
Research) for tests with 4ns pulses at 532nm, an SPI
Photonics System for trials at 1064nm with 40ns pulses,
and a Navigator II YHP40 OEM Laser System for tests at
532 and 355nm with adjustable pulse lengths between 29
and 75ns.
Tests were performed on uniform rectangular areas
printed with HP LaserJet Q1338A-AC-D black toner on
white, uncoated, wood-free (lignin-free) 80gm2 Canon
copy paper.
It is assumed that a typical sheet of ofce paper is
formed by 7090% cellulose bres, while the rest is a
combination of llers (typically clays), whiteners (typically
titanium oxide) and additives related to strength and
water-absorption properties.
The toner composition reported by HP (2004) consists
of 4050wt% polyester resin, 40 50wt% ferrous iron
oxide and 1wt% amorphous silica.1
D-L Ayala et al., Toner-printer removal from paper by long and ultrashort pulsed laser, 2011
October 20 < rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/03/09/rspa.2011.0601> (October
24, 2014).
Page 26
The following are the set-up and materials used during the
test:
During each test, the samples were placed on the
laser bed in the focal plane of the beam and moved in a

raster pattern to generate a rectangular scan across the
printed sample surface.
The full range of parameters tested in this study for
femtosecond, picosecond and nanosecond lasers are
contained in the electronic supplementary material.
Only one variable was changed at a time while the
rest were set at a default value. The variables included
wavelength, energy uence, pulse frequency, pulse width,
scan speed, spot area and number of horizontal passes.
The best parameters identied for each laser are
shown in 4. All test samples were analysed under an
optical microscope in order to select the best results.
These were qualitatively evaluated under a scanning
electron
microscope
(SEM)
and
subjected
to
quantitative colour analysis obtained by scanning them

with a CanoScanLide 25 scanner from Canon and
Page 27
converting the resulting images to the LAB colour space

using IMAGEJ software.
The L, a and b colour variables from the LAB
colour model were measured with the same software.
Under this system, L denes the lightness of the colour
(L=0 for black and L=100 for white), a measures green
and magenta tones (negative=green, positive=magenta)
and b quanties the yellow and cyan colours in a sample
(negative=cyan, positive=yellow). Every scanned sample
was accompanied by two colour references (black and
white) which were used to calibrate the process. L ab
variables from each colour reference in each sample were
measured and compared with the previously determined
values to ensure that the scanner repeatability remained
at an acceptable level. The scanned sample would be
accepted if there were no signicant variations in the
reference values. Ten measurements were taken from
each lased paper sample under study (L, a and b for
each variable). The values reported in this study are
average
values
with
their
corresponding
standard
deviation.
Further analysis was performed through Fourier
transform
IR
spectroscopy
with
attenuated
total
Page 28
reectance (FTIRATR). This technique can be used to

evaluate whether exposure to laser radiation produces
any changes in the atomic structure of paperand hence
any damageby measuring the changes that occur in a
reected IR beam when the beam comes into contact with
a paper sample. ATRFTIR spectra were collected at a
1cm1 resolution between 525 and 4000cm1 using a
Bruker Optics FTIR Tensor 27 coupled with a Pike Miracle
ATR single reection accessory, tted with a diamond
crystal and using an angle of incidence of 45. A highpressure clamp was used to ensure good contact
between the diamond (active area of 1.8mm) and the
paper samples in order to obtain high-quality spectra.
All paper samples were conditioned in accordance to
the T402 sp-08 TAPPI standard (standard conditioning
and testing atmospheres for paper, board, pulp hand
sheets and related products). Pre- conditioning consisted
of introducing the samples in a forced ventilation oven at a
temperature of 39C for a 2h period. The oven was
operated in a room at 55 per cent relative humidity (RH)
and 23C. Under these conditions, room air drawn into the
oven resulted in an RH between 20 and 30 per cent inside
the oven (according to the information given in the T402
Page 29
sp-08 standard). After pre- conditioning, the samples were

exposed to the conditioning atmosphere (55% RH and
23C) for 4h in order for them to come into equilibrium
with the atmosphere. After this, the samples were
transported as quickly as possible to the testing
atmosphere where the ATRFTIR machine was located.
The testing atmosphere was measured as 54 per cent RH
and 21C. This procedure ensured that all samples
possessed similar humidity levels during testing.
b. Disappearing ink to boost paper recycling

Will Knight wrote an article about Toshibas newest product wherein
recycling paper could be made simpler by a new disappearing ink that can
be erased from paper by heating:
Toshiba's erasable ink can be used in ordinary laser
jet printers and pens. A printed sheet is wiped clean by
passing
it
through
an
erasing
machine.
The
"decolourable" ink, which has been tinted blue to help

distinguish it from ordinary, non-erasable, ink, has been
named "e-blue". It consists of three different chemical
components. Two of these naturally combine to give the
2
D-L Ayala et al., Toner-printer removal from paper by long and ultrashort pulsed laser, 2011
October 20 < rspa.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/03/09/rspa.2011.0601> (October
24, 2014).
Page 30
ink its colour. The third element reverses this process

when heat is applied, causing the ink to become
transparent. The paper can then be printed on again. It
takes roughly 2 hours to erase 200 pages of paper using
Toshiba's desktop erasing machine. The ever-increasing
use of desktop computers led some to predict that offices
would one day do away with paper altogether. But the socalled "paperless office" has failed to materialize.
Research shows that paper is as widely used as ever. It
accounts for 40 per cent of all office waste in Japan and
just 60 per cent of this is recycled. Research shows that
paper is as widely used as ever. It accounts for 40 per
cent of all office waste in Japan and just 60 per cent of
this is recycled.3
According to Toshiba spokesman Junichi Nagaki, the demand for

paper will ever disappear completely. Toshiba plans to sell e-blue printer
toner, pens and erasing machines in Japan for just under 1600.
Will Knight, Disappearing Ink to Boost Paper Recycling, 2003 December 04,
<newscientist.com/article/dn4451-disappearing-ink-to-boost-paper-recycling.html>, (October 29,
2014).
Page 31
c. Un-Photocopying
Figure 2.2.2: Toner particles on the top of paper fibers.
A previous PhD project undertaken at the University of Cambridge by

Thomas Counsell (2007) under the supervision of Dr. Julian Allwood,
estimated that paper and board consumption causes approximately 1-2%
of man-made climate change gas emissions, resulting in this industry
being ranked between the 3rd and 5th of the most significant causes
contributing to climate change. According to this study, there are four
ways to reduce these numbers:
Decreasing consumption
Changing to carbon-neutral fuels
Improving the energy efficiency of each stage in the life cycle of
paper and cutting out stages in this life cycle.

Research in the Low Carbon Materials Processing Group (LCMPG)
has focused on the latter option.
Page 32
Table 2.2.1
The typical energy demand and climate change gas emissions for each
stage in the life of office paper from a tonne of typical cut size office paper
are as follows (Counsell, 2007)
Un-printing and reusing office paper would cut out almost all the
stages of the life cycle (only printing would remain) and their associated
energy consumption and climate change gas emissions.
Figure 2.2.3: Stages of the life cycle and their associated energy
consumption and climate change gas emissions.
Because of this, current research in the LCMPG focuses mainly in

using;
(a) lasers
Page 33
(b) abrasives; and

(c) chemical solvents to remove toner from printed paper
Figure 2.2.4: Using lasers, abrasives and chemical solvents to remove

toner from printed paper, obtaining promising results so far.
Many challenges have been identified from these
results, which need to be addressed before un-printing
can be a reality:
Page 34
Un-printing could be an effective replacement for more

than 60% of new paper, consume less than 40% of the
energy of recycled paper and cost less than 0.5 p per
sheet only after further development. Improvements
are required in terms of speed, energy efficiency and
cost.
The abrasive process failed to produce un-printed

sheets
with
high
enough
quality
to
act
as
replacements for new paper. Improvements need to

be made on the print removal technique and paper
damage reduction. More in depth knowledge is
required in abrasive research into selective transfer
and fatigue wear of polymers and into how abrasive
life can be prolonged in these regimes.
The laser process presented two main problems:

yellowing of the un-printed paper (hence, the unprinted paper cannot be used to replace new paper)
and elevated cost due to the type of laser used.
Further work will focus on methods to either prevent
or remove the yellowing on the un-printed paper and
exploring possibilities of using high-efficiency semiconductor lasers or other ways of reducing cost. In
particular, laser research should focus on how to
Page 35
remove material at a low enough temperature to avoid

thermal conduction, as this is believed to be the
cause for yellowing of the paper.
Regarding the solvent process, it has been concluded

that this method is not environmentally preferable
compared to conventional recycling.
All the approaches need to be tested on a wider

range of prints and papers.
Further research needs to be done in order to

understand
the
principles
behind
the
removal
processes and to develop predictive models of their

operation.4
d. Scientists Make Ink Disappear, Make Paper Reusable

Thomas Counsel and Julian Allwood of the University of Cambridge
have investigated print removal techniques in a recent study. The idea is
to reuse printed paper by removing the ink and quickly transforming it
back into clean, white paper.
Lisa Zyga, wrote an article about this study:
Counsel and Allwood note, the idea is not
new. Since medieval times, monks have removed the
print from parchment to allow it to be reused, and a
University of Cambridge, Department of Engineering, Un-photocopying, 2009,

< lcmp.eng.cam.ac.uk/wellmade/un-photocopying> (October 29, 2014).
Page 36
handful of patents already exist on the concept, though

the techniques used are unclear.
In 2006, Counsel and Allwood outlined a
program of research into toner removal, and their most
recent study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal
Society A, demonstrates a promising toner removal
method. They found that a combination of solvents can
remove toner print from paper without harming the paper
to make it reusable, although the resulting paper is not
quite as white as new paper.
In experiments, the researchers used a single
toner-paper combination: the toner came from an HP
4200 dtn black-and-white laser printer, while the paper
was white, uncoated, wood-free 80 gm-2 Canon copy
paper. Upon experimenting with several solvents and
combinations, the researchers found that applying a
mixture of 60% dimethylsulphoxide and 40% chloroform,
followed by an application of ultrasound agitation to
separate the pigment from the paper, could make the
paper sufficiently reusable. As the researchers found,
dimethylsulphoxide alone is poor at removing print but
results in white paper, while chloroform is better at
removing print but leaves a grey surface. Together, the
Page 37
solvents provide a paper that has a slightly off-white color

and a slightly rougher surface than a new sheet of paper,
but is still re-printable.
The scientists suggest that, in the future, a
technique for removing print from paper might be carried
out at a central recycling plant or in an office, such as by
being integrated into a copy machine, printer, or recycling
bin. But while solvents like chloroform would probably be
acceptable to use at a plant, some solvents would
probably not be considered safe for office use.
Before
the
researchers
start
considering
implementing the technique, more work is needed,

particularly in investigating the economic, safety, and
environmental implications. For one thing, the researchers
want to perform repeated tests on the paper over multiple
cycles of reuse and over extended periods, in order to
determine the lifespan of the paper. In addition, other
paper types and printer types would likely work better with
different solvents.
In
addition
to
paper
lifetime,
there
are
sustainability issues to consider as well. For instance, in

the experiments, at least 100 ml of solvent was required
to clean a sheet of paper that had been covered with the
Page 38
standard 5% coverage of print that is quoted by printer

manufacturers. At 10 sheets of paper cleaned per liter of
solvent, the process raises questions about viability and
the possibility of reusing the solvent, which would likely
have further safety and economic issues. Despite these
challenges, the basic principle of removing toner print
from paper with solvents appears plausible, and may have
benefits if investigated further.5
Figure 2.2.5: Unprinted office paper. (a) For comparison: original

sample, (b) water, (c) dimethylsulphoxide, (d) chloroform, (e)
5
Lisa Zyga, Scientist make ink Disappear, Make Paper Reusable, 2009 October 27
<phys.org/news175847766.html> (October 29, 2014).
Page 39
dichloromethane, (f) acetone, (g) 80% acetone + 20% chloroform, (h)

40% chloroform + 60% dimethylsulphoxide.
Figure 2.2.6: Reprinted office paper. (a) For comparison: text on

fresh paper, (b) water, (c) dimethylsulphoxide, (d) chloroform, (e)
dichloromethane, (f) acetone, (g) 80% acetone + 20% chloroform, (h)
40% chloroform + 60% dimethylsulphoxide.
e. Un-Printer Inventor: This Could Work

In 2012, the researchers at Cambridge University and the Bavarian
Laser Centre published a paper on how laser radiation can be used to
Page 40
remove the toner from laser-printed pages. And the lead researcher of the
project thinks that the technique could be environmentally feasible.
Jon Christian, a Boston-based reporter and writer from Tech.li
wrote an article on this:
Figure 2.2.7: (a) Optical microscope (20) and (b) SEM images from
long-pulsed trials in the nanosecond regime(i) 1064nm at 40ns, (ii)
532nm at 4ns, (iii) 532nm at 29ns, and (iv) 355nm at 75ns. A different
scale has been used on (b (iii)) in order to present a better view of
the damage. (Online version in colour.)
The process which the developers call un-printing
uses a specialized laser to separate toner from paper,
leaving pages blank and ready to be re-used. According
to the teams experiments, the paper suffers minimal harm
during the removal. Lead author David Leal-Ayala
concedes that the cost of the technology will need to be
reduced for the product to compete with recycling. He
hopes that if it becomes popular, the specialized lasers
used during the experiment will be produced more widely
and become less expensive.
Page 41
Leal-Ayala told Tech.li that the exact future price of

the laser is hard to estimate, but other laser-based
products have shown that significant price reductions are
possible through economies of scale, drawing attention to
the falling price of laser printers since the technologys
inception in the late 1960s. According to research, theyre
on track to meet that goal. In the paper, researchers
estimate that to establish savings over recycled paper, a
commercial un-printer would need a price tag of less than
16,800, or about $27,000USD. The specialized laser
they used during the experimental phase, by contrast,
cost only 19,000.
In addition to feasibility, Leal-Ayala highlights the
range of environmental boons the technology could create
if it were widely adopted: lower carbon emissions,
decreased water and chemical usage, and less reliance
on virgin wood fibers. To realize that goal, co-author
Julian Allwood, also of Cambridge, has expressed interest
in promoting the technology with a prototype. Allwood said
in a press release that What theye need to do now is find
someone to build a prototype ,thanks to low-energy laser
scanners and laser-jet printers, the feasibility for reusing
paper in the office is there. Of course, paper gets creased
Page 42
and worn down after too much handling, so Leal-Ayala

sees the technology as something that could exist
alongside pulp recycling. Leal-Ayala also said that he
personally dont see un-printing as a substitute for
recycling, but rather as a complement,Allwood runs the
Cambridge Low Carbon Materials Processing Group,
where Leal-Ayala is a Phd candidate. The project calls to
mind the ambitious world of 3-D printing, where
enthusiasts point to the rapid evolution of traditional print
media in recent years as evidence that material
fabrication could catch on at a similar pace.6
f. Scientist Develop the UN-PRINTER, A machine that Wipes the
Document Clean
Scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK claim to have
developed a way of removing ink from printed paper using a laser-based
technique. Accordingly, the paper looks as good as new following the
process, with no noticeable degradation having taken place.
Based on the article released by Trevor Mogg:
One of the scientists involved in the
research, David Leal-Ayala, explained to the New
Scientist that the laser-based method vaporizes the toner.
The challenge was to find the appropriate energy level for
Jon Christian, Un-Printer Inventor: This Could Work, 2012 March 21, < techli.com/2012/03/unprinter-inventor-this-could-work/#>, (October 23, 2012).
Page 43
the laser one that would remove the ink but wasnt so
strong
that
it
damaged
the
paper.
After
much
experimentation, the team managed to achieve their

objective.
According to an interview with LealAyala theye have repeated the printing/unprinting process
three times on the same piece of paper with good
results.The more it is dobe, though, the more likely it is for
the laser to damage the paper, perhaps yellowing it.
The New Scientists report points out
that while Japanese scientists at Toshiba have also
developed a machine which can remove ink from paper; it
only works with a special blue toner made by the
company. The Cambridge scientists, on the other hand,
have managed to develop a non-abrasive method which
does away with the need for chemical solvents.
Speaking
about
the
Japanese
companys technology, Julian Allwood, the Cambridge

teams project supervisor, said thatToshiba have been
selling the e-blue toner for a while which, like old thermal
fax paper, fades under the right type of light. However
that, of course, applies only if you buy their magic toner.
Page 44
He also said that their ambition was to

develop a method that would remove conventional toner
from conventional paper in order to allow re-use of the
paper. Toshibas is a different approach to the same
problem.
The Cambridge scientists hope to build
a prototype of their invention for use in offices. If
successful, it could help to cut down on carbon emissions
by up to 80 percent over recycling as well as time
wasted in offices looking for blank sheets of paper.7
Trevor Mogg, Scientists Develop the UN-PRINTER, A machine that wipes documents clean,
2012 March 15, <http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/scientists-develop-the-un-printer-amachine-that-wipes-documents-clean/>, (November 2, 2014)
7
Page 45
2.3
Synthesis
The content of the related literatures and studies is related to the
objective of the Researchers project to remove the printed ink from the
used paper making it instantly reusable.
The project is originally from the work of the University of
Cambridge, U.K., which formed a group/company known as Reduse with
the following members Hidde-Jan Lemstra,CEO, Stuart Evans,Chairman,
Tony Dunn,Chief Technology Officer, and Dr. David Ricardo LealAyala,Chief Scientist. Currently, Reduse have already successfully
removed the ink from the printed paper using a green laser with a
wavelength of 532 nm but are still in the process of the developing a
standalone Unprinter. The researchers attached in this document a video
of an actual interview of Dr. David Ricardo Leal-Ayala, regarding the
actual unprinting process which shows the actual removal of ink using the
laser (Annex E). Using this technology, Reduse landed as one of two
finalists (winning 20,000) of the Annual Venture Competition of ClimateKIC, held at the UKs centre of the EUs main climate innovation initiative
in August of this year. This follows to Reduse participation in the ClimateKIC Accelerator Programme, which provided them a 95,000 start-up
funding as one of the most promising low carbon start-ups in Europe.
Recently, Reduse won an audience award at the Climate KIC venture
competition finals in Valencia.
The researchers will use the same main component (green
laser with 532 nm laser) to remove the printed ink. The researchers are
Page 46
aware that the available details of the main component is very limited and
that other important factors (i.e. power ranged use in the process) must be
considered to ensure success in this project. To address limited
knowledge, the researchers tried to coordinate with the Reduse team by
sending an email to Reduse official email address requesting assistance
regarding the project, fortunately the researchers received a response
from its CEO, Mr. Hidde-Jan Lemstra informing that the Reduse team are
willing to help although with applicable limitation. The researchers are
asked to send to Reduse team a one-list of questions pertaining to the
project in which the team will try to answer. Currently, the researchers are
carefully drafting the possible and best questions that they should ask to
be able to achieve their goal. For reference, email conversation is
attached in this document as Annex C.
Since the Reduse team is still in the process of developing their
own standalone unprinter it would be an advantage if the researchers will
become successful with the conversion of the laser printer to unprinter.
Page 47
2.5
Conceptual Framework
OUTPUT
PROCESS
INPUT
Statement of the Problems
Knowledge:
Data Gathering and

Research
1. Project Research
2. Data Gathering
Identification of 532 nm
Green laser
Pre-Survey
3. 532 nm Green Laser
Specifications, Factors and
Availability
Coordination with
Reduse team
Can remove printed ink?
Where to buy?
Laser Printer Disassembling
Analyse concept of Laser

Printer Components and
Functions
(Includes: Removal and
Replacement of needed
components)
Delivery time
4. Laser Printer
Disassembling
Parts removal
Parts replacement
Modification of Controls
Project Assembly.
Integration of 532 nm
Green Laser and other
materials to Laser Printer
Project Reliability and

Functionality Testing
Did it
Function
Well?
No
Yes
Project Implementation
Figure 2.5.1 IPO Model of the Unprinter
Page 48
2.6
Definition of Terms
Always - shall mean daily printing or printing daily.
Cellulose - an insoluble substance that is the main constituent of plant
cell walls and of vegetable fibers such as cotton. It is a
polysaccharide consisting of chains of glucose monomers.
CO2 Carbon Dioxide, it is a colourless, odourless and non-poisonous
gas formed by combustion of carbon and in the respiration of living
organisms and is considered a greenhouse gas.
Corporate - refers to a Company (includes Government and Private
entity).
Damage Paper shall mean papers with scratch, damage due to staple
wire, folded, dirty, wet and other physical harm that might cause paper
jam.
DPI (dots per inch) a measure of print resolution, this number is more
important when printing graphics than text.
Electron Microscope a powerful type of microscope that uses
electrons, rather than light, and electron lenses to produce a
magnified image.
Emissions the release of greenhouse gases and/or their precursors into
the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time.
Fuser After the toner is applied, the fusing assembly (fuser) heats the
page and applies pressure so the toner partially melts and sticks to
the page in a permanent bond.
Incinerated the process of burning a material so that only ashes remain.
Individual Users - refers to Employees, Students and People who widely
contribute with the production of massive amount of paper by printing.
IR Spectroscopy infrared spectroscopy is the study of the properties of
material systems by means of their interaction with infrared
radiation; ordinarily the radiation is dispersed into a spectrum after
passing through the material.
Lignin - a complex polymer, the chief noncarbohydrate constituent of
wood, that binds to cellulose fibers and hardens and strengthens
the cell walls of plants.
Occasionally - shall be equal to weekly printing or printing weekly.
Page 49
Photoconductivity - electrical conductivity affected by exposure to light.

Printed Ink shall pertain that the material use to print is a Toner.
Printing Businesses - refers to business that involves provision of
printing services (Computer Shops, etc).
Reverse Engineering - is the process of extracting knowledge or design
information from anything man-made. The process often involves
disassembling something (a mechanical device, electronic component,
computer program, or biological, chemical, or organic matter) and
analyzing its components and workings in detail.
Saving Paper - shall mean Reuse or using again of paper.
Short Pulsed Laser a laser designed to generate a pulse of light lasting
on the order of nanoseconds or less, and having very high power,
such as by Q switching or mode-locking.
Solid Waste means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a wastewater
treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control
facility and other discarded materials including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material, resulting from industrial,
commercial, mining and agricultural operations.
Unprinter - means a device that removes printed ink from paper.
Unprinting - shall mean process of removing printed ink from paper
Used Paper shall mean paper with printed text using toner.
Wood Fibers fiber obtained from wood and used especially in the
manufacture of paper.
Page 50
Chapter 3
PROJECT CONCEPTUAL
3.1 Process Flow Diagram
Ready to Unprint
Indicator
Control Panel
Execute
Command thru
Control
Panel/Buttons.
Error Indicator
Start/Un
print
Button
Cancel/Error
UnPrint Button
Top Output Paper Tray

Reusable Papers good as
new. Can hold up to 80
sheets of Reusable
Papers after.
On/Off
Button
Paper Size Adjuster

Adjust paper tray size
based on used paper
size.
Output: Used Paper

Result after
unprinting; Clean
and ready to use.
paper
Back Door
For Paper Jam
clearing
Paper Tray
Input: Used Paper
Load Used Papers.

Can hold up to 250
sheets of used papers.
Gather used paper

and compile.
Figure 3.1 Process Flow Diagram of the Unprinter

Page 51
The concept of the project is to make used paperas input, reusable by

removing printed ink from it.
To start the process the user must plug the Unprinter to an AC outlet
(200V 220V) and turn it on. Load the used paper on the Paper Tray, adjust tray
size according to paper size if needed. The device will then detect used paper in
the Paper Tray, once detected Ready to Unprint Indicator will lit and the user
may press Start Button, if not, Error Indicator will lit informing user to load paper
in the Paper Tray.
Upon pressing Start Button the Unprinter will unprint continuously with a
maximum of 200 to 250 pages based on the capacity of the Paper Tray. When
unprinting is completed, reusable papers will pop out the Top Output Tray of the
Unprinter, this can hold up to 80 pieces of Reusable papers.
The user may cancel unprinting process anytime, by pressing the Cancel
Button. When used paper is properly aligned inside the Unprinter paper jam will
occur. In case of paper jam, Error Indicator will lit and the process will stop. A
Back Door pops open to provide access to the paper path for clearing jams,
unprinting process will continue once paper jam is removed. When Error
Indicator is blinking the user must remove and clean the Toner Waste Bottle.
User may access this on the Front Door of the Unprinter, refer to the mechanical
design to see where it is located.
The researchers attached an animated video (downloaded video) showing
the unprinting process as Annex E.
Page 52
3.2 Project Design and Specification

3.2.1 Flow Chart
Figure 3.2.1 Flow Chart of the Unprinter

Page 53
3.2.2Formation Block Diagram
Figure 3.2.1 Formation block diagram of the Unprinter

Figure 3.2.1 shows that the whole diagram is controlled by the DC
controller. Upon turning on the device, DC Controller will send signal to the
sensors located in the Paper Tray to detect if used paper is already loaded. If
used paper is loaded the Ready to Unprint Indicator will lit to inform the user that
the device is ready to Unprint. The user may begin the Unprinting process by
pressing the Start button located in the control panel. Upon pressing Start Button,
DC controller will send signal to Pick-up Roller which will pick-up the used paper
from the Paper Tray. Picked-up used paper will be fed in the Registration Roller,
the sensors located in the registration roller will send signal to the DC controller
that the paper is already inside the unprinter. The DC Controller will then send
signal to the 532 nm Green Laser to start emitting laser beam in the spinning
Page 54
mirror. The spinning mirror will reflect this laser beam to a Fixed Mirror and will
be scattered on the used paper causing the printed ink to evaporate and making
paper clean and reusable. Vaporized ink will be absorbed by the Toner Absorber
and will be deposited in the Waste Toner Bottle. The detected reusable paper will
continuously roll inside the Unprinter until it reaches the diverter which will
transfer the reusable paper to the Top Output Tray.
Page 55
3.2.2 Structural Design
Dimension: 389 mm
197mm
360mm
Front view
Back View
Isometric View
Side view
Figure 3.2.2 Front view with measurements, back view, isometric view , and
side view of the Unprinter
Page 56
3.2.3 Mechanical Design
Figure 3.2.2 Overview mechanical design of the Unprinter
Figure 3.2.2 shows how the researchers came with the idea of
modifying an existing printer to develop Unprinter. The Paper Tray shall
contain the used papers, this is design to hold a maximum of 200-250
pieces of used papers. Once the user started unprinting, paper from the
Paper Tray will be picked-up by the Pick-up Roller. This will be fed to the
Registration Roller and will be aligned by the help of the Paper Guide. The
532 nm Green Laser will them emit a laser beam to the Spinning Mirror
which will then be reflected to a Fixed Mirror, this Fixed Mirror will help the
laser beam to be scattered to the used paper which is continuously rolling
inside the Unprinter. The laser beam will cause the printed ink in the used
Page 57
paper to evaporate and turn into a gas making the paper reusable. The
vaporized ink will be absorbed by the Toner Absorber and will go directly
to the Waste Toner Bottle. The reusable paper will continuously roll until it
reaches the Diverter. The Diverter will transfer the reusable paper to the
Top Output Tray.
The reaserchers attached the complete mechanical parts of
mechanical design, the researcher attached in this document as Annex D
the ML-2525 printer catalogue (property of Samsung Electronics).
Page 58
3.2.4 Instrumentations
A. 532 nm Green Laser
The main component to remove printed ink from used paper. This
will replace existing laser inside the printer that will be modified.
A.1 Diode Pumped Green 532 nm Crystal Laser
Page 59
A.2 Green Portable Laser at 532nm

Is a noticeable green portable laser, in addition, it is FDA approved.
Page 60
B. 1200x600dpi 24ppm Mono Laser Printer ML-2525

A Samsung series printer product will be the body of the unprinter
but the function will be modified dependent on the researchers
modification of unprinter.
Laser Printer Specification:

Overview:
Function: Print
Print:
Resolution: Up to 1200 x 600dpi effective output

Emulation: SPL (Samsung Printer Language)
First Print Out time (Mono): Less than 9 seconds from ready
mode
Duplex: Manual
Speed (mono): Up to 24ppm in A4 (24ppm in Letter)
Paper Handling:
Input capacity and types: 250-sheet Cassette, 1-sheet

Manual Tray
Output capacity and type: 80-sheet Face Down, 1-sheet
Face Up
Media Size: A4, A5, A6, ISO B5, JIS B5, Executive, Letter,
Oficio, Folio, Legal, Custom
Page 61
Media Type: Plain, Thin, Bond, Punched, Pre-printed,

Recycled, Envelope, Transparency, Label, Cardstock,
Postcard, Letterhead, Thick, Cotton, Coloured, Archive
General Features:
Processor: 150MHz
Interface: Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Noise Level: Less than 50dBA (Printing) Less than 26dBA
(Standby)
Memory: 8MB
OS Compatibility: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7 / 2003
Server / 2008 Server, Mac OS X 10.3 ~ 10.6, Various Linux
OS
Duty Cycle, Monthly: Up to 12,000 pages
Weight: 7.3kg (16.09lbs)
Dimension (WxDxH): 360 x 389 x 197mm
Page 62
3.3 Project Actualization

3.3.1 Estimated Cost
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT COST

Project Study 1 : Research, Planning and Documentation
Research: (Internet Cost) - 90hrs budgeted
Planning : (Meals, Transpo, Misc) 5days budgeted
Documentation (Printing)
Project Study 2:
Laser Printer (Samsung ML-2525)
532 nm Green Laser Price
Toner Absorber
Other Materials
Outsource : Printer Expert
Design Cost and Other Miscellaneous
Contingencies
TOTAL
187.50
3,000.00
8,000.00
11,187.50
2,500.00
100,000.00
1,600.00
7,000.00
15,000.00
4,023.00
7,745.78
137,868.78
149,056.28
Page 63
3.3.2 Gantt Chart

Table 3.3.1 Gantt Chart of the Project Study 1
Documentation of Project Study 1
Legend: Researchers
Katyrynne Garcia
Verlyn Lingo
Activity
TERM WEEK NUMBERS
(October - November)
Procedure
1
2
3
4
5
Brainstorming
Pre survey
Data gathering and Research
Documentation and revision of chapter 1
Finalization and Preparation of presentation
Title Defense
The Gantt chart shows the scope on how the researchers have
been taken up the study. The conceptualization of comprehensive topic
and title is being considered. The total time frame lasted for 6 weeks.
Brainstorming, which lasted for 2 weeks involves the evaluation of which
proposal will be more effective in the needs of the industry. Pre-survey is
made to gather data to know the impact of the project to the individuals.
The data gathering and research were done simultaneously, research
consider on how the project will work and where to get the resources of
the instruments and how will the device will built. The documentation and
Page 64
revision of Chapter 1 and the start of documentation of Chapter 2 starts on

the 3rd week. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 finished on 3rd and 4th week
respectively. Documentation and revision of Chapter 3 happened to 5 th
week. Finalization and preparation of power point presentation was done
on the 5th to 6th week, in which the researchers structured the best way to
introduce the proposal to the panelist. Last week, 6 th week is dedicated for
the title defense.
Page 65
Table 3.3.2 Gantt Chart of the Project Study 2

BSECE 3A
Today's Date:
11/20/2014
Thursday
(vertical red line)
Project Lead: [Name]

Start Date: 1/5/2015
Monday
Start
1/5/15
End
4/5/15 91
% Complete
Working Days
Days Complete
Days Remaining
WBS
Tasks
1
Documentation PS2
Documentation polish from Ch1 - 5
1.1 and Presentation
1.2 Project Dessign
1.2.1 Funtionality Test
1.2.2 Annexes
1.3 Survey and Evaluation
Summary Conclusion and
1.4 Recommendation
2
Laser
3A
2.1 Find specification of materials
2.2 E-mail Reduse Team
2%
65
89
1/5/15
1/5/15
2/9/15
2/9/15
2/9/15
4/4/15 90 0% 65
1/14/15 10 13% 8
2/13/15 5 2% 5
2/13/15 5 25% 5
2/13/15 5 0% 5
0
1
0
1
0
90
9
5
4
5
3/16/15
1/5/15
1/5/15
1/5/15
3/20/15 5 0% 5
2/7/15 34 9% 25
1/7/15 3 10% 3
1/14/15 10 10% 8
0
3
0
0
5
31
3
10
1/15/15
2/5/15
2/9/15
2/9/15
2/4/15 21 10% 15
2/7/15 3 0% 2
3/14/15 34 0% 25
2/10/15 2 0% 2
0
0
0
0
21
3
34
2
2/15/15
0%
Duration (Days)
Tas
k
Lea
d
3A
2.3
2.4
3
3.1
Canvass, Buying & delivery

Testing
Printer
Buying Printer
3.2
Disassembling & analysing
2/11/15
3.3
Removal and Buy Other Materials

Integration of 532 nm to Laser
Printer
Teting & Evaluation
3A
Testing 1st Prototype (Functionality
Test)
Customization Phase 2
Testing 2nd Prototype
(Functionality Test)
Survey, evaluation & finalization
2/16/15
2/20/15
0%
2/23/15
3/16/15
3/14/15 20
4/3/15 19
0%
0%
15
15
0
0
20
19
3/16/15
3/23/15
3/20/15
3/27/15
5
5
0%
0%
5
5
0
0
5
5
3/30/15
3/30/15
4/3/15
4/3/15
5
5
0%
0%
5
5
0
0
5
5
3.4
4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
3A
05 - Jan - 15
12 - Jan - 15
19 - Jan - 15
26 - Jan - 15
02 - Feb - 15
09 - Feb - 15
16 - Feb - 15
23 - Feb - 15
02 - Mar - 15
09 - Mar - 15
16 - Mar - 15
23 - Mar - 15
30 - Mar - 15
06 - Apr - 15
13 - Apr - 15
20 - Apr - 15
27 - Apr - 15
04 - May - 15
11 - May - 15
18 - May - 15
25 - May - 15
01 - Jun - 15
08 - Jun - 15
15 - Jun - 15
22 - Jun - 15
29 - Jun - 15
06 - Jul - 15
13 - Jul - 15
20 - Jul - 15
27 - Jul - 15
03 - Aug - 15
10 - Aug - 15
17 - Aug - 15
24 - Aug - 15
First Day of Week (Mon=2):
[42]
Page 1
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Books:
P.P. Paryno, Mitzi Gay M. Bustamante. 23Environmental Studies Institute:
Integration of Solid Waste Management Tools in Specific European and
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http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/print-solutions/printsolutions/mono-printers/ML-2525/SEE
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T. Mogg. (2012 March 15) Scientists Develop the UN-PRINTER, A machine that
wipes documents clean, Retrieved November 02, 2014 from
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/scientists-develop-the-un-printer-amachine-that-wipes-documents-clean/
Page 2
R. Gray. (2012 May 20) Tipp-ex for the modern world just hit 'unprint',
Retrieved November 02, 2014 from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9276993/Tipp-ex-for-themodern-world-just-hit-unprint.html
E. Moyer. (2012 March 15) Next up on your to-buy list, someday: A laser
unprinter, Retrieved November 02, 2014 from
http://www.cnet.com/news/next-up-on-your-to-buy-list-someday-a-laserunprinter/
R. Waugh. (2012 March 22) This message will self-destruct in five seconds:
Cambridge scientists unveil laser 'unprinter' that deletes words on paper,
Retrieved on November 02, 2014 from
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2118777/This-messageself-destruct-Cambridge-scientists-unveil-green-laser-unprinter-deleteprinted-pages.html
A. Robertson. (2012 March 16) 'Unprinter' erases ink from paper with laser
bursts, Retrieved on November 02, 2014 from
http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/16/2877234/cambridge-universityunprinter-research-erases-ink-with-lasers
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http://gadgets.ndtv.com/laptops/news/soon-an-unprinter-to-remove-inkfrom-papers-223230
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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401656,00.asp
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http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/03/laser-poweredunprinter-wipes.html
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Retrieved on November 02, 2014 from http://blogs.wsj.com/techeurope/2012/03/15/u-k-scientists-develop-a-laser-unprinter/
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Page 5
Annex A
Pre-Survey Questionnaires
Page 6
Annex B
Pre-Survey Tabulated and Graphical Result
Page 7
Annex C
E-mail coordination with Reduse Team
Page 8
Annex D
Samsung ML2525 Parts Manual
Page 9
Annex E
Others (Videos)
Page 10
Annex F
Return of Investment (ROI)
Page 11
Annex G - 532 nm Laser Factors and Specifications Template

Factors and Specification Initial List
1. Laser Wattage to be used
2. Laser Size
3. Laser Type
4. Process of Unprinting
5. Test
Page 12
Annex H - Reliability and Functionality Test Template (Initial)

Total No. of Used Papers:
Type of Ink/Toner:
Type of Paper:
Batch
No.
No. of
Unprinting
Process
No. of
Successful
Reusable
Papers
Total
(Failed)
Total
Remarks
(ReUnprint)
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