1. 1 Wiper Blade Edge Analyzer - Commercialization Experience National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NC3R) Andy Harlan Industrial Programs Manager

2. 2 What is a wiper blade? u A sheetmetal and urethane subassembly used to scrape residual toner from an imaging (OPC) drum u Typical cost - $1.00 - $2.50 u Often disposed during remanufacturing process due to fear of mid-cycle failure

3. 3 Re-use study u After studying the wiper blade and the probability of re-use, it was determined that the blade could actually be re-used up to ten (10) times, ONLY if the working edge was not compromised (voids). u How do you inspect the working edge?

4. 4 Intellectual Property u Develop a method of edge inspection that does not damage the sensitive working edge of the blade –Must be cost effective –Must support production demands u Prove reliable and repeatable results u Find commercialization partner

5. 5 Commercialization u Finding a partner was easy – Optical Technologies Corporation (OTC), in Long Island City, NY was also a partner in the original wiper blade re- use study OTC also distributes many components to the toner cartridge aftermarket – very well connected and respected

6. 6 Commercialization u With the help of the Technology Licensing Office, an agreement was reached between RIT and OTC for exclusive licensing of the technology u OTC would process blades from multiple remanufacturing sites and pay RIT a royalty on only the blades that passed

7. 7 Commercialization u Although many companies were interested in participating in this process, it was quickly determined that it was cost prohibitive to ship the blades cross country or over seas u A sub-licensing arrangement was drafted that enabled OTC to sub- license the technology to companies u Sub-license to China was not allowed

8. 8 Supporting the Licensee u As more companies are acquiring the device, accommodations need to be put into place: –Support –Spare parts –Users guide –Embedded counters (for accurate accounting / invoicing) –Unique “problems” to overcome

9. 9 Global Awareness of NC3R u There have been eleven (11) devices built to date with clients in the US, Canada, Japan, Austria, Germany, England, and Australia u Won NYS Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention u Over 1,000,000 blades have been processed to date

10. 10 Future Opportunities u This device has enabled the development of another intellectual property idea – The OPC Drum Life Cycle Analyzer.