An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum, a developing member, an applying device forming a developing potential on the developing member, a driver rotationally driving the developing member, and a controller. The controller selectively executes an operation in first and second modes by controlling a circumferential speed ratio of a circumferential speed of the developing member to a circumferential speed of the drum and a potential difference between a surface potential of the image bearing member in a region where an electrostatic latent image is formed and the developing potential. In the first mode, the ratio is a first ratio of 50% to 100% and the potential difference is a first potential difference, and in the second mode the ratio is a second ratio larger than the first ratio and less than 150% and the potential difference is a second potential difference less than the first potential difference.

An image forming apparatus includes a main casing and a controller. A cartridge is to be attached to the main casing. The cartridge includes a memory stores usage status information indicating whether the cartridge is a new cartridge or an old cartridge which indicates a used product. The controller reads the usage status information stored in the memory in a case that attachment of the cartridge to the main casing is detected. The controller determines, based on the usage status information, whether the cartridge is the new cartridge or the old cartridge. The controller rewrites the usage status information to information indicating that the cartridge is the old cartridge in a case that the cartridge is determined to be the new cartridge. The rewriting is performed before the controller receives a print instruction and before the material or the part of the cartridge is consumed.

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a first storage unit that stores registree information of users registered to work on the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a processor programmed to determine whether or not work needs to be performed on the image forming apparatus by a worker based on a predetermined condition, obtain presence information of a registree from a second storage unit, the presence information indicating the presence state of the registree, identify one or more registrees associated with the work to be done, in a case where work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus by a worker, and upon determining that one or more registrees is present, perform a notification process that notifies one of the present registrees that work needs to be done on the image forming apparatus.

An information processing apparatus which communicates with an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, the information processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire error information about an error that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, and maintenance information about maintenance work performed on the image forming apparatus; a memory configured to store a plurality of pieces of error information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a controller. The controller is configured to: determine, from the plurality of pieces of error information stored in the memory, based on the maintenance information, first error information about an error that has occurred during the maintenance work; and determine an error part of the image forming apparatus based on second error information obtained by excluding the first error information from the plurality of pieces of error information stored in the memory.

A method and system for monitoring replaceable components of a work unit is disclosed. The method assigns an RFID tag to each wear part of a work unit. Prior to each operating cycle, the RFID tags are read and the RFID tags are correlated to corresponding wear parts. During operation of the work unit, operating parameters are read from the pumping unit and associated with each of the wear parts. A real-time life cycle status is determined for each of the wear parts based upon historic operating parameters and present operating parameters. Based upon the real-time life cycle status, the system and method of the present disclosure predicts the remaining wear life and relays this information to interested third parties. Interested third parties can then contact the equipment owner to provide information as to when parts need to be replaced prior to failure.

A drum unit includes a photosensitive drum and a cleaning member. A scratch remaining depth measured by a scratch test of the photosensitive drum under a following Test Condition 1 is 110 nm or less. Test Condition 1 is; test environment temperature=25° C.; test environment humidity=50%; test indenter=pre-mount type Berkovich indenter; scratch direction=horizontal direction; scratch speed=20 μm/sec; initial load=0 mN; maximum reaching load=4 mN; and load at the time of measuring the scratch remaining depth=1.9 mN.

An image forming apparatus that includes a charger for charging a surface of a photoreceptor and that forms an image by using an electrophotographic system, the charger being configured to be cleanable, includes a guidance notification unit that causes a guidance notification prompting cleaning of the charger to be displayed and a guidance notification determination unit that, in accordance with a threshold set in accordance with usage condition of the image forming apparatus, determines whether or not to cause the guidance notification to be displayed.

In an image forming apparatus a toner cartridge includes a toner memory storing toner identification information. The toner cartridge is detachably attachable to a drum cartridge. The drum cartridge includes a drum memory storing drum identification information. The drum cartridge is detachably attached to the main-body casing. A controller performs a request process to request execution of a density correction process to correct a density of developer, in a case where a toner identification information determination process determines that the toner identification information stored in the toner memory does not match the toner identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in a toner identification information storing process or a drum identification information determination process determines that the drum identification information stored in the drum memory does not match the drum identification information which is stored in the main-body memory in the drum identification information storing process.

An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic process assembly, a processor, and a memory. The electrophotographic process assembly is configured to transfer a toner image formed on a photoconductive body rotating around an axis extending in a main scanning direction onto a sheet conveyed in a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The processor and memory are configured to store a print amount in a plurality of divided sections corresponding to the main scanning direction, acquire the print amount from a monitoring section in one or more monitoring target groupings corresponding to a predetermined section included in the plurality of divided sections, calculate an integrated print amount in the monitoring section, and output information relating to the monitoring target grouping corresponding to the integrated print amount in the monitoring section.

A toner container includes a container body, an opening, a cover, a toner discharge port, a shutter, a cylindrical structure, protrusions, and an identifier. The shutter is attached to the cover and includes a main shutter covering the toner discharge port. The main shutter moves between a closed position to close the toner discharge port and an open position to open the toner discharge port. The protrusions are on both sides of the cover and protrude in a direction orthogonal to a toner container mounting direction. The identifier is on the cover to indicate a toner color. The cylindrical structure's leading end is downstream of leading ends of the protrusions in the mounting direction. The main shutter's leading end is downstream of the protrusions' leading ends in the mounting direction when the main shutter is in the closed position. The protrusions are downstream of the identifier in the mounting direction.