Lexmark X940e & X945e MFP Finisher

1.  General information

Finisher

The optional finisher staples, punches, folding and stapling, and stacks media transferred from the Lexmark™ X940e and X945e. Output is stacked in the upper media bin or separately collated in the stacker media bin or folded and stapled in the booklet bin.

Standard Finisher weight

Unpacked: 59 kg (130 lbs)

Booklet Finisher weight

Unpacked: 87.5 kg (193 lbs)

Components

The finisher is composed of the following components.

•  Bridge unit assembly block to feed media from the printer to the finisher

•  Punch block to punch media

•  Compiler tray block to align media

•  Stapler block to staple a set of media at specified positions• Booklet unit and tray

Media path overview

The following shows media sizes and weights that the finisher can handle, as well as applicable functions for each media size.

The printer and the finisher handle different media sizes and weights. For this reason, if the printer has printed media that the finisher cannot handle, the exit 1 diverter gate in the printer is switched to eject the media from Exit 2 onto the bridge unit assembly. Refer to the Printer Service Manual for additional information on the printer.

Media size/orientation and applicable functions

Media description	Size	Short edge first (SEF)/ Long edge first (LEF)	Top tray	Stacker
			Stack	Stack	Offset stack	Punch	Staple	Booklet	Folding
B5	182 x 257 mm	SEF	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
		LEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2)	Yes	No	No
Executive	7.25 x 10.5 in. 184.2 x 27 0 mm	SEF	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
		LEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2,3,4)	No	No	No
Letter	8.5 x 11 in. 215.9 x 279.4 mm	SEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2)	Yes	Yes	Yes
		LEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2,3,4)	Yes	No	No
A4	210 x 297	SEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2)	Yes	Yes	Yes
		LEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes2,a(3,4)	Yes	No	No
Folio (foolscap)	8,5 x 13 in.	SEF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yesa(2)	Yes	Yes	Yes

Legal

8.5 x 14 in.

SEF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yesa(2)

Yes

Yes

Yes

B4

257 x 364 mm

SEF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yesa(2)

Yes

Yes

Yes

A3

297 x 420 mm

SEF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yesa(2,3,4)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Ledger

11 x 17 in.

SEF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yesa(2,3,4)

Yes

Yes

Yes

Custom size

Same width with standard size

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Custom size

Besides above

Yes

Yesb

Yesb

No

No

No

No

a  Numbers (2,3,4) mean 2 holes, 3 holes, and 4 holes, respectively. b  Applicable within the following range: Media width:   203.2–297 mm Media length: 182–431.8 mm

Media weight

Description	Maximum weight
For punching	52—176 gsm
For stapling	52—226 gsm*
For ejecting in the stacker media bin	52—226 gsm
For ejecting in the upper media bin	52—226 gsm
For folding and stapling	52-226 gsm
* The amount of media capable of being stapled will be less than 50 if the media weight is greater than 90 g/m2.

Features

Media processing requested	Destination of media
No post-processing	Upper media bin or stacker media bin
Punching	Upper media bin or stacker media bin
Stapling	Stacker media bin
Punching and stapling	Stacker media bin
Folding and stapling	Booklet tray

Finisher theory

Media transport

This section describes the transfer of media from the printer to a specified bin.

The following figures illustrate layouts (front view) of sensors, rollers, and main blocks, as well as a layout (rear view) of the main components.

                                  

Bridge unit assembly

When the printer designates the finisher, the media diverter gate in the printer activates, and media is fed from the printer into the bridge unit assembly.

The bridge unit drive motor is activated by the trigger of the printer’s registration clutch, which drives the transport belts in the bridge unit assembly. The motor power is transmitted to the two belts between the bridge unit right shaft assembly and the bridge unit left shaft assembly.

The media fed to the bridge unit assembly is securely held between the transport belts and the pinch rolls, and fed to the finisher. 

From bridge unit assembly to punch

The media fed from the bridge unit assembly is fed into the finisher by the media entrance roll assembly located on the entrance section of the finisher which is driven by the drive motor (entrance/paddle). 

The media route inside the finisher is determined by the finisher diverter gate.

The finisher diverter gate is activated by the finisher diverter gate solenoid controlled by the printer.

The media is further fed in the finisher by the two upper media transport roll assemblies, or the buffer roll assemblies that are driven by the motor (buffer/transport), and passes through the punch unit.

The sensor (finisher media entrance) becomes low upon detecting media. After a certain amount of time has passed and the level has changed to high, the motor (buffer/transport) that drives the upper media transport roll assembly or the buffer roll assembly starts reverse rotation.

The media is returned to the punch unit by the upper media transport roll assembly or the buffer roll assembly, and is stopped with its end gently pressed against the three punch media stopper assemblies.

The three punch media stopper assemblies in the punch unit drop to let media pass through when media is fed to the exit (while the motor (buffer/transport) is rotating forward), but rise when media is returned (while the motor (buffer/transport) is rotating reversely) to stop the media. Thus, punch hole positions in the media feed direction are determined. 

From punch to compiler unit assembly

The media is transferred to the compiler unit assembly by the buffer roll assembly (driven by the motor (buffer/ transport)) and by the lower media exit roll assembly (driven by the drive motor (exit)).

When the first media reaches the compiler unit assembly, the media eject clamp motor is activated to lower the media eject clamp so that the media eject clamp and the media eject shaft assembly can clamp the media.

Thus, the media transferred from the punch unit is held by the media eject shaft assembly and the media eject clamp (driven by the media eject motor assembly) and is fed to the exit.

When the media trailing edge passes through the sensor (lower media exit), the media eject motor assembly starts reverse rotation to return the media to the compiler unit assembly.

When the following media reaches the compiler unit assembly, the media eject clamp is raised, and the media that has passed through the lower media exit roll assembly falls on the compiler unit assembly.

At this time, the three main paddles are rotated by the main paddle shaft assembly to feed the media so that the media trailing edge butts against the rear wall of the compiler unit assembly.

The sub paddle solenoid of the media eject unit assembly is activated to lower the sub paddle so that the media can be fed to the compiler unit assembly.

When printing multiple sets, while stapling the first set on the compiler unit assembly or ejecting it to the stacker media bin, the first media of the second set will not be fed to the compiler unit assembly. 

When the first media of the second set reaches the finisher, the buffer diverter solenoid is activated by the printer command and by the sensor (finisher media entrance) to switch the buffer diverter gate.

Thus, the media route is switched into the buffer roll assembly’s circumferential direction. (This operation is called the buffer path.)

The first media of the second set is aligned with the second media, and then they are fed together to the compiler unit assembly.

Even for one sheet of media, the buffer path operation is executed in the same way. The media is stacked temporarily on the compiler unit assembly, and then ejected in the stacker media bin.

After the buffer path is executed for the first media, if a second media of a different size comes, the first media is fed to the compiler unit assembly, but the second one is fed to the compiler unit assembly without the buffer path. At this time, a certain delay time is provided to prevent the second media from colliding with the first one.