RECYCLING PRINTERS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

Abstract

Large amounts of printers are thrown out annually, since it is usually more attractive to buy a new printer than to replace ink cartridges, especially if the apparent cost is very similar. Most of the discarded printers either end up in land fills, or are melted for recovery of the metal components. At the University of Évora, a new approach has been developed since 2007: old printers are dismantled and the parts are used in electronics and automation classes, saving the environment and helping to reduce the annual cost of running the laboratory classes. One of the most widely available and useful printers is the HP 600 series that were manufactured between 1994 and 2000. These printers, once dismantled can provide various precious components for electronic classes. These components include: 2 step motors, one 12V motor complete with gear-head and trolley, a LM35DZ precision thermometer, one contact relay, one infra-red switch, two LDRs and one high quality cable and a LPT connector that can be used in automation developments using the PC´s LPT port. The four years of experience have shown that the students are more than willing to take the time to dismantle the equipment and carefully extract the components. With the proper tools, two students can dismantle a printer and remove the parts in less than 15 minutes. This paper presents the individual components that can be removed and presents sample circuits and uses for the parts in electronic and automation laboratory classes.