IMAGING SCIENCE,INDUSTRY VISION

[Anonymous]

Imaging Science, Industry Vision

Optical Technologies Corporation (OTC) is a high-profile example of a successful technology company moving at the speed of its home base – New York City. Seeking improvements and higher levels of performance for the toner cartridge remanufacturing industry, OTC strives for and achieves levels of product performance unmatched by OEM components. OTC has a wide range of coating technology experience going back to 1982. It has coated products as diverse as porthole windows for nuclear submarines (they use these to communicate with blue light lasers to satellites), display lenses for HummingbirdÒ fish-finders, ITECH hockey face shields, and pilot visors for the US Army, Navy, and Air Force. In 1987, OTC entered the cartridge remanufacturing industry with a factory-applied hard coating for used OPCs. It built custom scanners that surveyed an OPC drum surface in twelve seconds for film thickness and pinhole defects down to five one-thousandths of an inch to determine suitability for coating. This coating was later discontinued for the remanufacturing industry, and in 1994 it was licensed to Eastman Kodak for use on new, high-speed copier OPC belts. Solutions From its early days in remanufacturing, OTC’s corporate philosophy was to study the technical problems and look for the best solutions. OTC’s president, Lester Cornelius, has written more than eighty technical articles on electrophotography, inkjet, and color subjects. “It is important to get good information out to the industry, to give it freely, and to encourage others to do the same,” said Cornelius. “We are chasing after the technology of huge corporations, with massive resources. This requires innovation, and clever applications of the technology.” OTC’s main product lines for the cartridge remanufacturing industry are centered on cartridge developer systems and OPC charging components. They include ChargeShare mag roller coatings, ChargeLink adhesive backed film for doctor blades, Silver RiteSeals, UltraStat PCR coating, and a host of specialty products for remanufacturers. “OTC is studying the color laser technology in earnest,” stated Maggy Alexis, OTC’s Imaging Products Sales Manager. “Some companies have jumped in too quickly and this has the potential to hurt the industry. Our goal is to get it right for the products we produce. Color laser technology is very complex. You can’t treat it like monochrome technology. Our customers are anxiously waiting for us to release developer sleeves for color.” Cutting Edge An example of improvements on cartridge technology for remanufacturing is OTC’s patented product, ChargeLink. These semi-conductive strips adhere to doctor blades for enhanced image density, with little effect on yield. This is an unusual claim because the rule is that if image density increases, the text yield decreases. Mark Simko, quality assurance manager at OTC claims, “ChargeLinks increase image density and have no significant effect on yield. This exception to the rule is not clearly understood, but a very real phenomenon.” Silver RiteSeals are the perfect example of patented and patent pending product design that exceeds OEM seal performance. The company asserts that these seals prevent toner leakage, are burst resistant, have a conductive coating layer, and when the pull strip is removed, there is no residual toner left on the seal– hence Clean Seal TechnologyÔ. Maggie Alexis said, “Without Clean Seal Technology the first thing your customer sees is a dirty seal that has to be held away from their clothing. First impressions are lasting impressions.” OTC also manufactures the RiteHopperÔ, an enlarged hopper for HP 4000 cartridges, with a capacity of 750 grams of toner. As you probably guessed by now, this coating technology company coats the hopper on the inside surface. This coating, TonerGlideÔ, is a conductive coating that improves toner flow. It is widely understood in the cartridge remanufacturing industry that enlarged hoppers need improved toner flow, or excessive shaking is necessary to fully utilize the toner. TonerGlide coating eliminates the need for excessive shaking. The corporate mission is to support the industry in as many ways as possible to improve performance, profits, and ensure the future of the industry. When Lexmark International began its introduction of the Prebate program, Cornelius led an international effort to fight this attempt to destroy the remanufacturing industry. Cornelius, who credits many others in the industry, organized, planned, and took actions that created an unprecedented level of political awareness and action for remanufacturers. Cornelius singled out Static Control Components for their unwavering support and financial commitment in support of the remanufacturing industry. “Static has been the bedrock of financial support for the New York State effort to fight Prebate and chips that shut down printers with remanufactured cartridges.” The remanufacturing industry formed the STMC (Standardized Test Method Committee) to evaluate standardized test methods that could be used to measure cartridge performance to increase industry credibility. Cornelius has been the Chairman of the STMC since its inception, almost 2 years ago. “We now have Committee members from the US, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. This volunteer Committee has worked to establish training programs with the trade associations, and continues to find test methods that will benefit the industry. I am proud to be a part of this effort,” said Cornelius with a smile. Customer loyalty is considered very important at OTC. John Reiter, Vice President of Marketing, explained, “Loyalty is earned, and we prove that every day with technological innovation, customer service, and dedication to the remanufacturing industry. What affects the industry, affects OTC. OTC is in a leadership position, and we take that responsibility very seriously.” Vice President of Engineering, Robert Kacinski, added, “My job is to refine our manufacturing processes to produce the highest level of quality and consistency possible. I also must accomplish that at the lowest cost, so that our customers receive competitive pricing and the best value.” Whether it is forty-eight hour turnaround for its widely used ChargeShare mag roller coating and UltraStat PCR production, product designs that go beyond the ordinary, or active participation in the issues confronting the industry, OTC remains one the most respected and recognized names in the cartridge remanufacturing industry. “OTC is very fortunate to have employees who care about who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. So many companies have mission statements that are generalized comments about doing a good job. At OTC we understand what we need to do each day. We are steadfast in our commitment to exceeding our customer expectations. That is our work ethic. I knew the industry had come a long way, when I had the opportunity to speak to then Vice President Al Gore for a few minutes about remanufacturing. I have a picture hanging in my office with me grinning shamelessly, standing between Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver and Vice President Al Gore. It is right up there with the other pictures of our many friends in the remanufacturing industry. The industry knows OTC and its staff by its professionalism and sincere desire to give our very best efforts at all times. The industry knows me by my first name, Lester, and I like that,” said Cornelius. CORPORATE SUMMARY Principals Lester Cornelius Company Optical Technologies Corp. 4700 33rd St. Long Island City, NY 11101 Phone Toll Free 800.682.7371 Local 718.729.4970 Fax 718.729.5291 Email otcmail1@aol.com

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December 24, 2003 at 9:47 AM