Kyocera paper jams

Paper Jam Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What causes constant paper jams?

If a Kyocera printer has been properly maintained, most paper jam problems are directly related to the paper that is being used. Although this is never the answer anyone wants to hear, it is the most overlooked component and the simplest to remedy. First, Kyocera's paper specification is:

Item/ Specification:
Weight/16 to 24 lbs/ream (60 to 90 g/m2)
Thickness/3.4 to 4.3 mils (0.086 to 0.110 mm)
Dimensional Accuracy/ +or- 0.0276 inches ((0.7 mm)
Squareness of Corners/900 +or- 0.20
Moisture Content/ 4% to 6%
Direction of Grain/ Long Grain
Pulp Content/ 80% or more
Cotton or Other Fibers/ 20% or less

If persistent jamming is the problem, the first test would be to remove all of the paper in the printer and replace it with paper from a new ream, or of a different manufacturer. Check the label on the new package of paper to verify the paper meets Kyocera's specifications. Grain structure is very important. Short grain paper will cause frequent jams. Always use long grain paper. Most paper is manufactured to have a top side and a bottom side. This has something to do with grain structure and the natural curl of paper. Try flipping the supply of paper over. This will test the "curl" in case the paper was put into the printer upside-down. If all of these methods do not alleviate the problem, the problem is probably mechanical. Refer to the remaining questions on paper jamming.

Q: Why do I have paper jams with one or two PF-5 paper trays, and a DU-1 duplexer?

By far the most common problem is a piece of paper physically stuck in the duplexer. The entire duplexer mechanism can be removed from the duplexer housing. Pull the mechanism fully forward, then bow the bottom of the housing to remove the duplexing mechanism. Remove the jammed paper or ripped pieces. reinstall by reversing the procedure. On rare occasions the paper feeders and duplexer are in incorrect order. The duplexer is always the last piece of equipment. One or two paper feeders are placed on top of the duplexer, and of course the printer is on the very top. One of the most common jamming problems takes place when the two path adapters are swapped. The PA-1 must be attached to the rear of the duplexer, and the PA-1D must be attached to the front of the top paper feeder. The PA-1D has a ground tab that is prone to catch paper when it is incorrectly installed on the duplexer.

Another condition can exist when the stack is not properly aligned. Because each option sits on top of each other, there is no mechanical securing that brackets and screws would provide. Therefore if the stack is bumped hard from the side, or some force is placed upon it, the stack of optional feeders and duplexer may become mis-aligned. The quickest way to remedy this is to completely disassemble the stack and reassemble it. This will fix all but the most stubborn jamming problems. If jamming persists after reassembling the stack, then a different approach will have to be used as described in the question of occasional jamming and skew.

Q: Why do I have occasional paper jams with my stack of two PF-5's and DU-1 duplexer?
OR
Q: Why is the printing skewed when printing from each PF-5 paper feeder?

Because of manufacturing tolerances it may be necessary to add shims between the PF-5 paper feeders if installing one or more. This may be especially important when a DU-1 duplexer is present. This procedure should only be performed after insuring that the equipment is placed on a sturdy and level work surface. A soft or padded surface is not acceptable. Also make sure that no rubber feet are missing from the bottoms of each PF-5 paper feeder.

Due to the length of the paper path when paper is drawn from optional PF-5 paper feeder, the paper may have a tendency to drift from side to side. To check drift, print a status page from the internal cassette (cassette 1). Use this page as a reference page. Print a status page from each optional paper feeder. Number the sheets as they are printed. Take the page that was printed from the internal cassette and place it on top of a status page from one of the PF-5's. Hold both sheets up to a light to check for drift. Any left or right drift will become apparent at this time. If the lines are within 2mm of each other, no further attention is necessary. Drift in excess of 2mm can be corrected as follows.

If both PF-5 paper feeders drift, start with the lower PF-5. Loosen the seven PF-5 cover screws 1/4 turn to release the torque. This procedure will correct problems associated only with side to side drift of paper as fed from optional feeders. Drift in other areas of the paper path after the paper leaves the printer will not be corrected with this procedure. If this does not correct for the drift, shims may be required. Use shims that are 1mm thick and use one for every 1mm of drift. The shim can be metal or hard plastic, approximately 1/2 inch square or 7/8 inch round. Anything larger will not fit in the recess that the PF-5 foot sits in.

If the line from the status page printed from the PF-5 is to the right of the line of the status page printed from the internal cassette, place one or more shims under the right rear foot of the PF-5. If the line from the PF-5 status page is to the left, shim the left rear foot of the PF-5. Some experimenting may be necessary to obtain optimum results.

Q: Why do I get paper jams with my PF-7 2000 sheet feeder?

The most common cause of jamming with the PF-7 is having the adjustable side rails too tight. This causes the paper to stall upon entry into the printer. This stall is interpreted by the printer timing circuitry as a jam. The printer then halts the printing process and displays a "paper jam" message on the front panel display. To correct for this allow 1mm of free space on each side of the adjustable side rails.