IBM 3800
The IBM 3800 is a discontinued continuous forms laser printer designed and manufactured by IBM. It is significant as a product because it was both the first laser printer manufactured by IBM, and the first commercially available continuous forms laser printer.
The IBM 3800 was developed and manufactured in San Jose, California. Production was transferred to Tucson, Arizona in 1980. It was also manufactured in Järfälla, Sweden.
The 3800 was initially positioned as a line printer replacement with additional features. Besides the much greater speed, enhancements over the line printer included:
- Forms overlay – the ability to print a predefined form along with the data, eliminating the need for preprinted forms.
- Thirteen different character sets. The standard 3800 could use only one per print data set; a special feature allowed four to be used at a time.
- Multiple copies printed on single-ply paper, rather than using multiple-ply paper, data could be changed or suppressed between copies.
- User-defined graphic characters could be used along with standard character sets.
The 3800 attached to a mainframe system via a parallel channel. Support for two channels was available as an option.
Over 8,000 of these printers were sold.
It was replaced by the IBM 3900, announced in 1990, and discontinued in 1999.
Development
Development began in 1969 using a project code name of Jubilee. Later, the code name was changed to Argonaut. IBM did not, however, have a xerographic printer to base the Jubilee on. This meant prototyping used an IBM Copier I which was not capable of anywhere near the product goal of 1 million pages per month. Therefore, dramatic developments were required in areas such as: paper path handling, lasers and optics, toner fusion and control electronics.First Continuous Forms laser printer
There is some dispute whether the IBM 3800 was the first commercially available laser printer or whether this distinction should be held by the Xerox 1200. IBM announced the 3800 in 1975 and first shipped in 1976 while Xerox announced the 1200 in 1973 and first shipped it in late 1974. Another distinction between the two products is that the Xerox 1200 was an off-line cut-sheet laser printer, while the IBM 3800 could be used both on and offline and used continuous forms.Models
There were several models of the IBM 3800 Laser Printer.3800 Model 001
The model 001 was announced on April 15, 1975, and first shipped July 1976. It had a print resolution of 144 pels per inch vertically and 180 pels per inch horizontally. It could print at 10,020 to 20,040 lines per minute depending on line density.The model 001 was the only model that supported the tape to print feature, where an IBM 3411/3410 or IBM 3803/3420 reel to reel tape drive could be attached to the 3800 allowing the printer to operate in an offline mode.
3800 Model 002
The model 002 was announced in 1979. It was a model 001 printer that had been modified to allow it to print kanji characters.3800 Model 003
The model 003 was announced November 1, 1982, and, at a speed of 215 impressions per minute, it was the fastest printer of its time. It was the first AFP printer in the 3800 line. The three main goals of the model 003 were:- Improved print resolution. The model 3 had a print resolution of 240 x 240 pels versus the Model 001 and 002, which had a resolution of 180 x 144 pels.
- Improved graphics printing capability.
- Reduced service costs over the model 001.
3800 Model 006
The model 006 was announced on January 26, 1987, and shipped later that year. It was functionally identical to the model 003 but only ran at 134 pages per minute. It could be upgraded to a model 003.3800 Model 008
The model 008 was physically similar to a model 003 but supported double-byte character sets, which allowed kanji characters to be printed. In comparison to the model 002, it could print three times more kanji characters with significantly better print resolution.Technological Innovations in the IBM 3800
Being the first Laser Printer produced by IBM and with no similar existing products to use as models, the IBM 3800 contained many new technological features. This is a short list of some of them:Long Life Cleaning Brush
The cleaning brush used to clean toner from the photoconductor would wear out after one month of operation. Through a variety of improvements this was extended to four months.Long Life Helium Neon Laser.
By using low helium diffusion glass IBM increased the life of the laser to 20,000 operation hours, an improvement of 10x over off-the-shelf products available at that time.Long Life Hot Roll
The hot roll that fuses the toner to the page needed to operate without silicon oil and to have an extended life, so a new elastomer material was developed as well as a multi-zone preheat platen to warm the paper to prior to fusion.Long Life Xenon Flash Lamp
A flash lamp was used as part of the form overlay system that optionally allowed you to print a fixed form onto each page. This system used a lamp that had to pulse for only 125 μs. Initial life span of the lamp was only one month, but through a variety of design changes this was extended to 60 months.Print Contrast Mark
To ensure print contrast remained consistent over time, a special control mark was printed on every page. An LED sensor would monitor this mark and this was used to control how much toner was routinely fed into the developer mix. It could also detect if the printer was producing blank pages unexpectedly.TNF based photoconductor
The original photoconductor used by the IBM 3800 was a high-sensitivity organic photoconductor for electrophotography developed by IBM. IBM developed this to avoid patent infringement wth Xerox. The IBM developed organic photoreceptor used a chemical known as 2, 4, 7-trinitro-9-fluorenone, commonly referred to as TNF. The photoconductor was mainly composed of a TNF and polyvinyl carbazole resin coating on an aluminized mylar sheet and was manufactured by IBM in Lexington Kentucky. Over the course of the 1970s, health and safety concerns were raised about TNF being a cancer causing carcinogen. The US Federal Department of Health and Human Services contracted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to investigate these concerns but their report did not identify any issues. Despite this, in 1980 IBM changed its advice and required it's employees to always handle it with gloves. IBM then withdrew TNF based photoconductors in late 1981 for the IBM 3800 and IBM Copier II, replacing it with a photoconductor based on chlorotiane blue and diethylaminobenzal- denyde-dithenylhydrazone. This material was already being used in the IBM Series III Copier and the IBM 6670 and was manufactured by IBM in Boulder Colorado.Replacement product
IBM partnered with Hitachi to OEM a Hitachi-developed printer, released as the IBM 3900. It was announced October 1990 and shipped in late 1991.Other 38xx printers
There were other non-impact printers in the 38xx series from IBM.IBM 3812
The IBM 3812 was one of the first office laser printers produced by IBM.The 3812 was described as a tabletop Pageprinter.
It was announced in March 1986 and operated at 12 pages per minute maximum. It was not technically a laser printer as it used a LED printhead.
It was withdrawn from marketing October 1991.
IBM 3816
The IBM 3816 was described as an "electrostatic page printer".It was announced in March 1989 and operated at 24 impressions per minute maximum. The 3816-01S was simplex while the 3816-01D was duplex.
IBM 3820
The IBM 3820, announced in February 1985, was IBM's first AFP cut-sheet printer. The 3820 could be attached to a host mainframe system via Systems Network Architecture SNA/SDLC, or to a PC using the IBM Personal Computer Network or Corvus Omninet. An entry-level 3820 sold for $29,900. The 3820 was an AFP printer. It operated at 20 pages per minute.It was withdrawn from marketing November 1993.
IBM 3825
The IBM 3825 was announced in 1989. It was a cut sheet, duplex, non-impact,all-points-addressable AFP page printer that operated at 58 impressions per minute It was withdrawn from marketing in 1995.IBM 3827
The IBM 3827 was announced in 1988. It was a cut sheet, duplex, non-impact,all-points-addressable AFP page printer that operated at 92 impressions per minute. While the control unit was developed by IBM, the print engine was a Kodak 1392. It was withdrawn from marketing in 1995.IBM 3828
The IBM 3828 was a MICR version of the 3827. It was announced October 1990.It was withdrawn from marketing in October 1999.