Let us understand the development process of the fuser film sleeve.

Aluminum, polyimide, silicone, nickel and stainless steel. What do these have in common? They are all part of the evolution of the fuser. Printers have come a long way since the days of the SX (the old HP II and III). Same goes for the technology used to get toner fused to the paper.

HP fuser film sleeve

HP Fuser's Instant on technology 

Understanding the development of HP fuser and fuser technology can clearly explain why not all sleeves are interchangeable in HP printers. 

Originally, the fuser started very simple. A silicone pressure roller mated with a coated hollow aluminum roller. 

The heat source was a quartz lamp inside the aluminum roller. It produced two things:

heat and light. The inside of the roller is coated in a black paint to help absorb the light. The light bulb also creates heat, which is absorbed by the aluminum. 

The lamp turns on, warms up the aluminum roller to the correct temperature, then shuts off. This process would repeat numerous times during printing and at idle to keep the fuser warmed. Unfortunately, this process is not very efficient for most users.

It does have a few advantages, however. It allows printing at very fast speeds because it enables much better heat retention, plus it causes less imaging defects. Due to its simplicity, this fuser is also the most reliable. 

Its main disadvantages are that the fuser takes a long time to reach the temperature, and the energy efficiency is not very high. This method is still preferred for users who print a lot or print on thicker media such as labels and card stock.

HP Fuser's Instant on technology