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Ink cartridges can be divided into two broad categories; those with the print head attached to the cartridges (e.g. HP, Lexmark, Dell) and those that are tanks of ink that fit into the print head, which is fixed in the printer (Epson, Brother).

Those which are just tanks of ink can readily be copied as compatible cartridges and sold as cheaper alternatives to the OEM's cartridges. Even the use of electronic chips can be circumvented. It is therefore not usually economically viable to recycle empty OEM cartridges of this type.

Those with the print head fixed to the cartridge cannot be copied because of patent rights on the print head and its electronics and so the only way to produce a cheaper alternative is to refill the OEM cartridges.

Some recyclers engage in the remanufacturing of cartridges that involves the disassembly, cleaning and replacement of parts. This is often necessary when cartridges are dried out having been out of the printer for an extended period. Other recyclers rely on refilling the cartridge soon after it has been used and any remaining ink has not had a chance to dry out. The McCue Pro Vac refilling machine has been principally designed for use by those refilling cartridges although it could also be used as part of a remanufacturing process.

The Structure of Ink Cartridges

The ink jet process of printing relies on a series of very fine nozzles being fed with ink and the ink being fired out of the nozzles by small heaters behind the nozzle plate. The heaters are stimulated by the electronic signal from the printer and create a bubble of steam that fires out the jet of ink.

As the ink is fired out air has to enter the cartridge to replace the used ink via vent holes in the top of the cartridge otherwise a vacuum would be established and prevent further ink from being fired out of the cartridge.

So these type of cartridges have a three part structure:

• The print head with the nozzle plate and heaters connected to the contact plate on the side of the cartridge.
• A small chamber behind the nozzle plate which contains the ink to be heated and fired through the nozzles. This is separated from the main tank by a small filter.
• The main tank of ink containing the bulk of the ink.

Because the cartridge is open to the atmosphere at the top via the vent holes and at the bottom via the nozzles a mechanism has to found to stop the ink draining out under gravity. In recent times this has involved the use of specially engineered foams designed to deliver the ink to the nozzles with exactly the right flow.

Another attribute of the latest generation of printers is their ability to recognise that a cartridge has been used before. Some have expiry chips that are designed to blow once the cartridge becomes empty. This will not normally prevent the cartridge from being reused but users should be advised to ignore "ink out" warnings generated by the computer/printer and the lack of an ink level indicator.

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