An office's high-volume multifunction printer is repeatedly pulling several pages at once during print jobs, leading to frequent paper jams. Even after clearing the jams, the problem continues. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause and the first component a technician should investigate?
The separation pad and/or pickup rollers are worn and require replacement.
The paper stock is damp or has excessive static, causing the sheets to stick together.
The print queue is corrupted and needs to be cleared and reset on the print server.
A recent firmware update has introduced a bug in the paper feed process.
A worn-out separation pad or pickup roller is the most common cause of a printer consistently feeding multiple sheets of paper at once. These components are made of a material that creates friction to separate the top sheet from the paper stack. Over time and with heavy use, they wear down, become smooth, and lose their ability to separate pages effectively, requiring replacement. While poor quality or damp paper can cause pages to stick, a persistent issue across a high-volume job points more directly to mechanical wear. Firmware updates are unlikely to fix a mechanical feed issue, and print queue settings do not control the physical paper pickup mechanism.
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What is a misfeed sensitivity or separation pad?
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Why is it important to check the condition of the separation pad over firmware updates?
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What are the indicators that the separation pad needs replacement?