Preventive Maintenance of Inkjet Printers: The Case of the City of Kabinda (DRC)

Abstract

Inkjet printers are widely used in public administrations, schools, businesses and service centres in the city of Kabinda. However, their availability and service life are affected by breakdowns linked in particular to insufficient preventive maintenance, the variable quality of consumables, dust and power supply disruptions. This study aims to analyse the main causes of breakdowns and preventive maintenance practices in the city of Kabinda, and then to propose a model suited to the local context. The study adopts a quantitative approach supplemented by qualitative observations, involving 60 respondents selected through purposive sampling, comprising 45 users and 15 technicians. Data were collected using a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and direct observations, and then analysed using frequencies and percentages. The results indicate that clogged print heads account for 36.7 per cent of reported causes, faulty cartridges for 23.3 per cent, whilst 45 per cent of respondents state that they never carry out preventive maintenance. Corrective maintenance remains the most common type (65 per cent). These results show a link between insufficient preventive maintenance and the faults observed, although they do not, on their own, establish statistical causality. The study proposes a five-step model: periodic inspection, preventative cleaning, diagnosis, minor corrective action and follow-up and evaluation. It also recommends a maintenance schedule, user training, electrical protection, better management of consumables and a comparative cost-benefit analysis of preventative and corrective maintenance.

Keywords: Inkjet Printers; Preventive Maintenance; Printer Diagnostics; Equipment Reliability; Printhead Cleaning; Maintenance Strategies; Service Life; Kabinda; Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Received Date: June 19, 2026

Accepted Date: July 10, 2026

Published Date: August 01, 2026

Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/915