Drum Maintenance System for Reducing Duplex Dropout

A method of operating a drum maintenance unit of a phase change ink imaging device, the method comprising:

• receiving a print job;
• applying a release agent to an intermediate imaging surface of a phase change ink imaging device;
• metering the release agent on the intermediate imaging surface with a first metering blade;
• determining whether the print job is a duplex print job;
• and
• moving a second metering blade into engagement with the intermediate imaging surface to further meter the release agent on the intermediate imaging surface for at least one side of the print job in response to the print job being a duplex print job;
• and
• leaving the second metering blade out of engagement with the intermediate imaging surface in response to the print job being a simplex print job.

A phase change ink imaging device comprising:

• an intermediate imaging surface configured to move in a process direction;
• at least one printhead configured to emit melted phase change ink onto the intermediate imaging surface;
• and
• a drum maintenance unit including:
• a reservoir including a supply of release agent;
• an applicator configured to receive release agent from the reservoir and to apply the release agent to the intermediate imaging surface;
• and
• a first metering blade positioned in wiper mode at a first position adjacent the intermediate imaging surface and configured to meter the release agent on the intermediate imaging surface applied by the applicator;
• a second metering blade positioned in wiper mode at a second position adjacent the intermediate imaging surface;
• and
• a second metering blade positioning system operably coupled to the second metering blade and configured to move the second metering blade into engagement with the intermediate imaging surface to further meter release agent applied to the intermediate imaging surface by the applicator when printing a first side of a duplex print job and out of engagement with the intermediate imaging surface when printing simplex print jobs and when printing a second side of a duplex print job.