Image forming apparatus and image forming control method

An image forming apparatus having a fixing part that fixes a toner image onto a recording medium by heating it, comprising:

• an ambient temperature predicting part configured to predict an ambient temperature from a fixing temperature rising period of time that is a period of time taken until the fixing part reaches a certain temperature;
• a member temperature predicting part configured to predict a member temperature of a member from the predicted ambient temperature and an operating state of the image forming apparatus;
• a cumulative-used-service-lifetime calculating part configured to calculate a current cumulative used service lifetime from the predicted member temperature, the operating state of the image forming apparatus and an immediately preceding cumulative used service lifetime of the member;
• a limit-of-usable-period-of-time calculating part configured to calculate a limit of usable period of time by subtracting the calculated current cumulative used service lifetime from a service lifetime of the member;
• and
• a reporting part configured to report the calculated limit of usable period of time.