Patent ID: 8000618

Claim:
An image formation device comprising: a fixing device, having a first fixing unit and a second fixing unit, each operable to apply a fixing process to a sheet, the first and second fixing units being so arranged that, if the second fixing unit is not usable, the fixing device can apply the fixing process to the sheet using the first fixing unit; and a control unit operable to detect when the image formation device is in a predetermined state in which the first fixing unit is usable but the second fixing unit is not usable, and further operable to cause the fixing device to apply the fixing process to at least one sheet using the first fixing unit while the image formation device is in the predetermined state, wherein the first fixing unit is operable selectively to carry out a fixing process under a first operating condition or to carry out a fixing process under a second operating condition different from the first operating condition, and the control unit is further operable, when the image formation device is in the predetermined state, to determine whether or not the first fixing unit is suitable for applying a fixing process to a sheet under the first operating condition and, if not, to cause the fixing device to apply a fixing process to the sheet using the first fixing unit under the second operating condition.