Method for creating a uniform nip pressure utilizing a compliant pressure roller

1. A method for creating uniform pressure at a nip comprising:

providing a stationary inner core;

pivotally mounting a plurality of shoes to said stationary inner core;

creating a plurality of annular chambers wherein each of said shoes occupies one of said chambers;

filling each of said chambers with a magneto-rheological fluid;

surrounding said plurality of chambers, shoes, and stationary inner core with a thin, metal, rotatable shell;

detecting a deformation in said shell; and

changing a magnetic field in at least one of said chambers to change a viscosity of said magneto-rheological fluid to correct said deformation.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein a hydrodynamic force on said magneto-rheological fluid created by rotation of said shell compensates for deformation in said shell.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein a magnetic field generator is mounted in each of said shoes.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said magneto-rheological fluid is a heat transfer agent.

5. A method as in claim 1 comprising the additional step of spring loading said shoes to said stationary inner core.

6. A method as in claim 1 wherein an eddy current detector detects deformation in said shell.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein a laser detector detects deformation in said thin, rotatable shell.