Vac Frame Light Sources

[Atownsend]

I just picked up a big ole Douthitt Vacuum frame for a stupid low price. Very happy. Now I am on a quest to find a good light to match to it. Ive been checking out a few light sources on the used market. Olec, Violux, Solarbeam, and Violux appear to be the contenders. Reading through the forums I see some mixed reviews regarding the Olec units.

Ideally I think I'd pickup a Nuarc 6K light and be done with it since you can still get parts. The 6K is at the very top of our budget. I'm worried if I pickup a used Olec or "other" light i'm not going to be able to find the correct reflector or I could run into a shutter / mechanical issue. I'm pretty handy, but not really into working on high voltage stuff. I have always ran a single point, but always as a enclosed unit, so I'm going to have a bit to learn here.

So... are the older units still worth it? What are the things I should look out for in a used light? Are certain units prone to mechanical or electrical issues? For those who have used both the shuttered and non shuttered lights, which do you prefer? I would assume the instant start lights burn through lamps more often, but probably consume less power than a shuttered one correct? Are all of the Olec / Violux / Solarbeams shutter systems? Seems like one more thing to break, but if I'm wrong let me know.

We are looking to expose 4 23 x 31's at once. We only run plastisol at the moment, no long WB or discharge runs right now. Is a 3K lamp sufficient or should I be looking at a minimum output of 5K?

Thanks in advance for the feedback, and if anyone has a unit they want to move, feel free to PM me.

[domineight]

You'll get by with a 3K light source no problem if that's what's available. Depending on the quality of the bulb itself and using a regular dual cure emulsion the exposure should be in the 3-6min range roughly. I find that perfectly acceptable.

With regards to the unit, obviously the best that's available within budget. I personally would go for something that has parts availability as I work in a bit of a light source graveyard. There's a Richmond 10K solar beam here, and a 10K Olec doubled-up unit both useless to me at the moment. Good units but not if they're broken. In the case of the Olec unit it's more than likely a transformer and something an electrician can get up and running, but it's still older so the cost of fixing could be better spent investing in something newer. Same with the Richmond unit with its giant expensive headlight.

I figure if you've saved pretty well on the drapeback you could probably afford to get a lightsource that will have a few good years in it with simple bulb swaps and be reliable. Not much is ever likely to go wrong with a drapeback that can't be solved with a piece of duct tape or a vacuum motor.

My preference is for instant start units. If something does go wrong with the mechanism for a shutter you're left with turning it on/off manually anyway until the problem is sorted. I've only ever encountered this a couple of times in nearly 30 years printing anyway, but it's another one of those " oh, terrific..... What's next" dramas I prefer avoiding.

Other than that, I like the piece of mind of a light integrator as it keeps an eye on things instead of a seconds timer. So that component would be important to me.

[Maxie]

Why not get a LED from Saati, they have two models.           I am exposing 2 screens at time with the smaller one using PHU emulsion, times vary from 30 - 90 sec depending on the mesh.

[markdhl]

The Olec lights are still being manufactured and still the best light out there.  All parts are in stock at Douthitt. 

The Olec al 35 3000 model will give the same exposure time or less than the 6000 you are looking at plus more collimation.

Douthitt also stocks all the Theimer Violux parts BUT those light have NOT been manufactured for years so parts are more expensive so gain the best choice is the Olec.  The Saati leds lights are a MUCH better choice than a solarbeam ...

You have my email if you want a rebuilt olec or a new saati led ... just let me know.  Visit us at SGIA 2017 next week.

Mark Diehl
Douthitt Corporation
mdhlexp@aol.com

[Inkworks]

Love my Olec 8K and Douthitt Vacuum frame.

[ScreenFoo]

IMHO the Olec units are pretty nice. 

Wish I could have found a good deal on an 8K when I was looking, but a 5K for one up exposure is enough of a beast for me. 

[StuJohnston]

I have an al-53 and it's fantastic. I got it for $250 with an integrator some years back with no problems. If you aren't in a huge hurry, trawl craigslist/get an alert for olec on craigslist and you'll end up running across one for pretty cheap. I use it for everything up to 4'x5' screens. When the safety glass on my lamp broke, Douthitt had me fixed up in no time.

[ZooCity]

I have gotten more miles per dollar out of our Olec AL-53 units than maybe anything else in the shop's history.  Very good deals used and parts as Mark said are all available. 

The reflector options for the Olec will take care of you.  You can spec a super wide, std, etc. to optimize the distance from your glass and I'll echo Mark again that they are well designed to collimate light for what we do.

Pickup an integrator on ebay, grab a new photocell and get the right Olec (yes, spend on the brand ones) bulb for your emulsions and you'll have a setup for pennies on the dollar that will smoke any of these overpriced LED array units on the market. 

The only reason we aren't running our Olecs here currently is lack of available amperage, I have them in storage for when the time comes.  LED works but at the moment it's a "good enough for textile" functionality v. superior imaging results.  We are imaging over 2x slower with our starlight, with a bit less detail and the core array components are essentially non-engineered from off the shelf LED strips and not built to last and built for imaging as a MH lamp/reflector/bulb assy is. 

Speaking of, did Saati release another LED cluster?  They aren't on their website.  Just curious if they came up with a point source LED with more firepower and/or spectrum and an appropriate cooling system.  Don't mean to derail anything, can split thread or start a fresh one. 

[tonypep]

Actually since Dan recalculated the curve on our I-Image we're holding 3% at 2 seconds just an FYI

[ZooCity]

Actually since Dan recalculated the curve on our I-Image we're holding 3% at 2 seconds just an FYI

Are you in a plastisol shop now?

[Atownsend]

Thanks for all of the helpful replies!

I ended up snagging a Olec Al 53 from flea bay. Less than $500 palletized and shipped to us. Shutter does not rotate, but hopefully I can figure that out whether it be a mechanical issue or a relay thing it doesn't sound too difficult of a repair. I like to think that we are pretty handy folks here. Also picked up a AL 970 integrator to pair it to. Not sure if the AL 53 will come with a photocell or not, but if not I'll source on of those.

I doubt we'll be shooting screens at 2 seconds through the glass, but i'm hoping to see a big workflow improvement.

[ZooCity]

Thanks for all of the helpful replies!

I ended up snagging a Olec Al 53 from flea bay. Less than $500 palletized and shipped to us. Shutter does not rotate, but hopefully I can figure that out whether it be a mechanical issue or a relay thing it doesn't sound too difficult of a repair. I like to think that we are pretty handy folks here. Also picked up a AL 970 integrator to pair it to. Not sure if the AL 53 will come with a photocell or not, but if not I'll source on of those.

I doubt we'll be shooting screens at 2 seconds through the glass, but i'm hoping to see a big workflow improvement.

You can buy a kit for the shutter mechanism easy fix.  Check your reflector too, they do degrade/oxidize over time.  If it needs replaced then a good time to select the optimal one for your lamp to glass distance.

That's a great setup you got, congrats!  Bonus is the AI 970 looks like the control panel for cold war era russian nukes or something.  I got a soft spot for analog, buttons and lcd displays.   

Oh and you can add some really nice features if relevant to your setup with a Q box (can't remember the control's exact name) that will hold your vac for a set time before firing the shutter, etc.

[Sbrem]

I started out with a carbon arc lamp, and graduated to MH. I've had mostly Violux over a 30 year period, pretty reliable. And though I see many lauding Olec, the one we had was a constant pain, just broke down pretty much weekly. Fortunately, we always had a backup. However, I've seen many good reviews of the Olec.

Steve

[Atownsend]

Hopefully we don't run into too much trouble with the Olec. Should be here on Wed and then i'll have a good idea of what its going to take to get it up to snuff. Already replaced the blanket on the Vac frame, works really well with a piece of rope. Draw down in less than 10 seconds. I think the QX box would be overkill, as the drawdown is no time at all. The pump is noisy but it has great suction.

Douthitt sells a pump that works via compressed air that is quite interesting to me. The pump works so i'm not going to replace it, but I wonder if I could use it to pull water off of screens with a vac attachment. If it would put water back in the line then its a no go obviously, but it is interesting to me having not used a system like that before.

Going to keep our Amergraph as a backup. Having these key components like film printers, expo units etc in duplicity cant be a bad idea other than from a real estate perspective.

Carbon Arc sounds crazy. Did the electrodes burn outside of a bulb in the open air? I want to pull a transformer from the microwave and do some science experiments now... haha

[Frog]

Carbon Arc sounds crazy. Did the electrodes burn outside of a bulb in the open air? I want to pull a transformer from the microwave and do some science experiments now... haha

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