Metal Halide wattage

[FurryHippie]

Hey, new guy here just learning. Can someone please direct me to a post that answers this question or let me know what wattage metal halide would I need to expose screens. The box is 24x24.Thanks for the help.

[Frog]

I have one small unit using a 400 watt, and another (gathering dust) with 5000.
The 400 takes about 50-90 seconds for most of my screens (110-280) with photopolymer emulsion.

[blue moon]

Hey, new guy here just learning. Can someone please direct me to a post that answers this question or let me know what wattage metal halide would I need to expose screens. The box is 24x24.Thanks for the help.

welcome aboard!

who is the manufacturer of the unit? they would have the info.
If you are making yourself, LED would make more sense. MH is a better light source, but sourcing one with the correct bulb will be a little hard.
not to say the LEDs a piece of cake, but any good quality 405nm should do the job. then do some searching on the layout and spacing. we've talked about that a lot.

pierre

[FurryHippie]

Actually I have found a used unit and picking it up sometime this week the guy said it was a single football shaped bulb which leads me to believe it is MH. I found a 400w and wanted to make sure that would be enough. I'm going to test the unit before i leave to make sure it works. I attached photos of the unit. Looks super old but hopefully it gets the job done. Very affordable for me.

[blue moon]

you want something with a vacuum. this does not seem to have it, I would pass on it. . .

There are Nuarc 3140 units available on DIgitSmith.com. look there and try to get a deal. ppl are selling them as the LED is more and more popular so the prices have dropped. You can get a decent unit for under $1K. I know that might be a lot for a starting shop, but it will save you an incredible amount of headache. Your screens are the most important part of printing. It might not seem it, but you could print with a piece of wood if your screens are good and the best press in the world will not help you if your screens are bad.

look for the four post 3140. they are going for as low as $500.

pierre

[FurryHippie]

Awesome I will check that out for sure. Thanks for the help.

[Frog]

you want something with a vacuum. this does not seem to have it, I would pass on it. . .

There are Nuarc 3140 units available on DIgitSmith.com. look there and try to get a deal. ppl are selling them as the LED is more and more popular so the prices have dropped. You can get a decent unit for under $1K. I know that might be a lot for a starting shop, but it will save you an incredible amount of headache. Your screens are the most important part of printing. It might not seem it, but you could print with a piece of wood if your screens are good and the best press in the world will not help you if your screens are bad.

look for the four post 3140. they are going for as low as $500.

pierre

It actually looks like it does have vacuum (upper toggle switch on right), but I think that it's a plate maker and would need major modification to hold something as thick as a screen.

* Correction* In this slightly better picture of the same model, the bottom frame looks much more like it accommodates a frame. If it's a truly great price, hopefully the seller would demonstrate completely how it works. These things have been known to sell for little more than scrap value under the right circumstances, and could well be a great starter unit.

[FurryHippie]

Here are the other pictures of the unit. I gave 150 for it.

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[Frog]

How about a picture of the existing lamp?

[FurryHippie]

That is the only thing I do not have. I actually asked the guy to get a picture of the bulb when he went to his shop. He then told me it was football shaped so I assumed it was an MH so I told him nevermind. I'm not picking this thing up for a week or so.

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[Sbrem]

I would think Harco would have the info if you give them a model number...

Steve

[blue moon]

it might not even be metal halide. could be the version before MH. was it lead something?

pierre

[Frog]

it might not even be metal halide. could be the version before MH. was it lead something?

pierre

There were Mercury Vapor bulbs which are very similar but not as efficient. I do not know if they are inter-changeable with the same ballast as Metal Halide, even with the same mogul base and football shape.
The timer going up to thirty minutes might be a clue towards these.

[blue moon]

it might not even be metal halide. could be the version before MH. was it lead something?

pierre

There were Mercury Vapor bulbs which are very similar but not as efficient. I do not know if they are inter-changeable with the same ballast as Metal Halide, even with the same mogul base and football shape.

that's it! lead was not ringing the bell, but I remember it was something toxic!
thanx

pierre

[Orion]

I would think Harco would have the info if you give them a model number...

Steve

Agreed, reach out to, Brown Mfg. 616-249-0200.