SkyBeam: Setup & installation, every question, answered
36 answers below, written from the manufacturer's manuals and our own bench experience. Prefer to tap through them? The same answers power the live chat in the corner. Ready to buy? See the SkyBeam or request a quote.
Where should I install the controller?
On any flat bench or shelf in a clean operating area with access to 120/240 V, 50/60 Hz single-phase power. Keep it away from vapors, dust, and airborne particles, which can contaminate lenses or clog cooling paths.
How much clearance does it need?
Allow 6 inches of clearance on all sides for unrestricted airflow, the unit is air cooled, and smooth cooling air reduces heating of the controller and the UV LED light guides.
Can dust or vapors affect performance?
Yes. Contaminants can coat the light guide lenses or clog their fans and fins, causing overheating or reduced light output. Site the system in a clean area and inspect and clean lenses periodically.
Can I bolt the controller into a machine?
Yes. Remove the four mounting-feet screws, pass them through your mounting plate and back through the feet into the threaded holes on the underside of the chassis. If longer screws are needed, don't exceed the original penetration depth into the chassis.
How should I orient it for operators?
Place it so the front-panel LCD is unobstructed, the keypad is easy to reach, and there's sufficient clearance behind the unit for cabling and the rear power switch.
How do I connect the light guides?
Plug each guide into any of the four keyed rear connectors marked CH1 through CH4, with controller power switched off. Any or all four connectors may be used.
Can I plug guides in with the power on?
No. Never plug or unplug light guide connectors with controller power on, hot plugging (and ESD at the rear connectors) can damage the guide or the controller.
How tightly can I route the guide cable?
Keep the bend radius at 50 mm or larger everywhere along the cable run.
How should I fixture the light guides?
Mount each guide on a suitable fixture that avoids strong external mechanical force on it, and aim the tip so it can't inadvertently heat nearby surfaces or scatter UV toward people.
Is there an ambient limit for the guides?
Yes, keep the light guide working temperature below 40 °C (104 °F). In warm cells or for continuous duty, favor the fan-cooled guide type.
Do I need the interlock jumper to run?
Yes, at minimum, a jumper between terminal pins 11 (EMER) and 12 (COM1) is required; without it the external safety interlock circuit keeps the LEDs shut down. In production, replace the jumper with your e-stop or guard-switch circuit.
How do I wire the included foot switch?
Connect the red signal wire to the run/stop input of the channel you want it to control (pin 1, 2, 4, or 5 for channels 1–4) and the white wire to pin 3, the grounded common input.
What's the first power-up procedure?
Screw the right lens onto each guide, connect guides with power off, verify the EMER–COM1 jumper, plug the IEC cord into the rear receptacle and a single-phase outlet, then flip the rear power switch. After about 4 seconds of initialization, the four channels' settings appear on the LCD.
How do I change operating parameters?
Turn the security key on (clockwise), press Stop/Run, then press Setup momentarily. Move the cursor with the left/right arrows, change values with up/down, and press Enter to save, Esc discards changes.
Operating parameters cover mode (A/M/CLOSE/16ST), UV power 10–100%, and irradiation time 0–999.9 s per channel.
How do I access system parameters?
Same start, key on, press Stop/Run, but hold Setup for more than 3 seconds. Adjust with the arrows, then hold Setup over 3 seconds again to save (Esc discards). Turn the key off and remove it when finished.
What's the difference between A and M modes?
A (automatic) runs a timed exposure, the timer counts down from your set value and shuts the channel off. M (manual) keeps the LED on only while the trigger signal is held, with the timer counting up on the display.
How do I disable an unused channel?
Set its mode to CLOSE in the operating parameters. The channel ignores triggers until you set it back to A, M, or step mode.
How do I program a step sequence?
Set the channel mode to ST and pick the step count (1–16), then press Setup to reach the per-step pages where each step gets its own UV power and time. Press Enter to advance through pages of four steps and to save at the end.
What does the LOW system parameter do?
It sets trigger behavior. LOW = OFF means a momentary signal toggles the channel on/off; LOW = ON means a continuous low signal keeps the channel on for as long as it's held.
What does the LINK parameter do?
LINK ON ties channels together, a linked channel is triggered by any linked channel's external signal or front-panel arrow. LINK OFF keeps each channel independent, firing only from its own trigger.
What does the COPY parameter do?
COPY ON makes a channel copy the operating parameters of the first channel with COPY turned on, a quick way to run identical settings across channels. COPY OFF keeps the channel's own settings.
What does the LOCK parameter do?
With LOCK ON in automatic mode, a second trigger can't abort a running exposure, the full timed dose always completes. With LOCK OFF, a second trigger stops the exposure at any time.
Can I turn the beeper off?
Yes, set BUZZ OFF in the system parameters to silence event beeping, or BUZZ ON to enable it.
How do I view or reset a channel's hours?
In the system parameters, each channel shows a total irradiation time counter (hours, minutes, seconds). View it there, and reset it when you install a new light guide so the life record stays meaningful.
What are all the ways to trigger a cure?
Front-panel arrow keys (up/left/down/right = channels 1–4), the foot switch, external PLC or contact signals on the terminal block, or RS-232 commands. All of them follow the channel's operating and system parameter settings.
How does the foot switch work in auto mode?
A momentary press starts a timed exposure for the set irradiation time, with the countdown shown on the LCD, and the LEDs turn off automatically. Press again to end early, unless the LOCK parameter is on, in which case the full dose completes.
How does the foot switch work in manual mode?
The LEDs stay on only while the pedal is held down, with the timer counting up on the LCD. Release the pedal and the LEDs turn off, useful for operator-judged exposures.
Tip: for press-on/press-off switching without holding the pedal, use Automatic mode with a time set higher than you need and alternate presses.
How do I wire a PLC to the SkyBeam?
Use the rear pluggable terminal blocks with shielded cable: drive the channel run/stop inputs from relay contacts or open-collector outputs, monitor the READY/BUSY/ERROR outputs (10 mA, 5–24 VDC), and wire your e-stop into the EMER interlock.
Tighten terminal screws to 0.2–0.3 N·m (1.77–2.66 in-lb), don't twist the wire strands, and avoid pressure on the wires after connecting.
How do I connect RS-232?
Either plug into the rear 9-pin DSUB (pin 2 send, pin 3 receive, pin 5 ground) or wire terminal block pins 7 (TXD), 8 (RXD), and 9 (GND). For long runs or high-EMI environments, use shielded cable with the drain wire on FG pin 24.
No serial port on your PC? Uvitron's UV4704 USB-to-RS232 adapter connects a PC or PLC for remote control.
How do I fit or swap a lens?
Unscrew the detachable lens at the guide tip and screw on the size you need; each guide ships with 6 mm and 12 mm lenses. Important: lenses for 365 nm guides are not compatible with 385/395/405 nm guides and vice versa, don't interchange the families.
How do I clean the light guide lens?
Power down and unplug first. Wipe the lens with a clean soft cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol; for thicker layers of cured adhesive, gently scrape the glass with a razor knife. Never use abrasive compounds or steel wool, they remove the finish and cut light transmission.
Can I touch the lens with my fingers?
Avoid it. Skin contaminants cause unwanted refraction and can create localized hot spots on the LED lenses, reducing their life. Handle and clean lenses with cotton gloves or a soft cloth.
What's the maintenance shutdown procedure?
Turn off the rear Input Power Switch and unplug the power cord from the receptacle, then wait at least 10 minutes so the light guides cool back to room temperature and the internal storage capacitors discharge before any maintenance work.
How do I verify output stays adequate?
Uvitron recommends monitoring UV/visible output with a radiometer, the LEDCure UV4006 series (0.4–40 W/cm², in 365/385/395/405 nm versions) fits the job, with the UV4244-12 fixture for EIT radiometers. Without one, check your parts' cure quality regularly as an indirect indicator and keep the lens clean.
Why is my cure slow or weak?
Common causes, in order: intensity set too low (raise it and retest), the tip too far from the part (move closer), a dirty lens (clean it), an adhesive/wavelength mismatch (compare the datasheet against your LED type), or aged LEDs (replace the guide).
The LED won't light, what should I check?
If the display runs normally: check the EMER interlock circuit (pins 11–12), an over-temperature trip or E40 code (let it cool below 80 °C), or a guide connection fault (E20 open / E30 short, verify the rear connector).
If the display is dark and the rear switch unlit, verify the power cord at each end and test the outlet for 100–240 VAC ±10%; if that doesn't resolve it, contact us or Uvitron for repair.
