SunSpot 2: Setup & installation, every question, answered
38 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 SunSpot 2 or request a quote.
Where should I install the unit?
On any hard, flat bench or shelf in a clean area with access to an appropriate 50/60-cycle single-phase outlet. Keep dust to a minimum, it clogs air filters and dulls the optics.
How much clearance does it need?
Maintain a 12-inch clearance behind the unit for unrestricted inlet and exhaust airflow, the filtered air inlet and outlet are on the rear panel.
Why does it need a clean area?
Dust and airborne particles can clog the air filters and internal cooling passages, causing overheating, and can build up on the lamp, reflector and filters, gradually reducing UV output.
Can I mount it inside a machine?
Yes. Remove the four 6-32 mounting feet screws, pass them through your mounting plate and back through the feet into the threaded fasteners on the underside of the chassis.
How deep can mounting screws go?
If you use longer screws, maximum penetration into the chassis is 5/16 (0.3125) inch, measured from the chassis underside surface.
What is the mounting hole pattern?
The fixed-position mounting holes span 7.75 × 7.39 inches, see Fig. 2 in the manual for the exact hole-position drawing.
What power source does it need?
A single-phase 50/60-cycle outlet at the correct voltage for your model: 100–120 VAC for the UV1853 or 200–240 VAC for the UV2132.
Can I switch it between 120 V and 240 V?
No, each unit is factory-configured for one input range. Connecting to the wrong voltage causes malfunction and possibly permanent damage, so order the model that matches your mains.
How do I set it up the first time?
Screw the foot pedal onto the rear DSUB, connect the AC cord, and insert the light guide handle until the receptacle spring clicks. Then switch on the rear power switch and wait 1–2 minutes for the Ready LED.
How does the foot pedal connect?
Plug it into the 9-pin DSUB connector on the rear panel and tighten its locking screws so the connector is fully seated.
How do I install the light guide?
Insert its grooved handle into the front-panel receptacle until the locking spring clicks into the positioning groove. Full insertion is required for maximum output, and to satisfy the safety interlock.
Why won't the shutter open?
Check four things: the light guide is fully seated (interlock), the lamp has finished warming up (Ready LED on), the pedal or interface connector is fully seated, and any external shutter signal on DSUB pin 1 is at the correct level.
How long until it's ready to cure?
Roughly 1 to 2 minutes after power-on. The Lamp On indicator brightens during warm-up, and the Ready LED lights once output is stable.
Can I switch it off during warm-up?
Avoid that. Shutting the lamp off while it is thermally ramping shortens lamp life, can make it hard or impossible to start, and can even cause non-passive failure, wait for the Ready indicator first.
How does Timed mode work?
Set the mode switch to Timed and dial in the exposure (0–99 s). One pedal press opens the shutter for exactly that duration; pressing the pedal again stops the exposure early.
How does Manual mode work?
In Manual mode the shutter stays open only while the foot pedal is held down, or while an external switch or PLC signal remains closed. Use it for hand-controlled or externally timed exposures.
How far should the tip be from the part?
Hold the light guide tip roughly 1/2 inch to 3 inches from the substrate. Closer means a smaller spot and higher intensity; farther spreads the light over a larger area.
Can the tip touch the adhesive?
No, keep it clear of uncured adhesive. Resin will cure onto the guide's quartz window and reduce light output; if it happens, clean the tip promptly.
How do I go below the knob's minimum power?
Pull the light guide gradually out of the receptacle to reduce coupled intensity below the knob's 60% floor, as long as the handle does not reach the interlock limit, then lock the position with the handle thumbscrew.
Can a PLC run the SunSpot 2?
Yes. The rear 9-pin DSUB exposes lamp on/off, shutter open/close and hour-meter reset inputs plus lamp-ignited and lamp-ready outputs. Uvitron's UV2156 PLC I/O control cable makes the wiring easy.
How do I wire an external shutter trigger?
Drive the shutter-open input with a switch, PLC open-collector module or TTL output (high at 2.0 V or more, low at 0.8 V or less, 5.0 V max). A low level opens the shutter; Fig. 4 in the manual shows a complete wiring schematic.
What powers the 24 V interface signals?
You can use the unit's own 24 V output available on the DSUB connector, or an external isolated 24 V supply.
How do I reset the lamp hour meter?
Drive the Hour Meter Reset line on the rear DSUB connector high. Do this after installing a new lamp, and record the old reading in your maintenance log first.
How do I shut it down properly?
Simply turn off the input power switch at the rear. For work breaks under roughly thirty minutes, leave the lamp running with the shutter closed instead, frequent restarts shorten lamp life.
Should I leave the lamp on between jobs?
Yes, for gaps of less than roughly thirty minutes. The system dims the lamp whenever the shutter is closed, saving power and lamp life, and output returns to full intensity with no re-warming period.
Why won't the lamp relight after a restart?
Hot-strike protection: a hot lamp will not re-ignite. Leave the unit running and the lamp restarts on its own in 2 to 5 minutes once cool. If the 3-minute ignition retry timeout occurred, cycle AC power off for 5 seconds and back on.
How do I balance a multi-pole guide?
With the system running at your working intensity, measure each leg with a radiometer, rotate the guide handle in 30-degree increments and re-measure until the legs match within roughly 10%, then lock the handle thumbscrew.
What should I build UV shielding from?
Sheet metal, UV-blocking acrylic, polycarbonate or welding curtains all work. Spot systems put light in a small localized area with minimal scatter, which makes sufficient shielding fairly easy to construct.
How do I clean the fan filters?
Unsnap each plastic retainer from its fan guard by hand, wash the foam elements in a mild detergent solution, dry, and reinstall. Clean them periodically so restricted airflow never shortens system life.
How do I make the light guide last?
Keep the shutter closed whenever you are not curing and avoid bending the guide, heat, UV exposure and bending all age its optics. Liquid guides typically last one to two years in normal use.
How do I clean the light guide tip?
Wipe the quartz tip with a soft cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol. For heavy cured-on deposits a razor may be used as a careful last resort, never scratch the quartz. Inspect and clean the input end the same way.
How do I replace the lamp?
Switch off, unplug the cord and pedal, and wait at least 15 minutes for everything to cool. Then loosen the three thumbscrews on the lamp access panel, unplug the lamp connector, press the retaining spring arm and lift the module out.
Reverse the steps to install, seating the reflector rim fully in the mounting extrusion's circular groove. Step-by-step photos are in manual section 7.2.
Can I touch the new lamp's glass?
No, handle the module with clean gloves or a soft cloth only. Skin oils refract light and create localized hot spots on the quartz envelope that can cause premature lamp failure; wipe any fingerprints off with isopropyl alcohol.
Does lamp alignment matter?
Yes. The reflector rim must sit fully in the mounting extrusion's circular groove, and the wire at the reflector's front edge must be centered in the top notch, adjust per Fig. 11 before powering, or the system may malfunction.
How do I remove the heat filter?
Open the lamp access panel, remove the filter retaining screw and Teflon washer with a #2 Phillips, tilt the unit and slide the filter out by its metal holder. Reinstall it angled, direction arrows up and inward, then re-tighten.
The angled position keeps reflected energy from heating the lamp bulb, see Fig. 13 in the manual.
When should the heat filter come out?
When your coating or ink needs UVB (280–315 nm) to reduce surface tack. For long unfiltered exposures, switch to a fiber light guide, it is unaffected by the short wavelengths that age liquid guides.
How do I replace the fuse?
The AC input fuse is on the rear panel. Replace it only with the same type and rating, a time-lag 6.3 A, 250 VAC, 5.2 × 20 mm glass fuse, Uvitron part UV2136, after verifying the lamp is properly installed and the mains voltage is correct.
Why is output low or curing slow?
Usual causes: guide tip too far away (keep it 1/2 to 3 inches out), intensity knob set low, chemistry mismatched to the lamp or filter, lamp or guide not fully seated, dirty optics, or an aged lamp.
Section 8 of the manual has a full troubleshooting table with solutions for each cause.
