SkyBeam: Light guides & optics, every question, answered
42 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.
Which light guides fit the SkyBeam?
The SkyBeam uses dedicated UV LED light guides: the UV4053 fan-cooled series or UV4054 convection-cooled series, each available in 365, 385, 395, or 405 nm. Any or all of the four rear channel connectors can be used.
What wavelengths are available?
Four LED wavelengths: 365, 385, 395, and 405 nm. You choose the wavelength per light guide, so one controller can run different wavelengths on different channels.
Fan-cooled vs convection-cooled guides, the difference?
Fan-cooled guides (UV4053 series) have an active cooling fan and heatsink for continuous operation. Convection-cooled guides (UV4054 series) are passively cooled with cooling ribs, better for intermittent duty and a smaller overall package.
When should I choose a fan-cooled light guide?
Choose fan cooling for continuous or high-duty-cycle production. The fan and heatsink actively regulate LED temperature, and fan speed automatically increases as the LED warms during exposure.
When is a convection-cooled guide the right pick?
For intermittent operation where a smaller, quieter guide matters, convection guides have no fan and use finned ribs for passive cooling. For long continuous runs, step up to the fan-cooled type.
What lenses come with each light guide?
Every SkyBeam light guide ships with two interchangeable spot lenses, 6 mm and 12 mm. Smaller high-intensity lenses (3 mm for 365 nm guides, 4 mm for 385/395/405 nm) are available separately.
How do I change the spot size?
Unscrew the detachable lens at the guide's output tip and screw on the lens with the spot size you need. Power the system down and let the tip cool before swapping.
The fixed focusing lens behind it is non-detachable, only the outer spot lens interchanges.
What spot sizes are available?
For 365 nm guides: 3, 6, or 12 mm lenses. For 385, 395, and 405 nm guides: 4, 6, or 12 mm lenses. The 6 and 12 mm lenses are included with each guide by default.
What irradiance do the 365 nm lenses deliver?
Typical initial values: 11 W/cm2 at 6 mm distance with the 3 mm lens, 5.6 W/cm2 at 13 mm with the 6 mm lens, and 1.5 W/cm2 at 27 mm with the 12 mm lens.
That 11,000 mW/cm2 peak with the 3 mm lens is the system's maximum rated output.
What irradiance do the 385/395/405 nm lenses deliver?
Typical values by wavelength (385/395/405 nm): the 4 mm lens gives 10.0/12.0/14.0 W/cm2 at 5 mm; the 6 mm lens gives 5.3/6.3/7.4 W/cm2 at 11 mm; the 12 mm lens gives 1.7/2.0/2.3 W/cm2 at 26 mm.
Can I use 365 nm lenses on a 385/395/405 nm guide?
No. Lenses provided with 365 nm guides are not compatible with 385/395/405 nm guides, and vice versa, be careful not to interchange them between the two families.
365 nm guides use the UV4030 lens series; 385/395/405 nm guides use the UV3982 lens series.
Do you sell a 365 nm fan-cooled light guide?
Yes, P/N UV4053-365F, a 365 nm fan-cooled SkyBeam light guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses included and an 82 mm handle length. Request a quote for configured pricing.
Do you sell a 385 nm fan-cooled light guide?
Yes, P/N UV4053-385F, a 385 nm fan-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses included, 82 mm length. Ask us for a quote.
Do you sell a 395 nm fan-cooled light guide?
Yes, P/N UV4053-395F, a 395 nm fan-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses included, 82 mm length. Request a quote for pricing.
Do you sell a 405 nm fan-cooled light guide?
Yes, P/N UV4053-405F, a 405 nm fan-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses included, 82 mm length. Request a quote for pricing.
Is there a 365 nm convection-cooled guide?
Yes, P/N UV4054-365C, a 365 nm convection-cooled SkyBeam guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses included and an 85 mm handle length. Fan-free for intermittent-duty work.
Is there a 385 nm convection-cooled guide?
Yes, P/N UV4054-385C, a 385 nm convection-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses, 85 mm length. Best for intermittent operation.
Is there a 395 nm convection-cooled guide?
Yes, P/N UV4054-395C, a 395 nm convection-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses, 85 mm length. Best for intermittent operation.
Is there a 405 nm convection-cooled guide?
Yes, P/N UV4054-405C, a 405 nm convection-cooled guide with 6 and 12 mm lenses, 85 mm length. Best for intermittent operation.
Is there a smaller, higher-intensity lens for 365 nm?
Yes, the UV4030-3MM lens produces a 3 mm spot at 11 W/cm2 measured at 6 mm distance, the highest irradiance available on the SkyBeam. It fits 365 nm guides only.
What is the UV4030-6MM lens?
The 6 mm spot lens for 365 nm light guides, delivering 5.6 W/cm2 at 13 mm distance. It's one of the two lenses included by default with each 365 nm guide.
What is the UV4030-12MM lens?
The 12 mm spot lens for 365 nm light guides, delivering 1.5 W/cm2 at 27 mm distance, the widest coverage option for 365 nm. Included by default with each 365 nm guide.
Is there a 4 mm lens for 385-405 nm guides?
Yes, the UV3982-4MM lens gives a 4 mm spot at 10.0, 12.0, or 14.0 W/cm2 (at 385, 395, and 405 nm respectively), measured at 5 mm distance. It's the highest-intensity option for those wavelengths.
What is the UV3982-6MM lens?
The 6 mm spot lens for 385/395/405 nm guides, delivering 5.3, 6.3, or 7.4 W/cm2 respectively at 11 mm distance. Included by default with each 385-405 nm guide.
What is the UV3982-12MM lens?
The 12 mm spot lens for 385/395/405 nm guides, delivering 1.7, 2.0, or 2.3 W/cm2 respectively at 26 mm distance, the widest coverage for those wavelengths. Included by default.
How long is the light guide cable?
The flexible cable is 2 meters standard. It's a high-flex type rated for more than 10 million bending cycles, so it holds up well on fixtures and moving tooling.
What is the minimum bend radius for the cable?
50 mm. Route the cable with gentle curves and never kink it, tighter bends risk permanent damage to the guide.
Can I plug in a light guide while the unit is on?
No, never plug or unplug light guide connectors with controller power on. Hot plugging can damage the LED or the controller; always power down first.
Also take ESD precautions when handling the rear connectors.
What is the maximum working temperature for guides?
The UV LED light guides should operate below 40 C (104 F). Higher ambient temperatures trigger over-temperature protection and shorten LED life.
How should light guides be mounted?
Install each guide on a suitable fixture that avoids strong external mechanical force on the guide body, and respect the 50 mm cable bend radius.
Mind where the tip points, it can deliver significant heat and UV to nearby surfaces, so never aim it at anything flammable.
Do SunSpot 2 light guides fit the SkyBeam?
No. SunSpot 2 liquid-filled guides couple to that system's arc-lamp port, while SkyBeam channels take the dedicated UV4053/UV4054 LED guides matched to the channel wavelength, the two families don't cross over.
Which wavelength should I choose for my adhesive?
Match the LED to your adhesive's datasheet, it lists the wavelength the chemistry needs. As a rule of thumb, 365 nm suits deep or through-cures and older chemistries, while 385, 395, and 405 nm suit most modern UV adhesives.
Longer wavelengths also penetrate thick, opaque, or tinted materials better. Happy to help you match a guide, just ask on a quote request.
What parts make up a SkyBeam light guide?
A flexible 2 m cable, an extending tube handle (finned for convection or with a cooling fan and heatsink on fan types), the UV LED, a non-detachable focusing lens, and a detachable spot-size lens at the tip.
Is the LED replaceable separately from the guide?
Within the guide assembly, the UV LED and its focusing lens are non-detachable, only the spot lens at the tip unscrews. When an emitter reaches end of life, you replace the LED head for that channel rather than opening the guide.
See our replacement LED heads by wavelength on the Replacement Lamps page, or ask us and we'll match one to your setup.
Which spot lens size should I pick?
Pick the smallest spot that still covers your bond line, the same LED power through a smaller lens means much higher irradiance and faster cures. Use the lens table in manual section 5.3 to match spot size and irradiance at your working distance.
What is the SkyBeam's maximum irradiance?
Up to 11,000 mW/cm2 typical initial output, achieved with a 365 nm guide and the 3 mm lens at 6 mm working distance.
How many light guides can one controller run?
One to four, connect guides to any or all of the CH1-CH4 rear connectors. Each channel drives its guide independently with its own settings and life record.
Can I add more light guides later?
Absolutely, start with one or two guides and add up to four total as your line grows. Just power the controller down before connecting a new guide to an open channel.
Can a guide be plugged into the wrong channel?
The rear connectors are keyed, so a guide only seats one way, and any guide works on any of the four channels. Just remember the wavelength travels with the guide, not the channel.
Can different wavelengths run on one controller?
Yes, each channel drives its own guide, so you can mix 365, 385, 395, and 405 nm guides on the same SkyBeam and give each channel its own power and timer settings.
How do I order SkyBeam light guides?
Request a quote and tell us the wavelength (365/385/395/405 nm), cooling type (fan or convection), and quantity, we respond within one business day with configured pricing, and volume discounts apply.
Do accessory light guides carry a warranty?
Yes, light guides purchased as accessories ship with protective end caps and a 1-year accessory warranty. The SkyBeam system itself carries Uvitron International's 2-year warranty.
