SkyBeam: Using the system, every question, answered
45 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.
How do I set up the SkyBeam for the first time?
With the controller powered off, screw your chosen lens (6 or 12 mm) onto each light guide tip, connect the guides to the CH1-CH4 rear connectors, wire the foot switch to the terminal block, and verify the interlock jumper between terminals 11 and 12. Then plug in the power cord and flip the rear power switch.
Full step-by-step instructions are in section 6.1 of the manual. Never plug or unplug light guides with controller power on.
How do I turn the SkyBeam on?
Flip the Input Power Switch on the rear panel. The switch lights red and the LCD illuminates with four rows of blue blocks while the system initializes.
After about 4 seconds, each of the four channels' operating parameters appears on the display and the unit is ready.
How do I shut the SkyBeam down?
Simply switch off the rear panel Input Power Switch at any time, no cool-down sequence is required.
Before any maintenance, also unplug the power cord and wait at least 10 minutes for the light guides to cool and internal capacitors to discharge.
What controls are on the SkyBeam front panel?
A backlit LCD, four arrow buttons, Stop/Run, Enter, Esc, and Setup buttons, plus a Security key switch that locks parameter changes.
Light guide connectors, I/O terminals, the RS-232 port, power switch, and power receptacle are all on the rear panel.
What does the Enter button do?
In Setup mode, Enter saves your changed parameters. For multi-page settings like step profiles, it also advances to the next page.
What does the Esc button do?
In Setup mode, Esc discards your parameter changes without saving, returning you to the previous settings.
What does the Setup button do?
A momentary press opens the operating parameters (mode, power, time per channel). Holding it for more than 3 seconds opens the system parameters, the security key must be on for either.
What do the arrow buttons do?
In Setup they navigate menus and set values: left/right move the cursor, up/down change the value. Outside Setup they trigger exposure, up fires CH1, left CH2, down CH3, and right CH4.
How do I start a cure from the front panel?
Press the arrow button assigned to that channel: up for CH1, left for CH2, down for CH3, right for CH4. The channel runs according to its programmed mode, power, and timer.
What is the Security key switch for?
It prevents unauthorized changes to Setup parameters. Turn the key clockwise to allow changes, then turn it back off and remove the key when you're done.
Can I lock settings so operators can't change them?
Yes. Settings can only be changed while the front panel Security key switch is turned on, so removing the key locks all parameters while still allowing normal cure operation.
Two keys (P/N UV4046) are included with every system.
How do I open the operating parameters menu?
Turn the Security key on, press Stop/Run to stop the system, then momentarily press Setup. Use left/right arrows to move the cursor, up/down to change values, and Enter to save (Esc discards).
How do I open the system parameters menu?
Turn the Security key on, press Stop/Run, then hold the Setup button for more than 3 seconds. Adjust with the arrows, then hold Setup again for more than 3 seconds to save, or press Esc to discard.
System parameters cover trigger style, buzzer, channel linking, fault warnings, exposure lock, life counters, and settings copy.
What operating modes does each channel have?
Four: A (automatic, a trigger runs a timed exposure), M (manual, on while the signal is present), ST (step irradiation profiles), and CLOSE (channel disabled).
What is Automatic (A) mode?
One trigger turns the channel on for the programmed irradiation time, settable from 0 to 999.9 seconds, and the timer counts down on the LCD until the LED shuts off automatically.
A second trigger ends the exposure early, unless the LOCK system parameter is turned on.
What is Manual (M) mode?
The LED stays on only while the trigger signal is present, for example, while the foot pedal is held down, and the timer counts up on the display. Releasing the trigger turns the LED off.
What does CLOSE mode do?
CLOSE disables the UV channel entirely so it cannot fire, handy for parking unused channels or taking a station out of service without unplugging anything.
What is step (ST) irradiation mode?
ST mode runs a programmed profile of 1 to 16 steps, each with its own UV power and irradiation time, useful for ramped or staged cures.
Steps are entered four per screen; press Enter to advance pages until all steps are set.
What is the PS setting in step mode?
PS is the step-cycle count: the programmed step sequence can repeat from 1 to 99 times per trigger.
What intensity range can I set?
UV power is adjustable from 10% to 100% per channel from the front panel, and output current is regulated to within plus or minus 1% for repeatable dosing.
What is the exposure timer range?
In Automatic mode the irradiation timer is settable from 0 to 999.9 seconds in 0.1-second increments. In Manual mode there is no preset, the timer counts up while the trigger is held.
How do I set the cure time on a channel?
With the key on and the system stopped, momentarily press Setup, move the cursor to that channel's time field with the left/right arrows, adjust with up/down, and press Enter to save.
How do I change the UV power on a channel?
Momentarily press Setup, move the cursor to the channel's power field, and use the up/down arrows to set any value from 10% to 100%, then press Enter to save.
How do I program a multi-step cure profile?
In the operating parameters, set the channel's mode to ST and choose the step count (1-16), then press Setup. Enter each step's UV power and time, pressing Enter to advance pages and finally to save.
Section 6.4 of the manual walks through a complete 10-step example.
Can each channel have different settings?
Yes. All four channels are fully independent, each with its own mode, power level, timer, and LED life record.
Can I run all four channels at the same time?
Yes, channels run independently and simultaneously. If you want several channels to fire together from one trigger, turn on the LINK system parameter for those channels.
What does the LINK setting do?
With LINK ON, a channel is triggered by any linked channel's external signal or front panel arrow button, so one foot pedal press can fire several guides at once for multi-point cures.
With LINK OFF, each channel responds only to its own signal or arrow button.
What does the COPY setting do?
COPY ON copies the operating parameters of the first COPY ON channel to the others you enable it on, a quick way to make all stations match without re-keying settings.
What does the LOCK setting do?
With LOCK ON, an automatic-mode exposure cannot be aborted by a second trigger signal, the full programmed dose always completes. With LOCK OFF, a second trigger stops the exposure at any time.
What does the LOW setting control?
It sets the trigger style for external signals. LOW OFF means a momentary signal turns the channel on or off; LOW ON means a continuous low signal holds the channel on.
How do I stop an exposure before the timer ends?
Send a second trigger from the front panel arrow, foot switch, or PLC to end that channel's exposure early (unless LOCK is on). Pressing Stop/Run aborts exposure on all channels at once.
How does the foot switch work?
The included UV4045 foot switch (2 m cable) gives hands-free triggering. In Automatic mode a momentary press runs the LED for the programmed time; in Manual mode the LED stays on while the pedal is held.
In Automatic mode, pressing the pedal a second time ends the exposure early unless LOCK is enabled.
How do I wire the foot switch?
Connect the red signal wire to the Run/Stop input of the channel you want to control, terminal 1, 2, 4, or 5 for CH1 through CH4, and the white wire to terminal 3, the grounded common input.
Can the pedal toggle the LED on and off?
Yes. Set the channel to Automatic mode with a time value longer than you need, and alternate pedal presses will turn the LED on and off, no need to hold the pedal down.
Can a PLC trigger the SkyBeam?
Yes. The rear terminal block accepts contact-closure or open-collector inputs for each channel, and provides READY, BUSY, and ERROR feedback outputs for production-line automation.
At minimum, jumper terminals 11 (EMER) and 12 (COM1) so the external safety interlock circuit doesn't shut the LEDs down. Use shielded cable for PLC or PC wiring.
Do I need the interlock jumper installed?
Yes, if you're not wiring an interlock switch, a jumper must connect terminals 11 and 12, or the interlock circuit will keep the LEDs shut down. Units ship configured for bench use; verify the jumper during setup.
Can I control the SkyBeam from a PC?
Yes. The rear RS-232 port (9-pin DSUB, or TXD/RXD/GND terminals 7-9) supports remote monitoring and control from a PC or PLC using the command protocol in section 7.6 of the manual.
A USB-to-RS232 adapter is available as P/N UV4704 if your computer lacks a serial port.
What can I do over the serial port?
Every command is prefixed with the string uvled: you can run or stop each channel, set mode, UV power, irradiation times, and step counts, query status and total LED hours, and receive fault feedback codes.
Sending uvled alone returns a colon character to confirm the connection is live.
What does the display show during a cure?
Each row shows the channel number, its UV power and mode, and the exposure time, counting down in Automatic mode or up in Manual mode while that channel runs.
What outputs are on the rear signal port?
READY (terminal 13), BUSY1-BUSY4 running feedback for each channel, an ERROR fault output (terminal 20), and a 12 VDC auxiliary supply (terminal 22, 100 mA max).
Outputs are rated 5-24 VDC at 10 mA each. The logic of READY and ERROR can be inverted with the RDYN and ERRN system parameters.
How do I check a channel's total LED hours?
Open the system parameters (hold Setup more than 3 seconds with the key on) and read the channel's total irradiation time row, shown in hours, minutes, and seconds. The counter can be viewed or reset there.
Where should I place the controller?
On a flat bench or shelf in a clean area with a 120/240 V single-phase outlet, allowing 6 inches of clearance on all sides for airflow. Keep the LCD visible and leave room behind for cabling and the power switch.
Dust and vapors can contaminate light guide lenses or clog cooling fans, so avoid dirty or fume-laden air.
Can I mount 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 in the chassis bottom.
If longer screws are needed, do not exceed the maximum penetration depth into the chassis.
What protective gear do operators need?
UV protective glasses at all times near the system, a 5.0-shade pair (UV0496) is included, plus protective clothing and cotton gloves for production use. Never look directly at operating LEDs, even with glasses.
All installations should shield radiated UV with sheet metal, UV-blocking acrylic, polycarbonate, or welding curtains.
How do I figure out the right cure time?
Approximate cure time equals the adhesive's required energy (J/cm2) divided by your light intensity (W/cm2). Start from the adhesive datasheet, then fine-tune power, time, and tip distance, moving the tip closer raises intensity.
Optimum settings often need to be determined experimentally; your adhesive maker's guidance is the best starting point.
