Hi all,
I was wondering who here has experience pressing 7” records…. I’d like to pick your brain about cycle parameters and temps, or even any other tips and tricks you might use.
I have had some success in the past with getting nice flat records. But after some changes in our cooling system, similar process parameters are simply not working.
We are running a Viryl Warmtone, which has many quirks and design features which definitely make it a challenge to get a well balanced record, free of the various defects that can arise. Especially cooling, due to a supposed poor mould design.
What sort of cycle times, extrusion temps and other machine parameters are y’all using to press 7” records? I’d love to hear from you as I might aid me in eliminating the warping issue. Let me know if you have any questions for me too!
Many thanks in advance!
Kind Regards,
Tom
Re: Pressing 7 inch Records - Issues with Warping
Hello again
I don't come here that often nowadays so i missed your post, There is a whole host of reasons that one can get weird results from this rather complex game of ours, since you have never said what press you are running i cannot be specific but only general but well tried steps over many years
So i will just list a few issues common than lets see how it works out if at all, Ha
Puck: Make a puck pull it off the carrier leave it on a bench and observe it, If it swells is to hot if it shrinks is to cold if it stays exactly as it come off it is at the right temperature, do that after you have made enough pressings to make sure the material in the barrel has been all extruded from start up, in other words make sure you have material that would be like the press has been running normally That way you will have the right temp, start with the compound makers recommended temperature adjust settings accordingly
Press slow down before final squeeze Make sure the press slows down before the puck touches the top mould, that way you will prevent the shiny spots or a bit of orange peel you may get
Heat/Cool Two ways that you can deal with the optimum setting, AD12 do not have a mould temp ability, some presses do, legacy HAMILTON LENED SMT, do, and even though I have no personal exposure I believe Viryl has as well, when activated after initial heating it will oscillate discharging condensate out to bring up the temperature to the setting, on the AD12" heat 3 will pass the steam to the discharge of the condensate line but it will not pulse it, So keep the last heating step to the minimum in either case start up with known settings than reduce them until you get really thick flash than increase slightly a bit at a, time until you get the desired flash thickness which ought to be almost see through on black compound
Wrapped area: If the wrapping occurs around the inlet and outlet it is heating/cooling issue if elsewhere It may be a bad mould, easy to check, buy a thick candle swing the mould out trick the safety switches put the heat/steam on melt the wax on the face of the mould to fill the cavity than cool it It will show you the heating and cooling pattern of your moulds Hard to do the top but you can always swap them to check both of them A thermal camera will also tell you the performance of the moulds in heating and cooling where there may be hot or cold spots, but easy to see regardless
So this is enough info, it applies in just about any press out there, not specific to a make, We have used the above in all legacy presses as mentioned above as well as AD12"s 7"'s semi autos etc so much for now let us know how you get on if you care
I don't come here that often nowadays so i missed your post, There is a whole host of reasons that one can get weird results from this rather complex game of ours, since you have never said what press you are running i cannot be specific but only general but well tried steps over many years
So i will just list a few issues common than lets see how it works out if at all, Ha
Puck: Make a puck pull it off the carrier leave it on a bench and observe it, If it swells is to hot if it shrinks is to cold if it stays exactly as it come off it is at the right temperature, do that after you have made enough pressings to make sure the material in the barrel has been all extruded from start up, in other words make sure you have material that would be like the press has been running normally That way you will have the right temp, start with the compound makers recommended temperature adjust settings accordingly
Press slow down before final squeeze Make sure the press slows down before the puck touches the top mould, that way you will prevent the shiny spots or a bit of orange peel you may get
Heat/Cool Two ways that you can deal with the optimum setting, AD12 do not have a mould temp ability, some presses do, legacy HAMILTON LENED SMT, do, and even though I have no personal exposure I believe Viryl has as well, when activated after initial heating it will oscillate discharging condensate out to bring up the temperature to the setting, on the AD12" heat 3 will pass the steam to the discharge of the condensate line but it will not pulse it, So keep the last heating step to the minimum in either case start up with known settings than reduce them until you get really thick flash than increase slightly a bit at a, time until you get the desired flash thickness which ought to be almost see through on black compound
Wrapped area: If the wrapping occurs around the inlet and outlet it is heating/cooling issue if elsewhere It may be a bad mould, easy to check, buy a thick candle swing the mould out trick the safety switches put the heat/steam on melt the wax on the face of the mould to fill the cavity than cool it It will show you the heating and cooling pattern of your moulds Hard to do the top but you can always swap them to check both of them A thermal camera will also tell you the performance of the moulds in heating and cooling where there may be hot or cold spots, but easy to see regardless
So this is enough info, it applies in just about any press out there, not specific to a make, We have used the above in all legacy presses as mentioned above as well as AD12"s 7"'s semi autos etc so much for now let us know how you get on if you care
"The Vinyl Truth"
Chris
Chris
Re: Pressing 7 inch Records - Issues with Warping
Ha Tom Sorry! You did say it is a Viryl I missed that But comment on my previous post we can go down the rabbit hole than, Cheers
"The Vinyl Truth"
Chris
Chris
