Getting Your Sulfet Rotary Printing Heat Just Right
If you’re hunting for spare parts for your Sulfet rotary printer, you’ve probably noticed the infrared lamps come in two main sizes: 10mm and 12mm. It seems like a tiny difference, but that little gap is what decides if your ink dries perfectly or if you’re staring at scorched fabric. These aren’t your average light bulbs. They’re specialized quartz heaters built to hit that sweet spot where the dye sets, but the cloth stays safe. The 10mm vs. 12mm Dilemma Here’s the thing: the choice usually comes down to the space you’ve already got in your machine. Generally, a 12mm tube can handle more wattage over the same length than a 10mm one. That means more heat. If you’re trying to crank up your line speed to get more product out the door, the 12mm is usually the way to go because it has the thermal muscle to keep up. But be careful. You have to match the diameter to your reflector housing exactly. If it’s too loose, you’re just wasting heat. Too tight? The tube could actually crack when it expands from the heat. Not a great day at the office. What’s Under the Hood We use high-purity quartz glass because these things go through some brutal temperature swings. We’ve designed them as drop-in replacements for Sulfet systems, so you aren’t spending hours fiddling with the installation. The tungsten filaments are also calibrated for specific voltages. We do this so you aren’t replacing bulbs every other week. A Few Things to Watch Out For High-wattage shortwave lamps are great because the heat is instant. But they’re hungry. They put a lot of stress on your power supply. If you decide to go with a higher wattage than what you had before, just double-check your wiring and contactors. You don’t want to fry your electrical system. And a word of advice: don’t try to “overdrive” a 10mm lamp to get 12mm levels of heat. You’ll just burn out the filament and be right back where you started. We know that when a lamp blows, your entire production line grinds to a halt. That’s why we move fast on delivery. Just match your voltage and diameter, slot it in, and get back to work.