Anyone else having IR Cure trouble?

[hammerhead]

I can't get a consistant reading with the IR no-touch thermometer from Eastwood, using the 10" Curing lamp.
I've tried every angle i can think of.

REALLY, REALLY inconsistant readings, which is leading to burned parts or questionable cures.

Are these IR systems useless, since the thermometers can't be consistant on shiny surfaces, which IRONICALLY, are the types of surfaces we're trying to create?

Frustrated,
Christopher.

[Peter K]

I can't get a consistant reading with the IR no-touch thermometer from Eastwood, using the 10" Curing lamp.
I've tried every angle i can think of.

REALLY, REALLY inconsistant readings, which is leading to burned parts or questionable cures.

Are these IR systems useless, since the thermometers can't be consistant on shiny surfaces, which IRONICALLY, are the types of surfaces we're trying to create?

Frustrated,
Christopher.

Hi Christopher,

I'm sorry to hear you are having trouble with the IR thermometer. PM me your name and address and I'll have customer service contact you regarding a replacement or refund.

If anyone else has had a problem with this item, please let me know. Hopefully the problem Christopher is having is isolated to a single unit and is not indictive of a design flaw.

Thanks,

Peter

[hammerhead]

Peter,
First: Thank you VERY much for replying and for offering to stand behind your product. THat means a lot. I really like doing business with you.

Second: I don't believe there's anything wrong with my IR thermometer itself and here's why.

1. I got two of them when i started up. One with the 10" IR cure lamp and one with the 30". Both exhibit the same phenomenon.
2. In my frustration with not getting consistent accurate readings, i placed a normal bulb thermometer at room temp, nearby, but out of the IR cure zone.
3. I "shoot" the bulb therm with the IR therm. IR agrees with bulb, within 1 degree, so i know the IR therm is working ok.
4. I insert the IR therm between the IR Cure and the part for no more than 2 seconds. Reading is erratic at best, varying over the 10" the part is being lit, by as much as 100 degrees on the gauge.
5. Re-shooting my calibration bulb therm, shows that the IR therm reading is now off by PLUS 5 degrees (IR is reading temp too high).
6. Repeated checks of IR CURE temp will cause the IR therm to read as much as 15 degrees too high, compared to my calibration therm.
7. I notice that the plastic of the IR therm gets hot VERY quickly, when exposed to the curing lamp, in front.
8. If i let the IR therm completely cool down, it returns to accurate readings, agreeing with the bulb therm again.
9. I use both IR therms in rotation because of this, but am still struggling with temp.
10. I know the TGIC flows out at anywhere from 150 - 275 degrees F, which isn't enough to cure, so i can't just go by that.
11. Using the IR Thermometer OUTSIDE the rays of the cure lamp isn't much better, or even worse, due to spread of beam pattern.

Best i can figure is the IR Cure lamp's infrared is interfering with and reaking havoc on the thermometer's ability to register.

That and the fact that the thermometer's own manual says it has trouble with shiny surfaces. Well, hell!! Isn't that what we're all trying to attain.

So i'm left with a best guess approach and watching for visual signs of powder burn, which is not very satisfying.

I'm hoping to hear from other IR system users to see if i'm the only one, or if i need to adjust my technique.

Thanks again for your support.

[Peter K]

Thanks for the details. I'll forward this over to our QA guys. While they are taking a look at the item, I'm going to pull it off the web.

Peter