[the1toyplace]

I bought a poly tite vacuum former 4 years ago. We recently moved and we are having trouble getting the machine to run again.

During the move we broke 3 of the heating elements. The heating elements are glass tubes with a metal ribbon wrapped around the glass tubes with metal caps. We bought new glass tubes and slide the glass tube in between the metal ribbon and connected the metal caps.

When we start the heating element, it will only get warm. Usually when we turned on the heating elements they would glow red, however it now only get hot.

I have opened the machine and all the connections look good. However, it will occasionally spark now.

My operation is dead in the water. Would appreciate any advice.

Al is helping me rewire a 2nd machine. I am just waiting on the parts.

Let me know if you guys need to see a picture of the poly tite machine.

[Al_The_Man]

Try connecting one of the elements directly across the power supply (240AC?) and see if it heats correctly, if not there are two things it can be, either insufficient voltage for this element or the wattage rating of the heater is incorrect.
Where are you getting the spark from?
Al.

[the1toyplace]

There is a label and the voltage is 220 and underneath it says 110. I tried a 30amp, 50 amp and 60 amp breaker. I have it hard wired into the electrical box. . It is difficult to remove the glass tubes. I will try removing them. I am attaching a picture of the topside of the heating element wiring.

If you are looking at the picture the spark is in the backside on the left hand side looking at the picture. .

This machine is set up to do skin package and vacuum forming. When the skin setting is on, the heat is a lot lower temp. However I do not have it set on skin package. Do you think it would be possible for the switch to go out and be stuck?

[the1toyplace]

I forgot to mention this. I had a friend help me re wire the machine to the breaker box. We didn't change anything in the machine, only connected it to the breaker box. We originally could not get it to run. We re-sodder connection and that was about it. The machine had three wire coming from it: black, red and green. First we had the black connected to black, red connected to white and green connected to the copper wire. It would run.

We decided to switch and tried black connected to red and white connected to black and green connected to copper. The machine started right up.

Did we do something incorrect with wiring? Did we mess something up in the breaker box?

[Al_The_Man]

The best way is a methodical check using a volt meter at the crucial points.
The only spark, if any, I would only expect from the contactor contacts, nowhere else?
If there is 240v at any element, that is all you can do, it is then a case of wrong voltage for the element or the wrong wattage value it is made for.
Al.

[the1toyplace]

I was watching some YouTube videos about 220. My machine says single phase 220/110. I did not wire the machine for 220. I can't figure out if I need to. Any suggestions?

[Al_The_Man]

I have been on the understanding from the beginning that your machine was 240 3phase, so if you run it on 1ph 120 and not 240v then of course the heaters are only going to be 50%.
I took it you had just changed from 3ph 240 to 1ph 240!!
The 120 is for the control circuit.
Al.

[the1toyplace]

I probably didn't make myself clear. I have two machines. One of my machines is 3 phase. I am still waiting on the parts for this one.

My second machine is a single phase. I did get it working today. However, I am still having a little bit of trouble on the heating elements. Everything is heating up like it should be. Except, sometimes a couple are not coming on in between forming. I will draw a picture of how they are connected and maybe you can give me some advice.

Sorry for the confessions.

[rugburn]

Sounds like you have tubular quartz elements in these ovens.

TEMPCO - INFRA-RED RADIANT HEATERS


how about these????

john