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VMI 3500
Online Manual
Unpacking & Repacking Your Unit
SAVE ALL PACKING MATERIALS. FAILURE TO USE PACKAGING DESIGNED FOR THIS UNIT WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE UNIT AND WILL VOID WARRANTY.
Parts that need to be saved are as follows:
- VMI 3500 Shipping Box
- Inside Foams (5 foams total)
- Outside Foam Top
- Outside Foam Bottom
- Bag
There is a $35.00 charge plus shipping for packing materials if they are discarded.
Lift the machine by using the carrying handle located on the top of the unit.
Remove internal shipping materials:
A Remove the back panel by turning the four thumb screws counter clockwise. Also remove the green tape from the machine.
B Remove both side panels. Using the door handle, remove the side panel by sliding the panel approximately one half inch away from the front of the unit. Pull the bottom of the panel away from the machine and slide the top of the panel out.
C The internal packing materials inside the unit that NEED to be removed are:
- Foam (1) between lift motor and back of buffing motor.
- Foam (2) above the buffing motor.
- Foam (3) in front of the buffing wheels.
- Foam (4) underneath the motor, left side.
- Foam (5) underneath the motor, right side.
- Tape on the inside of disc tray.
Be sure to SAVE ALL your foam pieces in the unlikely event that you have to ship your unit back to the manufacturer. There is a $35.00 charge plus shipping for packing materials if they are discarded.
Replace side panels and back panel:
A Slide the top of the panel upwards, keeping the back of the panel approximately one half inch away from the back of the machine. Firmly press in the bottom of the panel and using the handle or the back of the panel, slide the panel forward until the lip slides underneath the front panel. Note: Tilt unit on side for easier installation.
B Place the back panel onto the back of the unit. Using your fingers screw the four thumb screws into the unit until finger tight.
Important: Your unit will not turn on without all panels installed and screwed in tightly.
Plugging in and turning on power:
A Before plugging in the power cord, check that the tray is closed and that the ON/OFF button (back of unit) is in the OFF position. Make sure that all panels including the back panel are installed, or the unit will not turn on.
B Plug in the power cord.
C On back panel, turn the power switch on.
D Green light on the front panel should be illuminated indicating power is on.
Getting to Know Your Unit
Items & Features of Your Unit
CLEANER DISC Every 15 cycles the USE CLEANER DISC lights will flash. After the 16th cycle the lights will flash and a tone will sound indicating the need to use the cleaner disc. The tone will continue until a cleaning cycle has been completed. During the buffing process your wheels remove oil and dirt from the surface of your disc. This build up may cause your wheels to get dirty and stiff, which can result in damaged media and decreased wheel life. The VMI Cleaner Disc cleans and softens the wheels.
AC LIQUID is a unique formula developed by VenMill to accomplish a few tasks: prevent static charges during the buffing process, increase and control the heat during the buffing process resulting in an improved repair, condition the disc by restoring its optical clarity. If used properly, one bottle of AC Liquid should average approximately 750 repairs.
DEEP BUFF Prior to pressing “Start”, you have the option of pressing the “Deep Buff” button located in the lower center area of the front panel. The red light indicates that the process is selected. This option increases the cycle time to 60 seconds for moderate to deep scratches.
How to Use Your 3" Adapter
Match the label side of your 3 inch disc with the open side of your 3 inch adapter. Slide the disc into the 3 inner grooves making sure that the disc is firmly clipped in place. The optical side should be facing you.
WARNING: Do not insert the disc optical side down. Damage could incur.
Now insert your disc with adapter into your unit, disc optical side up. Now close the tray and run a repair cycle as normal.
Tray will open when cycle has finished and your 3 inch disc with adapter will need to be removed. Handle the disc only by the edges or center ring of disc.
How to Use Your Cleaner Disc
(See section under Standard Maintenance - “Maintaining Your Buffing Wheels”)
Modes of Operation
Regular: Start - 30 seconds
Deep Buff: Deep Buff Button - Start - 60 seconds
Emergency Stop: Press Start or Open while buffing process is running. Buffing process will stop immediately. Unit will sound (3) half second tones. When either of the 2 buttons are pushed the door will always open
Special Feature - Load Protection: If machine is left idle for more then 10 seconds and the Start button is pushed, then the loading tray will open. This is to protect against running the unit without a disc inserted in it.
Change Wheels Counter: The unit is pre-programmed for 2,500 operations before requiring wheel changes. When the unit has cleaned/repaired 2,400 discs you will hear a sequence of (5) one second tones after each complete cycle. This tone is to alert you to make sure to have a new set of wheels available for changing. After 2,500 repairs you will hear a continuous 15 second tone after the completion of each cleaning/repair. Continual use after reaching the 2,500 cleaning/repaired point will result in inadequate results. We recommend that you discontinue use until you have changed your wheels. (See “Standard Maintenance”)
Alerts & Warnings
Understanding the Tones of the Buffing Unit
(1) one second tone. This is a normal tone which indicates that a cycle has begun.
(3) half second tones. This is a normal tone which indicates that a cycle has been ended by an emergency stop by pressing the start or open button after the cycle has begun.
(10) one second tones. This is a normal tone which indicates that a minimum cleaning of the unit is required (See Standard Maintenance). After the unit has been cleaned normal operation should continue. If the tone continues, a full cleaning of the machine is recommended. If these steps are not successful, contact the technical support department.
(5) one second tones. This is a normal tone which indicates that the buff counter has logged 2400 cycles and the wheels should be changed soon. If the wheels are changed, reset the buff counter.
(1) fifteen second tone. This is a normal tone which indicates that the buff counter has reached 2500 cycles and the wheels should be changed. If the wheels are not changed, the repairs done will not be the best quality. It is recommended to change the wheels. If the wheels are changed, reset the buff counter.
What are the symptoms of a static problem? When are these likely to occur?
When a static charge is created in the machine, it can cause some problems. The charge will travel through the machine into the control boards, when extra voltage goes through a board it can cause the program to misfire, act irregular, or not respond at all. Usually this occurs when the temperature is hot and dry. With this climate change the buffing wheels tend to dry out. The buffing wheels then generate more static energy. To eliminate this issue it is wise to use more than normal amounts of AC liquid. Some signs of static are, but are not limited to:- Door will pop open during the cycle.
- The solenoid will chatter.
- The cycle will run abnormally long.
- The cycle will stop prematurely.
Disc Cleaner Alert Functions and Tones
A After 15 cycles, the LED’s on the top panel will flash, indicating the need to run a cleaning cycle on the next run.
B After 16 cycles, the LED’s on the top panel will flash and the siren alarm will sound. This will not shut down until a cleaning cycle has been run on a deep cycle. Note: This sequence will repeat every 16 cycles, unless power is turned off. Then the cleaner disc counter goes back to zero.
C It is recommended that regardless of how many cycles were run after the last cleaning cycle, the Cleaner Disc should be run as the last cycle of the day. This will ensure that the buffing wheels stay free of any over night buildup.
Quick Start
1. Once the VMI 3500 Buffing UnitTM has been turned on, press the “Open” button located at the top right hand side of the front panel.
2. Place the DVD/CD onto the platter, with LABEL SIDE OF DISC FACING DOWN.
3. Take the AC LiquidTM bottle with sponge applicator head, and place one dab North, South, East, and West - totaling 4 dabs and spread around. Be careful not to allow solution on clear area of disc or center area of loading tray. (IMPORTANT: Failure to use AC LiquidTM will cause the machine to operate erratically)
4. Close the tray door by firmly pushing in until locked.
5. Once you have chosen a regular or deep buff cycle then press the “Start” button on the front panel of the Buffing Unit. The blue LED will light up and the buffing process will begin it’s cycle. When the cycle has finished the tray door will open automatically.
6. When removing your repaired disc from the unit, make sure to handle by the edges of the disc so as not to get fingerprints or dirt on it.
Maintaining Your Buffing Wheels
The VMI 3500 will indicate when it is time to run a cleaning cycle for the buffing wheels. After 15 cycles the USE CLEANER DISC lights will flash indicating that after the next cycle the cleaner disc should be used. After the 16th cycle, the USE CLEANER DISC lights will flash, and the unit will sound a tone, indicating that a cleaning cycle should be run. The unit will continue to tone until a cleaning cycle has been run.
A Take your VMI Cleaner Disc and place the label side down onto loading tray.
B Close the loading tray, and select “Deep Buff”.
C Press “Start” to initiate the deep buff.
Once the cycle is completed and the VMI cleaner disc is removed, you may proceed with cleaning/repairing your discs.
IMPORTANT: If the VMITM Cleaner Disc is not run every 16 cycles, build up will occur, resulting in out of control spinning of your media. Also dirty buffing wheels will mark and damage your discs. You will know that the disc is spinning out of control by hearing a high pitch squeaking or grinding noise. This may cause damage to the unit, wheels, and/or your media. If this happens immediately stop process by pressing either the “Start” or “Open” button on the machine which will initiate an emergency stop. Then run your Cleaner Disc. Please refer to the FAQ section for further information.
Cleaning Your Cleaner Disc
The VMI Cleaner Disc must be maintained on a regular basis. You can identify that the Cleaner Disc needs cleaning, by seeing a heavy buildup on the surface.
A Use a glass cleaner on the surface of the Cleaner Disc, and let it sit for one minute.
B Using a paper towel, wipe the buildup off the disc. Start from the center and work your way out. You may also use a wire or plastic bristle brush to clean your Cleaner Disc. Make sure the Cleaner Disc is dry before use.
Another option is to use a metal or plastic bristle brush to scrub the surface.
Cleaning Your Rubber Platter
A Take any window cleaner and spray the platter.
B Let it sit for a minute, then wipe the platter until it is dry.
Note: It is important that you do this regularly to prevent discs from spinning out of control during the buffing process.
If the discs continue to squeal or squeak and are breaking, change out the rubber platter.
Replacing Your Rubber Platter
A Open the loading tray, and peel away existing rubber platter.
Note: If you are having trouble removing all the rubber adhesive, you can use a scraper. Make sure all the adhesive backing has been extracted. The surface may now be sticky. This can be cleared away with nail polish remover if desired, but is not required.
B Remove protective backing from the new rubber platter.
C Place the new rubber platter centered on the loading tray.
Replacing Your Buffing Wheels
A Disconnect the power and remove the back side panels.
B Locate the buffing motor. On the front of the motor is a knob which holds the buffing wheels to the motor.
C Turn the knob counter clockwise.
Note: If the knob will not budge, take a large flat head screwdriver and place it in the slot located behind the blue buffing wheel in the metal ring (lip)*. Hold the shaft stationary with the screwdriver and turn the knob.
D Remove the knob, the buffing wheels, and the rubber grommets
E Take the new set of buffing wheels and first place the blue buffing wheel on the spindle, then install a rubber grommet.
F Next place the red buffing wheel on the spindle, then install the last rubber grommet.
G Place the final buffing wheel (yellow) on the spindle.
H Lastly install the comfort knob on to the shaft of the motor. Make sure the raised side is facing the buffing wheels and the flat side is facing the front of the machine.
I Install the side panels and the back panel.
J Turn on the power and reset the buffing counter.
IMPORTANT: You need to reset the buff counter by holding the start button as you turn the unit ON using the switch on the back panel. Hold the start switch down until unit sounds three tones. If tray opens restart process.
* Finding the slot to place the flat head screw drive can be a little difficult. On the buffing motor spindle there is a front and a back. The front of the spindle has the threading for the comfort knob. The back of the spindle has the metal ring or lip with the two slot placements in it. When the buffing wheels are on the spindle with the comfort knob, it is hard to see this ring with the slots. To find the ring locate the buffing wheel closest to the buffing motor (this should be the blue colored wheel). Pull back the buffing wheel with your hand. The ring is the first thing behind the buffing wheel. If need be turn the motor shaft until one of the slots is seen.
Cleaning the Inside of Your Unit
Light Cleaning (recommended weekly)
A Hit the open button to release the tray system.
B Remove the tray system from the machine. Pull firmly until tray is completely out of the unit.
C Turn off power!
D Remove any dust or debris from the machine.
Note: Use canned air, a vacuum, or even by hand.
E Check back of the tray system and clean it off. Make sure that contacts are free from debris.
F Install the tray system and turn on power.
Heavy Cleaning (recommended monthly)
A Hit the open button to release and turn off power.
B Remove the tray system.
C Remove the back panel and the side panels.
D Remove any dust or debris from the machine.
Note Use canned air, a vacuum, or even by hand.
E Check back of the tray system and clean it off. Make sure that contacts are free from debris.
F Install the tray system.
G Re-install the back and side panels.
H Close the tray and turn on the power.
Note: A minimum cleaning of unit must be done when the unit sounds 10 tones. A full cleaning should be done at least at every pad change, and is recommended after periods of heavy use.
If the unit runs about a hundred or less cycles a week, a light cleaning should be performed weekly with a heavy cleaning once a month. If a couple hundred or more discs are repaired a week or even a day, a light cleaning should be performed every day with a heavy cleaning once a week.
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