Sibert follow-up: USD 250k budget, current VS specs, OMS as galvanics option

Ian Locke's email of 5 October 2026 after Making Vinyl Europe:

- Budget of USD 250k for VSP, VSF and VSC confirmed; his time, spares,
  shipping and travel extra; itemised quotation on request. The
  total-investment block keeps its estimate until the re-base, the
  difference (+190k low case / +80k high case) goes into the
  not-yet-rolled-up table.
- Current specifications filed (VSF and VSC 2022, VSP 2023) plus the
  VSF/VSP/VSC line-up drawing (4958 x 833 mm); the 2021 issues move to
  sibert/specs-2021/. VSC is now 1000 kg with split OD hydraulic / ID
  pneumatic forming; VSF 0-30 psi, 4-station head. Crane table, supplier
  map, vendor landscape and the plant page details updated.
- Fully automatic VSPa exists; Sibert offers to move features to the VSP.
- Electroforming: OMS (Optical Media Services, Lou Wullms) named next to
  Pheenix; added as a third galvanics candidate with open questions.
- Sequencing advice (presses, boilers, operators and live feedback loops
  first) recorded in the exhibitor briefing, roadmap item 23, and as
  digital-factory design decision 9 (operators see the data first).

docs/crane-workshop-tours.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ is an estimate.
 | Newbilt extruder | 660 kg | same |
 | Newbilt hydraulic aggregate (250 L tank, 50 L accumulator) | 600 kg | same, plus the [budgetary offer](equipment/newbilt/) |
 | Pheenix AD12 automated press | **unknown**, ask Pheenix | not in any document yet |
-| Sibert VSP punch / VSF finisher / VSC coiner | 200 / 250 / 600 kg, on castors | [Sibert specifications](equipment/sibert/) (2021) |
+| Sibert VSP punch / VSF finisher / VSC coiner | 200 / 250 / 1,000 kg; VSP and VSF on castors, the VSC sheet lists none, so it is a lift | [Sibert specifications](equipment/sibert/) (2022 and 2023) |
 | Pheenix plating units (PPPU, PDPU), silvering unit, prep bench | unknown: dimensions published, weights not; each plating unit carries a 385 L tank, lifted empty | [Pheenix flyers](equipment/pheenix-alpha/), [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md); ask with the quote |
 | Water-treatment evaporator | unknown, lifted empty | to be asked with the quote |
 

docs/digital-factory.md

@@ -99,6 +99,14 @@ TODO list or small extensions to existing modules):
    QC and traceability need is on site. A WAN outage stops only the
    customer portal, off-site backup, fleet monitoring and remote support,
    and all four catch up when it returns.
+9. **Operators see the data first.** Every live value the platform
+   collects is shown at the station where it can change the next cycle
+   (the press-side kiosk with cycle values against the recipe band, the
+   inspection reject reasons, the stamper's play count) before it is
+   rolled up into reports. Sibert's advice after Haarlem was exactly this:
+   live feedback loops that the staff use to improve production, rather
+   than only for management reporting, decide whether a plant succeeds
+   ([exhibitor briefing](suppliers/making-vinyl-europe-2026-exhibitors.md#after-the-show)).
 
 ## The systems on one page
 
@@ -446,9 +454,10 @@ production data.
 
 ### What produces no telemetry
 
-The Sibert stamper-prep machines (their 2021 specifications list no data
-or network interface; Sibert's 2009 optical-disc punch offered barcode and
-LAN options, so ask) and the shrink wrapper produce no machine data, and neither does the mastering chain on the Agnew route. They get
+The Sibert stamper-prep machines (their current specifications, 2022 and
+2023, list no data or network interface; Sibert's 2009 optical-disc punch
+offered barcode and LAN options, and Sibert offered to carry features of
+its fully automatic VSPa punch across to the VSP, so ask) and the shrink wrapper produce no machine data, and neither does the mastering chain on the Agnew route. They get
 station check-ins: who, when, which part, which parameters, with files
 attached (cutting parameters, DAW session export). The room environment
 around them is logged by the sensors above.
@@ -644,7 +653,8 @@ To go into every RFQ that leaves from [roadmap](roadmap.md) items 4 to 8:
 5. **Galvanics (Digital Matrix, Pheenix Alpha)**: what the rectifiers,
    control rings and PLCs expose, and how; Modbus preferred; remote support
    through our mesh, no vendor cloud. **Sibert**: whether the VS machines
-   can take a stamper serial in and write the centring result out.
+   can take a stamper serial in and write the centring result out, and
+   which features of the fully automatic VSPa can move to the VSP.
 6. **Metrology (Keyence Thailand)**: confirmed CSV/3D export paths and
    whether the instrument software can write to a network share unattended.
 7. **Vision integrator**: result string format, image push over SFTP,

docs/equipment/galvanics.md

@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ the presses.
 Sources are vendor datasheets filed with the Making Vinyl Europe 2026
 material in October 2026: Pheenix Alpha's electroforming range (four flyers
 dated September 2024, in [`pheenix-alpha/`](pheenix-alpha/)) and Sibert's
-vinyl stamper prep line (technical specifications dated April 2021, in
-[`sibert/`](sibert/)), plus Sibert's 2008 to 2009 optical-disc literature
-(below). Every figure here is vendor-published, not quoted, and no document
-carries a price. Digital Matrix / Plating Power stays the comparison; its
-datasheets are not in the repo yet (see the
+vinyl stamper prep line (the current technical specifications and a
+line-up drawing, sent by Sibert's Ian Locke on 5 October 2026, in
+[`sibert/`](sibert/); the April 2021 issues they replace are in
+[`sibert/specs-2021/`](sibert/specs-2021/)), plus Sibert's 2008 to 2009
+optical-disc literature (below). Every figure here is vendor-published, not
+quoted; the only price is Sibert's budget confirmation by email (below).
+Digital Matrix / Plating Power stays the comparison; its datasheets are not
+in the repo yet (see the
 [vendor landscape](../suppliers/vendor-landscape.md)).
 
 ## Electroforming: the Pheenix Alpha range
@@ -102,6 +105,33 @@ What this changes in the plan:
   no vendor cloud. The maintenance alerts are the bath events the
   galvanics record in [traceability](../traceability.md) needs anyway.
 
+### A third candidate: Optical Media Services (OMS)
+
+Asked after the show which electroforming route he would take, Sibert's
+Ian Locke named two (email, 5 October 2026): **OMS through Lou Wullms**, "a
+long-standing industry colleague who makes good equipment" and very
+familiar with the Asian market, or **Pheenix** for a full turnkey package
+with long international experience, electroforming systems and presses
+together (he calls Pheenix the de facto standard for vinyl presses
+worldwide; his view, not a market figure).
+
+OMS is Optical Media Services B.V. in Baarlo, Netherlands, established
+1996 (vinyl-pressing-plants.com directory and Lou Wullms' own profile): an
+independent vinyl stamper service from lacquers and DMMs that also builds
+and refurbishes vinyl electroforming equipment, including conversions of
+CD/DVD electroforming lines to 14" vinyl. The same directory gives
+Newbilt's equipment page as OMS's website, and that page announces new
+Newbilt electroplating equipment with the portfolio "presented here soon";
+whether OMS builds it is not confirmed, so ask both. No OMS datasheet or
+price is on file.
+
+What it adds: a third galvanics vendor next to Digital Matrix and Pheenix,
+named by a supplier who knows Lou Wullms and has installed equipment at
+Pheenix; a stamper service that could
+also serve as a European bridge supplier next to Stamper Discs; and, if
+the Newbilt link holds, a galvanics route that pairs with the Newbilt
+presses the way the Pheenix range pairs with the AD12.
+
 ### Cycle times and cell count
 
 Pheenix publishes no cycle times. Published practice from other plating
@@ -143,44 +173,76 @@ plant's thickness before this goes into a budget.
 
 ## Stamper prep: the Sibert VS line
 
-Sibert's three vinyl machines, from the 2021 technical specifications:
+Sibert's three vinyl machines, from the current technical specifications
+(VSF and VSC dated May 2022, VSP June 2023, by their file dates), sent by
+Ian Locke on 5 October 2026 together with a line-up drawing of the three
+(July 2023):
 
 | Machine | What it does | Specification figures |
 |---|---|---|
 | **VSP** Vinyl Stamper Punch | Punches the centre hole after optical centring on the groove | Punch and die M2 high-speed steel, Ø25.4 mm standard (other sizes available), ±0.002 mm; turntable Ø360 mm, 6 mm centring travel, ±0.0015 mm rotational accuracy; pneumatic automatic pre-centring, then manual fine centring; optics ×100, graticule 15 divisions at 0.10 mm, viewing diameter Ø90 to 110 mm (centres on the lead-out groove); pneumatic punch cylinder 100 mm bore, 50 mm stroke; 115 to 230 VAC single-phase, 250 VA; air 6 to 8 bar, 4.5 L/s during the punch stroke; 200 kg; spare punch and die on request |
-| **VSF** Vinyl Stamper Finisher | Automatic wet back-finishing with automatic stamper cleaning | Turntable Ø365 mm, vacuum plus mechanical quick-release clamping on moulded rubber mats, 150 to 1500 rpm; head pressure 0 to 50 psi, 150 to 1500 rpm, motorised traverse; 5-station quick-change disc head including a cleaning pad; abrasive grades P120 to P2500 (nine grades); closed water loop, 0.6 µm absolute or 5 µm nominal filtration plus a 10 µm bag in the tank; 115 to 230 VAC single-phase, 1200 VA; air 6 to 8 bar, 3.1 L/s; 250 kg |
-| **VSC** Vinyl Stamper Coiner | Forms the centre and the edge and sizes the outer diameter in one hydraulic operation, so no trimming | Modular die sets for 7", 10" and 12" with automatic loading, three tool stations in the machine; "quick change tooling to suit all vinyl moulds"; M2 forming tools; locates on a removable ID spigot with two height settings; hydraulic with safety interlocks; 115 to 230 VAC single-phase, 1 kVA; air 6 to 8 bar, 4.5 L/s during forming; 600 kg |
+| **VSF** Vinyl Stamper Finisher | Automatic wet back-finishing with automatic stamper cleaning | Turntable up to Ø362 mm, sized to the customer's stamper, vacuum plus mechanical quick-release clamping on moulded rubber mats, 150 to 1500 rpm; head pressure 0 to 30 psi, brushless DC head drive and traverse, 150 to 1500 rpm; 4-station quick-change disc head including a cleaning pad; abrasive grades P120 to P2500 (nine grades); closed water loop, 0.6 µm absolute or 5 µm nominal filtration plus a 10 µm bag in the tank; 115 to 230 VAC single-phase, 1200 VA; air 6 to 8 bar, 3.1 L/s; 250 kg |
+| **VSC** Vinyl Stamper Coiner | Fully automatic forming of the centre hole (ID) and the edge (OD), with the outer diameter punched to a preset size, so no trimming | Press of 40 mm structural steel plate and pillar box section on four hardened pillars and eight linear ball races; independent twin hydraulic OD forming and adjustable pneumatic ID forming; automatically interchangeable 7", 10" and 12" tooling carriages, up to three stations in the machine, loaded by ball rollers and a brushless DC lead screw; D2 and M2 high-speed steel tools, vacuum hardened three times, tempered and precision ground; removable precision-ground ID spigot with height and pressure adjustment; OD insert made to the customer's mould profile ("quick change tooling to suit all vinyl moulds"); 115 to 230 VAC single-phase, 1 kVA; air 6 to 8 bar, 4.5 L/s during forming; 1000 kg; about 2.0 × 0.8 × 1.6 m (width with the tool carriages × depth × height, from the sheet's render) |
 
-All three are aluminium frames on castors with levelling feet, guarded by
-5 mm cast acrylic, and ship with a pressure regulator and filter.
+All three have aluminium frames and 5 mm cast acrylic guarding and ship
+with a pressure regulator and filter. The VSP and VSF sheets list castors
+and levelling feet; the current VSC sheet does not.
+
+Against the 2021 sheets, the VSC is a heavier machine (1000 kg, was 600;
+40 mm plate, four pillars and eight ball races) with forming split into
+hydraulic OD and pneumatic ID; the VSF turntable is now sized to the
+stamper (up to 362 mm, was 365), its head pressure range is 0 to 30 psi
+(was 0 to 50), its drives are brushless and its disc head has four stations
+(was five); the VSP sheet changed only a typo.
 
 What this changes in the plan:
 
+- **Budget: USD 250k for all three.** Sibert confirmed by email (5 October
+  2026) that a budget of USD 250k covers "all 3 auto-machines"; Ian
+  Locke's own time, spare parts, shipping and travel come on top. This is a
+  budget confirmation, not a quote: Sibert offers a fully itemised
+  quotation once we go ahead. It sits above the 60k to 170k estimate in
+  [total investment](../finance/total-investment.md), which carries the
+  difference in its not-yet-rolled-up table until the next re-base.
 - **Single-phase power.** All three run on 115 to 230 VAC, 50/60 Hz, ~2.5
   kVA together, so the three-phase question from the
   [Haarlem briefing](../suppliers/making-vinyl-europe-2026-exhibitors.md)
   falls away. Each needs 6 to 8 bar compressed air at ½" BSP minimum, so
   the air network has to reach the stamper prep room.
-- **Weights 200, 250 and 600 kg**, on castors: pallet-truck moves, not
-  crane lifts ([crane table](../crane-workshop-tours.md) updated).
+- **Weights 200, 250 and 1000 kg.** The VSP and VSF stand on castors:
+  pallet-truck moves. The VSC weighs a tonne and its sheet lists no
+  castors, so it is a crane or forklift lift; stamper prep is under the
+  crane runway ([crane table](../crane-workshop-tours.md) updated).
+- **Line-up: 4958 × 833 mm.** Sibert's drawing sets the machines in a row,
+  VSF, VSP, VSC, 500 mm apart: 4.96 m long overall and 0.83 m deep. With an
+  operator aisle in front and access at the ends, the line needs a strip of
+  roughly 6 × 2.5 m (estimate) in the stamper prep room, before stamper
+  racks and the inspection bench.
 - **Order of operations: finish, punch, coin.** Gotta Groove's
   Electromastering Lab in Cleveland, which runs a Sibert VSF and VSP,
   back-sands first, then centres and punches on the VSP, then trims and
   coins the edge and forms the centre hole for the press type
   (recordplating.com). The VSC locates on the punched hole, which fits the
-  same order. The [process flow](../process-flow.md)'s "punch, back-finish,
-  coin" names the operations, not their sequence.
+  same order, and Sibert's line-up drawing places the machines in it. The
+  [process flow](../process-flow.md)'s "punch, back-finish, coin" names
+  the operations, not their sequence.
 - **Centring is manual.** The VSP pre-centres pneumatically, then the
   operator centres the lead-out groove under ×100 optics against the
   graticule. Concentricity depends on the operator, so the stage 5 check
   stays, and it is the measurement most worth automating. Sibert's 2009
   optical-disc punch offered automatic centring with a measured centring
   value, a barcode reader for the stamper card and a LAN connection as
-  options; the VS sheets list none of these. Ask whether the VS line takes
-  them: the answer decides whether stamper prep stays a manual check-in
-  station in the [digital factory](../digital-factory.md).
+  options; the VS sheets list none of these. Sibert also builds a fully
+  automatic punch, the **VSPa**; Ian Locke thinks it may not be right for
+  this application and offered to discuss it, or to carry some of its
+  features across to the VSP as a special exception. Which features
+  (automatic centring, a measured centring value written out against a
+  stamper serial) is the question to settle before the quotation: the
+  answer decides whether stamper prep stays a manual check-in station in
+  the [digital factory](../digital-factory.md).
 - **Mould fit.** The standard punch is Ø25.4 mm, other sizes on request,
-  and the VSC claims tooling for every vinyl mould. Gotta Groove keeps nine
+  and the VSC makes its OD insert to each customer mould profile, with
+  interchangeable ID spigots. Gotta Groove keeps nine
   centre-hole forming tools to fit the presses its customers run, which
   shows the scale of the question. Which centre hole and
   edge form each mould needs (Newbilt book mould, Pheenix/Toolex, M-Tech)
@@ -202,7 +264,9 @@ What this changes in the plan:
   on request) and a UK freight leg per service. In 2009 Sibert also had a
   Singapore branch; ask whether regional service still exists. The
   certificate's fields are a ready list for the stamper prep record in
-  [traceability](../traceability.md).
+  [traceability](../traceability.md). Installation and training are not in
+  the budget: Ian Locke's time and travel are charged on top, so they are
+  a quote line of their own.
 
 ## Optical-disc reference material
 
@@ -243,12 +307,18 @@ goes ahead.
   thickness; PLC protocol and tag list; DI water quality; which
   water-treatment partner its customers use; reference plants running the
   range.
-- **Sibert**: prices and lead time for VSP, VSF and VSC; tooling sets per
-  mould type and their cost; automatic centring, barcode and network
-  options on the VS line; punch-and-die service from Thailand (UK works or
-  a regional partner); the roughness the VSF reaches; what it installed at
-  Pheenix in January 2025, and whether Pheenix sells Sibert machines with
-  its line.
+- **Sibert**: the itemised quotation against the confirmed USD 250k
+  budget, with Ian Locke's time, spare parts, shipping and travel priced,
+  and lead time; tooling sets per mould type and their cost; which VSPa
+  features can move to the VSP (automatic centring, a measured centring
+  value, barcode and network); punch-and-die service from Thailand (UK
+  works or a regional partner); the roughness the VSF reaches; crated
+  sizes and weights (the VSC is now 1 t); what it installed at Pheenix in
+  January 2025, and whether Pheenix sells Sibert machines with its line.
+- **OMS (Optical Media Services)**: equipment range and datasheets, a
+  budget for one line next to Pheenix and Digital Matrix, installations and
+  service in Asia, stamper service prices and turnaround, and whether it
+  builds the electroplating equipment Newbilt announces.
 - **Press vendors** (Newbilt, Pheenix, M-Tech): the stamper centre hole and
   edge form each mould expects, so the punch size and coiner tooling can be
   ordered to match ([pressing line](pressing-line.md)).
@@ -259,9 +329,14 @@ goes ahead.
   (September 2024; renamed from their download names). The flyers give
   Pheenix Alpha AB's address as Skepptuna, Märsta, Sweden;
   info@pheenixalpha.com, helpdesk@pheenixalpha.com.
-- [`sibert/`](sibert/): VSP, VSF and VSC technical specifications (April
-  2021). Sibert Instruments Ltd, Alton, Hampshire, UK;
-  sales@sibert.co.uk.
+- [`sibert/`](sibert/): VSF and VSC technical specifications (May 2022),
+  VSP technical specification (June 2023) and the VSF/VSP/VSC line-up
+  drawing (July 2023), attached to Ian Locke's email of 5 October 2026;
+  the April 2021 issues they replace are in
+  [`sibert/specs-2021/`](sibert/specs-2021/). Sibert Instruments Ltd,
+  Medstead, Hampshire, UK, by the email signature (the specification
+  sheets still carry the older Alton address); sales@sibert.co.uk,
+  ian.locke@sibert.co.uk.
 - [`sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/`](sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/): SPS
   punching and finishing literature (2008 to 2009), the punch-and-die
   return form, and the Blu-ray stamper characteristics paper (2008).

docs/finance/total-investment.md

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ July 2026; the underlying THB estimates are unchanged, because EUR/THB at
 | 2 automated presses (Pheenix AD12) | 580k – 920k | 19.1M – 30.5M | unverified ~USD 340k/press indicative + delivery and commissioning |
 | Galvanics line (Digital Matrix or Pheenix Alpha) | 320k – 650k | 10.7M – 21.4M | six-figure-USD turnkey inference from vendor research; the Pheenix range (2024 flyers, [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)) is unpriced too |
 | Zero-discharge water treatment (ZLD) | 90k – 240k | 3.0M – 8.0M | utilities CSV option row |
-| Stamper prep (Sibert VSP, VSF, VSC) | 60k – 170k | 1.9M – 5.7M | estimate, pricing unpublished (2021 specifications on file) |
+| Stamper prep (Sibert VSP, VSF, VSC) | 60k – 170k | 1.9M – 5.7M | estimate kept until the re-base; Sibert has since confirmed USD 250k for the three (its time, spares, shipping and travel extra), the difference is in the table below |
 | Mastering and cutting room (Agnew or Sillitoe lathe system, cutter amps, console, room treatment) | 290k – 580k | 9.6M – 19.1M | estimate, bespoke market; the Sillitoe SDMS lists at USD 125k for lathe, head, amplifier and automation (ex tax, shipping), which makes the low end reachable; band kept until both quotes exist |
 | Metrology and QC stack (confocal, profiler, XRF, inline vision, audio station) | 350k – 810k | 11.5M – 26.7M | estimate, phaseable |
 | Utilities, solar, HVAC, racking baseline | 730k – 1,270k | 24.0M – 41.6M | reviewed [utilities CSV](utilities-investment.csv), THB-native |
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@ July 2026; the underlying THB estimates are unchanged, because EUR/THB at
 
 ### Added scope, not yet in the roll-up
 
-Decided after the roll-up above was compiled; carried here as estimates
-until the next re-base folds them into the blocks (the building and
-software lines, and the contingency on top).
+Decided, or re-priced by a vendor, after the roll-up above was compiled;
+carried here until the next re-base folds them into the blocks (the
+building, software and stamper prep lines, and the contingency on top).
 
 | Block | USD | THB | Basis |
 |---|---|---|---|
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ software lines, and the contingency on top).
 | Visitor corridor and accessible entrance | 67k – 148k | 2.2M – 4.9M | estimate, same |
 | Artist platform, public side (calculator, campaigns, payments) | 40k – 90k | 1.3M – 3.0M | estimate, [artist platform](../artist-platform.md) |
 | PVC material lab, day-one tier (incl. plaque press and sample conditioning) | 55k – 150k | 1.8M – 5.0M | estimate, [quality automation](../quality-automation.md); not costed in the metrology block above. The mature tier (torque rheometer, DSC, FTIR, ~120k – 240k) is deferred, with partner labs in between |
-| **Added so far** | **~290k – 690k** | **~9.5M – 22.9M** | about 7 to 9% on the full-vision subtotal |
+| Stamper prep re-priced: USD 250k for VSP, VSF and VSC against the 60k – 170k block above | +190k (low case) / +80k (high case) | +6.3M / +2.6M | Sibert's budget confirmation, email of 5 October 2026 ([galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)); itemised quotation to follow. Its time, spare parts, shipping and travel are extra and fall into the freight/installation and spares blocks above |
+| **Added so far** | **~480k – 770k** | **~15.8M – 25.5M** | about 10 to 12% on the full-vision subtotal |
 
 ## Phased entry
 

docs/plant-operation.html

@@ -841,9 +841,9 @@ const DETAILS={
  pdpu:{t:'4c · PDPU dual plating unit (Pheenix Alpha)',w:'Production electroforming: father on the pre-plated lacquer, mother on the father, stampers on the mother. Each cell has its own rotating cathode and digitally controlled rectifier; the current ramps up and the part grows to its thickness. The simulation deposits nickel by Faraday\'s law (1.095 g per ampere-hour at ~97 % efficiency, ~9.6 dm² for a Ø350 mm part), so the times follow from the current: father 0.25 mm in ~1 h 15 min on a slow ramp to 185 A, mother 0.25 mm in ~1 h and stamper 0.20 mm in ~50 min at 200 A. Loading takes 5 min, rinsing and unloading 10 min per part. A part that finishes after the shift waits in the cell until morning.',c:['Current, voltage and ampere-hours per cell (PLC with network access)','Bath temperature, filters, nickel top-up and anode basket alerts','Extraction interlock: no extraction, no plating'],f:['Up to 15 VDC and 200 A per cell, 40 L per cell, 385 L tank, parts up to Ø355 mm, cooling water 12 to 20 °C at 10 L/min (2024 flyer)','Published practice: father ~1 h 15 min, mother 1 to 1¼ h, stamper ~45 min (galvanics.md)','One PDPU covers full-capacity demand (20 to 32 parts a day); the second buys redundancy rather than capacity','Bath at 55 °C on screen is an estimate']},
  pmpb:{t:'4d · PMPB preparation bench (Pheenix Alpha)',w:'Between generations the new part is separated, cleaned, passivated anodically so the next generation will part from it, and spun dry. The lacquer is consumed when the father comes off; in 3-step plating the father, and later the mother, go to the archive.',c:['Passivation logged per part','Rinse water to treatment, never the drain'],f:['~10 to 15 min per part (estimate)','Spin table up to 120 rpm, DI water G3/4", single-phase 10 A (2024 flyer)']},
  qc:{t:'4e · Part QC: XRF and mother listening',w:'Every father, mother and stamper gets an XRF thickness reading against its serial; every mother is played before stampers are grown from it, since the mother is the playable positive.',c:['XRF nickel thickness per part, 0.2 to 0.3 mm','Mother listening check'],f:['~3 min per XRF reading, ~25 min for a mother with listening (estimates)']},
- vsf:{t:'5a · VSF back-finish (Sibert)',w:'The stamper back is wet-sanded through a sequence of abrasive grades and cleaned, so it seats evenly on the mould and no back-side defect presses through. First of the three Sibert steps: finish, punch, coin (the order Gotta Groove runs its Sibert machines in).',c:['Back visual check','Closed water loop with filtration; the nickel-bearing water goes to treatment'],f:['~5 to 10 min (estimate; Sibert publishes none), 8 min here','P120 to P2500 in nine grades, 5-station disc head, 150 to 1500 rpm, 1200 VA, 250 kg (2021 spec)']},
- vsp:{t:'5b · VSP centre punch (Sibert)',w:'After a pneumatic pre-centring the operator centres the lead-out groove, the one true circle on the stamper, under ×100 optics; then the punch cuts the centre hole. An off-centre hole makes every record wow, so concentricity is the critical stamper check, logged per stamper.',c:['Concentricity of hole to groove per stamper','Hardness on the punched centre slug (quality-automation.md)','Punch-and-die shot count against the service interval'],f:['~3 to 5 min (estimate), 4 min here','Ø25.4 mm punch standard, ±0.002 mm, turntable ±0.0015 mm, 250 VA, 200 kg (2021 spec)']},
- vsc:{t:'5c · VSC coiner (Sibert)',w:'One hydraulic operation forms the centre and the edge and sizes the outside diameter for the press mould, so no trimming is needed. It locates on the punched hole, which is why it comes last.',c:['Fit against the mould type'],f:['~1 to 2 min (estimate), 2 min here','7", 10" and 12" die sets, three tool stations, 1 kVA, 600 kg (2021 spec)','Tooling per mould type is a quote line']},
+ vsf:{t:'5a · VSF back-finish (Sibert)',w:'The stamper back is wet-sanded through a sequence of abrasive grades and cleaned, so it seats evenly on the mould and no back-side defect presses through. First of the three Sibert steps: finish, punch, coin (the order Gotta Groove runs its Sibert machines in).',c:['Back visual check','Closed water loop with filtration; the nickel-bearing water goes to treatment'],f:['~5 to 10 min (estimate; Sibert publishes none), 8 min here','P120 to P2500 in nine grades, 4-station disc head, 150 to 1500 rpm, 1200 VA, 250 kg (2022 spec)']},
+ vsp:{t:'5b · VSP centre punch (Sibert)',w:'After a pneumatic pre-centring the operator centres the lead-out groove, the one true circle on the stamper, under ×100 optics; then the punch cuts the centre hole. An off-centre hole makes every record wow, so concentricity is the critical stamper check, logged per stamper.',c:['Concentricity of hole to groove per stamper','Hardness on the punched centre slug (quality-automation.md)','Punch-and-die shot count against the service interval'],f:['~3 to 5 min (estimate), 4 min here','Ø25.4 mm punch standard, ±0.002 mm, turntable ±0.0015 mm, 250 VA, 200 kg (2023 spec)']},
+ vsc:{t:'5c · VSC coiner (Sibert)',w:'Forms the centre hole (pneumatic) and the edge (hydraulic) and punches the outside diameter to a preset size for the press mould, fully automatically, so no trimming is needed. It locates on the punched hole, which is why it comes last.',c:['Fit against the mould type'],f:['~1 to 2 min (estimate), 2 min here','7", 10" and 12" tooling carriages, up to three stations, 1 kVA, 1000 kg, about 2.0 × 0.8 × 1.6 m (2022 spec)','Tooling per mould type is a quote line; USD 250k budget for the three Sibert machines confirmed']},
  archive:{t:'Father and mother archive',w:'3-step plating keeps the father and the mother of every side. A repress, or a stamper set that wears out before its run is done, pulls a fresh stamper from the archived mother: no lacquer, no artist gates. Press Repress to watch that path.',c:['Storage conditions and genealogy per the traceability spec','Retention policy to be stated in the customer contract'],f:['Repress ~7 to 11 working days door to door (production timeline)']},
  rack:{t:'Stamper rack',w:'Press-ready stamper sets (A and B side). A title gets one set per ~1,500 records, since stampers last 1,000 to 2,000 pressings; a set that wears out early triggers a fresh one from the mothers. A new title\'s first set goes to a press for 10 test pressings, then waits here while the artist listens (gate 3), and the press runs other approved titles meanwhile.',c:['Set identity and pressing count travel with the stampers'],f:['Test pressings with the artist 5 to 15 days at gate 3 (production timeline)']},
  silo_v:{t:'Virgin black compound',w:'Record-grade compound, classically a vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer. A lot reaches the silo only after the material lab releases it, and its ID attaches to every record pressed from it. A new lot is ordered when the silo falls below a quarter.',c:['Certificate of analysis per lot','Retained sample per lot'],f:['Qualifying Thai and regional compound is an explicit goal']},

docs/roadmap.md

@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ These three run in parallel and gate everything downstream:
    the semi-auto half
 6. **Galvanics quotes**: Digital Matrix, and Pheenix Alpha in the same
    conversation as item 5 (it builds the electroforming line too), plus
-   Sibert prices for the stamper prep machines; equipment data in
+   OMS (Optical Media Services), named by Sibert as the alternative to a
+   Pheenix turnkey line, and Sibert's itemised quotation for the stamper
+   prep machines (a USD 250k budget for all three is confirmed, its time,
+   spares, shipping and travel extra); equipment data in
    [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md). In parallel,
    identify the separate water-treatment vendor for the zero-discharge
    system
@@ -122,7 +125,12 @@ These three run in parallel and gate everything downstream:
     evidence says the domestic bottleneck is imported metalwork, not press
     capacity, and that a galvanics line could earn from the incumbent's
     spare presses before CNX's own press hall exists — see the
-    [revenue model](finance/revenue-model.md)
+    [revenue model](finance/revenue-model.md). Sibert, which would sell
+    into this line, advised after Haarlem to get presses, boilers,
+    operators and live feedback loops right first and to earn some return
+    before every manufacturing step is in place
+    ([exhibitor briefing](suppliers/making-vinyl-europe-2026-exhibitors.md#after-the-show));
+    supplier advice to weigh against the market evidence, not a decision
 24. Automated press line (the 50/50 fleet target)
 25. Full metrology stack and the sampled audio QC station
 26. Biomass boiler, fed by the by-then-mature coppice plus regional fuel

docs/suppliers/equipment-suppliers.md

@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ Suppliers identified:
 |---|---|---|---|
 | Plating Power / Digital Matrix Corp. | Farmingdale, NY, USA | VLSS silvering, VLPP pre-plate, VLFP 2/4/6-cell electroforming, EC-1000 passivation, control rings | No water treatment or metal recovery in their scope; no SE-Asia distributor; alex.greenspan@digmatrix.com |
 | Pheenix Alpha | Sweden | PASU automatic silvering, PPPU pre-plating (four masters), PDPU dual-cell electroforming (up to 200 A per cell), PMPB passivation, cleaning and drying bench (nickel and DMM) | 2024 flyers in [`../equipment/pheenix-alpha/`](../equipment/pheenix-alpha/), summarised in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md); prices unpublished; PLC with network access; no water treatment in the flyers; same vendor as the AD12 presses (section 5), so one quote can cover both; info@pheenixalpha.com |
+| Optical Media Services (OMS) | Baarlo, Netherlands | Vinyl electroforming equipment, new and refurbished (including CD/DVD lines converted to 14" vinyl); independent stamper service from lacquers and DMMs | Named by Sibert after Haarlem (good equipment, very familiar with the Asian market); no datasheet or price on file; possible link to Newbilt's announced electroplating equipment, unconfirmed ([galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)); Lou Wullms, lou.wullms@gmail.com per the vinyl-pressing-plants.com directory |
 
 Open: industrial water-treatment vendor for the zero-discharge system;
 clean-room design/build contractor; fume scrubbing.
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ Suppliers identified:
 
 | Supplier | Location | Offering | Notes |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| Sibert Instruments | Alton, Hampshire, UK | VSP punch, VSF back-finisher, VSC coiner | 2021 specifications in [`../equipment/sibert/`](../equipment/sibert/), summarised in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md): single-phase 115 to 230 V, 6 to 8 bar air, 200 / 250 / 600 kg, no data interface listed; prices unpublished; confirm no overlap with press-integrated forming before buying the VSC; sales@sibert.co.uk, Ian Locke |
+| Sibert Instruments | Medstead, Hampshire, UK | VSP punch, VSF back-finisher, VSC coiner; a fully automatic VSPa punch also exists | Current specifications (2022 and 2023) and line-up drawing in [`../equipment/sibert/`](../equipment/sibert/), summarised in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md): single-phase 115 to 230 V, 6 to 8 bar air, 200 / 250 / 1000 kg, line 4958 × 833 mm, no data interface listed; budget of USD 250k for all three confirmed by email (October 2026), its time, spares, shipping and travel extra, itemised quotation on request; confirm no overlap with press-integrated forming before buying the VSC; sales@sibert.co.uk, Ian Locke (ian.locke@sibert.co.uk) |
 
 ## 4. Stamper Service (bridge / overflow, until in-house galvanics runs)
 

docs/suppliers/making-vinyl-europe-2026-exhibitors.md

@@ -22,9 +22,37 @@ traceability spec, the steam decision, the Thai PVC lead, the 50/50 fleet).
   work made it clear to him that the project comes from the right
   direction. For the pitch to suppliers and investors, the data and
   control side is what makes a newcomer credible, so it leads.
+- **Sibert follow-up** (Ian Locke to Alexander, thanking him and Simona,
+  email 5 October 2026):
+  - *Budget*: USD 250k covers all three stamper prep machines; his time,
+    spare parts, shipping and travel are extra. A fully itemised quotation
+    follows if we go ahead ([galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md),
+    [total investment](../finance/total-investment.md)).
+  - *Sequencing advice*, given against his own interest: take the time to
+    get each main step right, and earn some return before every
+    manufacturing step is in place. He took on board that we are
+    constantly waiting for stampers on long lead times, but sees presses
+    and boilers running
+    efficiently, good operators and live feedback loops that the staff use
+    to improve production, rather than only for management reporting, as
+    what decides the outcome. Supplier advice, not buyer validation; it
+    bears on the open galvanics question in [roadmap](../roadmap.md) item
+    23 and is taken into the [digital factory](../digital-factory.md)
+    design decisions.
+  - *Electroforming*: Optical Media Services (OMS, Lou Wullms) for good
+    equipment and familiarity with the Asian market, or Pheenix for a
+    turnkey package of electroforming and presses
+    ([galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)).
+  - *Automatic punch*: Sibert builds a fully automatic VSPa, which he
+    thinks may not suit us; he offered to discuss it or carry some of its
+    features across to the VSP.
+  - He also sees Alexander's background in electronics and solar as well
+    placed to judge what the electronic reporting on daily production
+    needs: the data side again.
 - **Filed since**: the Newbilt flyers
-  ([pressing line](../equipment/pressing-line.md)), Sibert's VS
-  specifications and Pheenix Alpha's electroforming flyers
+  ([pressing line](../equipment/pressing-line.md)), Sibert's current VS
+  specifications and line-up drawing (with the 2021 issues kept), and
+  Pheenix Alpha's electroforming flyers
   ([galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)).
 
 The briefing below is kept as written before the show.
@@ -401,17 +429,21 @@ the best-documented one on the market. Not on the 2021 supplier list.
 **What they are.** Precision OEM (optical-disc heritage) making stamper
 preparation equipment: **VSP** stamper punch, **VSF** back finisher, **VSC**
 coiner (trim and form in one pass). Contact in this repo: sales@sibert.co.uk,
-Ian Locke. Installed equipment at Pheenix Alpha in January 2025.
+Ian Locke (ian.locke@sibert.co.uk). Installed equipment at Pheenix Alpha in January 2025.
 
 **On file** (filed with the Making Vinyl material, October 2026): the VSP,
-VSF and VSC technical specifications (2021) and Sibert's 2008 to 2009
+VSF and VSC technical specifications in their current versions (2022 and
+2023) with a line-up drawing of the three, sent by Ian Locke after the
+show, the 2021 issues they replace, and Sibert's 2008 to 2009
 optical-disc SPS literature, in [`../equipment/sibert/`](../equipment/sibert/),
 summarised in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md). They
 answer part of the list below: all three machines run single-phase 115 to
-230 V, so no three-phase supply is needed; the VSC claims tooling for every
-vinyl mould; the VSP centres manually under ×100 optics; no data interface
-is listed. Prices, tooling cost per mould, the Pheenix installation and
-service in Asia stay open.
+230 V, so no three-phase supply is needed; the VSC forms to each customer
+mould profile; the VSP centres manually under ×100 optics (a fully
+automatic VSPa exists); no data interface is listed. Sibert confirmed a
+budget of USD 250k for the three (its time, spares, shipping and travel
+extra) and offers an itemised quotation. Tooling cost per mould, the
+Pheenix installation and service in Asia stay open.
 Site: https://www.sibert.co.uk/
 
 **Why they matter.** Exactly the gap between the plating line and the

docs/suppliers/vendor-landscape.md

@@ -130,18 +130,34 @@ Pheenix Alpha (below) now offers a competing line unit for unit; the
 datasheets and the comparison are in
 [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md).
 
+## Electroforming equipment and stamper service: Optical Media Services (Netherlands)
+
+Optical Media Services B.V. (OMS, Baarlo, established 1996) builds and
+refurbishes vinyl electroforming equipment, converts CD/DVD electroforming
+lines to 14" vinyl, and runs an independent stamper service from lacquers
+and DMMs. Sibert's Ian Locke named it after Haarlem as the alternative to
+a Pheenix turnkey line: Lou Wullms is "a long-standing industry colleague
+who makes good equipment" and very familiar with the Asian market. A
+directory listing points OMS's website at Newbilt's equipment page, which
+announces new Newbilt electroplating equipment; whether the two are linked
+is unconfirmed. No datasheet or price on file yet; details and open
+questions in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md).
+
 ## Stamper preparation: Sibert Instruments (UK)
 
 [Sibert Instruments](https://www.sibert.co.uk/) (Hampshire, in this niche
 since the early 1970s) makes the machines that turn a raw electroformed
 nickel shell into a press-ready stamper: the VSP center punch, VSF
-back-finisher, and VSC coiner (trim and form in one pass). One-off capital
-equipment filling exactly the gap between the plating line and the presses.
-The 2021 technical specifications are in
+back-finisher, and VSC coiner (trim and form in one pass), plus a fully
+automatic VSPa punch. One-off capital equipment filling exactly the gap
+between the plating line and the presses. The current technical
+specifications (2022 and 2023) and a line-up drawing are in
 [`../equipment/sibert/`](../equipment/sibert/): all three run on
-single-phase power and 6 to 8 bar air, weigh 200, 250 and 600 kg, and list
-no data interface; centring on the punch is manual under ×100 optics.
-Figures, mould fit and the service model are in
+single-phase power and 6 to 8 bar air, weigh 200, 250 and 1000 kg, stand
+in a 4958 × 833 mm row, and list no data interface; centring on the punch
+is manual under ×100 optics. Sibert has confirmed a budget of USD 250k for
+the three, with its time, spare parts, shipping and travel extra. Figures,
+mould fit and the service model are in
 [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md).
 
 ## Stamper service, as a bridge: Stamper Discs (UK)