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/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).