Add Pheenix galvanics flyers and Sibert stamper prep specs

docs/equipment/pheenix-alpha/: the four Pheenix Alpha electroforming flyers
(2024: PASU silvering, PPPU pre-plating, PDPU dual-cell plating, PMPB
passivation bench), renamed from their download hashes.
docs/equipment/sibert/: the VSP, VSF and VSC technical specifications
(2021), plus Sibert's 2008-09 optical-disc SPS literature and the 2008
Blu-ray stamper characteristics paper in sps-optical-disc-2009/. Two
byte-identical duplicates in the download were dropped.

New docs/equipment/galvanics.md, the metal-path counterpart to
pressing-line.md: datasheet tables for both ranges and what they change.
Pheenix is a second turnkey galvanics vendor next to Digital Matrix and
can quote lacquer-to-record as one vendor; neither range includes water
treatment. Utilities from the sheets (~27 kVA connected per line, DI water,
12-20 C cooling water, extraction sizes), ~5.6 m2 of footprint, and a cell
count estimate (one PDPU at the low end, two at the high end). The Sibert
machines are single-phase, 200/250/600 kg on castors, centre manually and
list no data interface; the VSC locates on the punched hole; the finisher's
water carries nickel. Weights, cycle times, prices and mould fit are listed
as quote questions.

Backlinks and small updates: README (bullet, layout tree, vendor list),
roadmap items 6 and 23, vendor landscape, supplier map, exhibitor briefing
(on-file notes, Sibert three-phase question answered), digital factory
(Pheenix PLC data, Sibert data question, RFQ clause 5), quality automation
(hardness on the centre slug, BD paper as the acceptance-spec model),
sustainability (finisher water), total investment block label (numbers
unchanged), scale (galvanics feeder note), crane weight table, process
flow, pressing-line stamper-fit question, plant page detail lines.

docs/crane-workshop-tours.md

@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ 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 |
-| Galvanics cells, water-treatment evaporator, Sibert machines | unknown, lifted empty | to be asked with each quote |
+| Sibert VSP punch / VSF finisher / VSC coiner | 200 / 250 / 600 kg, on castors | [Sibert specifications](equipment/sibert/) (2021) |
+| 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 |
 
 **Planning capacity: 5 t safe working load** (estimate). It covers the
 heaviest known lift with its lifting beam and slings at a wide margin and

docs/digital-factory.md

@@ -424,11 +424,16 @@ for the archive.
 ### Galvanics (Expand phase)
 
 Rectifier current, voltage and ampere-hours per cell (Digital Matrix: ask
-what the control rings and rectifiers expose; Modbus is the requirement),
+what the control rings and rectifiers expose; Pheenix Alpha: its plating
+units are PLC-controlled with a network connection, protocol unstated, see
+[galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md); Modbus is the
+requirement),
 bath temperature, pH and conductivity from transmitters, filtration and
 agitation pump states, fume extraction running status (the interlock itself
 stays hard-wired), rinse water conductivity and evaporator state. Titration
-results are entered at a station against the bath ID.
+results are entered at a station against the bath ID. On the Pheenix
+units, the machine's own alerts (filter cartridge change, nickel pellet
+top-up, anode basket cleaning) are logged as bath events.
 
 ### Site systems
 
@@ -441,8 +446,9 @@ production data.
 
 ### What produces no telemetry
 
-The Sibert stamper-prep machines 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 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
 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.
@@ -635,8 +641,10 @@ To go into every RFQ that leaves from [roadmap](roadmap.md) items 4 to 8:
    structured cabling, a VLAN-capable industrial switch in every cabinet,
    and Omada-managed switches and APs for the building so the gateway's
    existing Omada controller covers the site.
-5. **Galvanics (Digital Matrix)**: what the rectifiers and control rings
-   expose, and how; Modbus preferred.
+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.
 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

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+# Galvanics and Stamper Prep: Equipment Plan
+
+The metal path turns a cut lacquer into press-ready nickel stampers:
+silvering, electroforming of father, mother and stampers, passivation
+between generations, then punching, back-finishing and coining (stages 4
+and 5 in the [process flow](../process-flow.md)). It is Phase 5 item 23 in
+the [roadmap](../roadmap.md), with an open case for pulling it forward;
+until it runs, bridge stampers come from Stamper Discs. This page holds the
+equipment data for it, the way [pressing-line.md](pressing-line.md) does for
+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
+[vendor landscape](../suppliers/vendor-landscape.md)).
+
+## Electroforming: the Pheenix Alpha range
+
+Pheenix Alpha, the AD12 press maker, also builds the galvanics line. The
+four flyers:
+
+| Unit | What it does | Datasheet figures |
+|---|---|---|
+| **PASU** Automatic Silvering Unit | Cleaning station plus silver spray unit: the lacquer is cleaned, then silvered by an automatic spray sequence; foot-controlled spray faucet, overspill collection; the silver unit mounts left or right of the cleaning bench | W 2188 × D 715 × H 1835 mm, working height 900 mm; cleaning station up to 120 rpm, spray unit 45 rpm, four nozzles; 100 to 230 VAC single-phase, 10 A; water Ø20 hose, 2 × G3/4"; compressed air G1/2" at 6 bar; exhaust Ø125 mm at 150 m³/h; drain Ø32 mm |
+| **PPPU** Pre-Plating Unit | First nickel layer on the silvered master: up to four masters at once, each position controlled on its own with its own cathode movement; integrated dummy plating; PID temperature control | W 1062 × D 1245 × H 1750 mm; 400/480 VAC three-phase, 16 A; tank 385 L, pump 10 m³/h, heater 4.5 kW, 2 × 20" filters; up to 15 VDC and 30 A per position; exhaust Ø63 mm; 500 mm service access behind the tank |
+| **PDPU** Dual Plating Unit | Production electroforming: two cells, each with its own rotating cathode shaft and digitally controlled rectifier; titanium anode baskets; adjustable anode-to-cathode distance; options for a flow meter, automatic lid and selective cleaning | W 1070 × D 1350 × H 1800 mm; 400/480 VAC three-phase, 16 A; tank 385 L, 40 L per cell, pump 10 m³/h, heater 4.5 kW, titanium cooling coil; filters 10 µm pre and 2.5 µm fine; 45 rpm; anode baskets 30 kg each; parts up to Ø355 mm; up to 15 VDC and 200 A per cell; cooling water 12 to 20 °C, 5 bar, 10 L/min; exhaust Ø63 mm; 500 mm service access behind the tank |
+| **PMPB** Modular Preparation Bench | Passivation, cleaning and drying between generations: removes lacquer residue, anodic passivation and cathodic cleaning for nickel and DMM parts, integrated pump, filtration and temperature control, sink with foot-controlled spray, spin table | W 1588 × D 775 × H 1700 mm, working height 920 mm; spin table up to 120 rpm; 100 to 230 VAC single-phase, 10 A; DI water G3/4"; drain Ø32 mm; exhaust ready |
+
+All four are built in stainless steel and polypropylene, the bench and
+plating units with titanium in the wetted parts. The two plating
+units are PLC-controlled with a 7" touch screen, user-programmable recipes
+and a network connection for remote access; the range advertises alerts for
+filter cartridge changes, nickel pellet top-up and anode basket cleaning.
+
+What this changes in the plan:
+
+- **A second turnkey galvanics vendor.** Until now Digital Matrix was the
+  only one in the plan ([roadmap](../roadmap.md) item 6, the galvanics block
+  in [total investment](../finance/total-investment.md)). The Pheenix range
+  covers the same four steps: silvering (PASU against Digital Matrix's
+  VLSS), pre-plate (PPPU against VLPP), production electroforming (PDPU
+  against the VLFP 2/4/6-cell system) and passivation (PMPB against the
+  EC-1000). Pheenix calls itself the only manufacturer of both
+  electroforming and pressing systems (vendor claim), so it can quote the
+  whole chain from lacquer to pressed record: AD12 and AD12 Manual for the
+  presses, this range for the metal. One conversation covers roadmap items
+  5 and 6, and the single-vendor risk is the same as for the presses.
+- **Lacquer and DMM.** The PMPB passivates and cleans DMM parts as well as
+  nickel, and Pheenix describes the range as built for lacquer and DMM
+  families, so a DMM lathe (the open Sillitoe question in the
+  [vendor landscape](../suppliers/vendor-landscape.md)) would not need
+  different galvanics equipment, by the vendor's description.
+- **No water treatment in the flyers.** None of the four covers rinse-water
+  treatment or metal recovery, the same gap as Digital Matrix. The
+  zero-discharge plant stays a separate vendor
+  ([sustainability](../sustainability.md)); ask Pheenix which treatment
+  partner its customers use.
+- **Utilities the galvanics room needs** (from the datasheets):
+  - Electrical: two 16 A three-phase units (~11 kVA each at 400 V) and two
+    10 A single-phase units (~2.3 kVA each), so **~27 kVA connected** for
+    one line by the rated currents (estimate). Actual draw is lower: at
+    most 6 kW DC in the PDPU (2 cells × 15 V × 200 A) and 1.8 kW in the
+    PPPU (4 × 15 V × 30 A), plus a 4.5 kW heater in each. Thai 400 V / 50
+    Hz three-phase fits. Not in the [scale](../scale.md) electrical table
+    yet, because galvanics is Phase 5.
+  - **DI water** at the PMPB: a deionised (RO plus polishing) water supply
+    belongs in the galvanics utility list. The RO skid in the
+    [utilities CSV](../finance/utilities-investment.csv) is an option row
+    sized for boiler feed, not for this.
+  - **Cooling water** at the PDPU: 12 to 20 °C at 5 bar and 10 L/min
+    through its titanium coil, either a branch of the process chiller loop
+    or a small dedicated chiller. 10 L/min is small next to the press
+    moulds' ~220 L/min peak.
+  - **Extraction**: Ø63 mm on each plating unit, Ø125 mm at 150 m³/h on the
+    silvering unit. The fume-extraction interlock in
+    [facility security](../facility-security.md) (no extraction, no
+    plating) applies to every one.
+  - Compressed air at 6 bar for the PASU; drains Ø32 mm.
+- **Space.** One of each unit is ~5.6 m² of footprint (PASU 1.56, PMPB
+  1.23, PPPU 1.32, PDPU 1.44 m²), plus 500 mm service access behind the two
+  tank units and working space around them: comfortably inside the 80 to
+  150 m² the [zone table](../scale.md) holds for clean room, water
+  treatment and chemical store. At 1.70 to 1.84 m tall they fit under the
+  room-in-room ceilings in the crane zone
+  ([crane, workshop and tours](../crane-workshop-tours.md)), and by their
+  published dimensions all four pass through a 1.2 m double door, so the
+  crane hatch in the clean-room lid is for the water-treatment evaporator
+  rather than the plating units (check against crated sizes).
+- **Weight.** Not published. Each tank unit holds 385 L of electrolyte,
+  roughly half a tonne filled (estimate), plus 60 kg of nickel in the
+  PDPU's anode baskets. Ask for empty and filled weights with the quote,
+  for the slab design and the crane table.
+- **Data.** PLC, recipes, network connection and maintenance alerts are on
+  the datasheets; the protocol is not. Per the
+  [digital factory](../digital-factory.md) RFQ clauses: read access over
+  Modbus TCP or OPC UA with the tag list, remote support through our mesh,
+  no vendor cloud. The maintenance alerts are the bath events the
+  galvanics record in [traceability](../traceability.md) needs anyway.
+
+### How many cells (estimate)
+
+The cell count is the number that sizes the line, and no vendor has stated
+a cycle time. A rough count from this repo's own figures:
+
+- At full capacity the [revenue model](../finance/revenue-model.md) assumes
+  300 to 600 titles a year across 1.0 to 1.5 million records, so 2,500 to
+  3,300 records per title.
+- Each title needs, per side, a father, a mother and two to three stampers
+  (at 1,000 to 2,000 pressings per stamper): 8 to 10 electroformed parts per
+  title, **~2,400 to 6,000 parts a year**, 8 to 20 per working day at 300
+  days, before remakes.
+- A 12" part of ~0.25 mm nickel is roughly 150 to 200 g. At the PDPU's
+  200 A ceiling (1.095 g of nickel per ampere-hour) that is under an hour of
+  deposition; with the current ramp, loading, rinsing and separation,
+  **~2 to 3 hours per part per cell** (estimate).
+- Two shifts give 5 to 8 parts per cell per day, 10 to 16 per PDPU.
+
+So **one PDPU covers the low end and the high end needs two** (or a third
+shift). One PASU, one PPPU (pre-plate is for the masters, 2 to 4 a day at
+full capacity, and the unit takes four at once) and one PMPB cover the
+rest. Thicker fathers and mothers scale the time up in proportion. Ask
+Pheenix for the measured cycle per part at the 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:
+
+| 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 |
+
+All three are aluminium frames on castors with levelling feet, guarded by
+5 mm cast acrylic, and ship with a pressure regulator and filter.
+
+What this changes in the plan:
+
+- **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).
+- **Order of operations.** The VSC locates on the punched centre hole, so
+  the punch comes before the coiner. The
+  [process flow](../process-flow.md) already lists punch, back-finish,
+  coin.
+- **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).
+- **Mould fit.** The standard punch is Ø25.4 mm, other sizes on request,
+  and the VSC claims tooling for every vinyl mould. Which centre hole and
+  edge form each mould needs (Newbilt book mould, Pheenix/Toolex, M-Tech)
+  has to come from the press vendors, and the tooling sets per mould type
+  are a quote line. Whether the VSC duplicates anything a press vendor
+  supplies is still open.
+- **The finisher's water carries nickel.** The VSF's closed loop collects
+  nickel fines and abrasive in its filters and bag. Spent water and filters
+  go to the galvanics treatment and hazardous-waste route, never the drain
+  ([sustainability](../sustainability.md)). Consumables: abrasive discs in
+  up to nine grades, filter cartridges and bags, turntable mats.
+- **Service model** (from the 2009 optical-disc literature; confirm for the
+  VS line). Sibert services punch-and-die sets at its own works: resharpen,
+  check alignment and vacuum, test-punch the customer's own stampers and
+  issue a certificate (measured ID, ID-to-data concentricity, roundness,
+  surface finish, front and back hardness HV0.3). It advises against local
+  resharpening and sets shot-count warnings in the machine. For a plant in
+  Thailand that means a spare punch and die in rotation (the VSP lists one
+  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).
+
+## Optical-disc reference material
+
+[`sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/`](sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/) holds
+Sibert's SPS (Stamper Preparation System) literature from 2008 and 2009,
+punching and finishing modules with their workflows, maintenance lists and
+upgrade options, and the August 2008 Blu-ray stamper characteristics paper
+by Sony DADC, Singulus, Sibert and technotrans. These are optical-disc
+documents and their limits are not vinyl specifications. What carries over:
+
+- **The structure of a stamper acceptance spec**: thickness, flatness,
+  hardness, back roughness before and after finishing, outer diameter,
+  centre hole, eccentricity, burr and visual defect counts, each with a
+  measurement method. CNX has the instruments
+  ([quality automation](../quality-automation.md)) but no written limits
+  yet; this paper is the model to write them against.
+- **Hardness on the centre slug.** Hardness is measured on the disc punched
+  out of the centre, never on the part, and a fresh nickel bath plates soft
+  at first, which changes how stampers punch and finish. Taken into
+  [quality automation](../quality-automation.md).
+- **Back-finish pattern.** Random crossing scratches, uniform over the
+  surface, worked best for Blu-ray; concentric scratches were not
+  recommended. The SPS finisher reached Ra 0.03 µm. No vinyl figure is on
+  file: ask Sibert what the VSF reaches and what vinyl plants specify.
+- **Tool wear shows in the hole.** Hole size shrinks by a few microns as
+  the punch and die wear, so a shot count per punch-and-die set belongs in
+  the genealogy record next to each stamper's concentricity.
+
+The SPS material is directly relevant only if CD replication, the
+investor's request in the [project timeline](../project-timeline.md), ever
+goes ahead.
+
+## Open questions for the quotes
+
+- **Pheenix Alpha**: price and lead time for one line (PASU, PPPU, PDPU,
+  PMPB) and for a second PDPU, quoted alongside the AD12; empty and filled
+  weights; measured cycle per part per cell at stamper, mother and father
+  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.
+- **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)).
+
+## Source documents
+
+- [`pheenix-alpha/`](pheenix-alpha/): PASU, PPPU, PDPU and PMPB flyers
+  (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/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/equipment/pressing-line.md

@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ What this changes in the plan:
   15 kW in this repo's earlier notes, source not recorded); 10" on the
   Classic (in the 2024 flyer and on the website, not in the 2026 flyer);
   and whether the Edge Trimmer is the Vario trimmer of the 2024 quote.
+- **Stamper fit.** Ask both press vendors which stamper centre hole and
+  edge form their moulds expect: the Sibert VSP punches Ø25.4 mm as
+  standard and the VSC coiner needs tooling per mould type (see
+  [galvanics and stamper prep](galvanics.md)).
 
 ## Site requirements
 

docs/finance/total-investment.md

@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ July 2026; the underlying THB estimates are unchanged, because EUR/THB at
 |---|---|---|---|
 | Newbilt semi-auto line, full Duplex | 350k – 370k | 11.5M – 12.2M | 2024 quote EUR 200,500 (~USD 232k) + quoted 2nd press/extruder ~USD 115k; expired, needs re-quote |
 | 2 automated presses (Pheenix AD12) | 580k – 920k | 19.1M – 30.5M | unverified ~USD 340k/press indicative + delivery and commissioning |
-| Galvanics line (Digital Matrix) | 320k – 650k | 10.7M – 21.4M | six-figure-USD turnkey inference from vendor research |
+| 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 |
+| Stamper prep (Sibert VSP, VSF, VSC) | 60k – 170k | 1.9M – 5.7M | estimate, pricing unpublished (2021 specifications on file) |
 | 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 |

docs/plant-operation.html

@@ -741,9 +741,9 @@ const DETAILS={
  audio:{t:'1 · Audio intake',w:'Files received from the label or artist. Checksums and format are verified and a technical QA pass checks levels, clipping and side length against the chosen format. Nothing is cut until the artist confirms the master plan (gate 1).',c:['File checksums and format verification','Technical QA: levels, clipping, side length vs format','Artist gate 1: master plan approved, recorded in traceability'],f:['1 to 2 working days','Rejects here are cheap; rejects later are not']},
  master:{t:'2 · Vinyl mastering',w:'The audio is mastered for the physical limits of the groove. Launch configuration uses an external engineer; the mature plant has its own room. The artist approves the vinyl master (gate 2) before anything is cut.',c:['Engineer QA of the vinyl master','Artist gate 2: master approved'],f:['2 to 4 days mature, 3 to 7 at launch','Mastering room ~40 to 60 m²']},
  cut:{t:'3 · Lathe cutting',w:'The master is cut into a nitrocellulose lacquer on the lathe. Grooves are 40 to 80 µm wide, ~28 µm deep, 200 to 350 per inch. The dead-wax matrix code and an angular fiducial are scribed cold; the lacquer is highly flammable, so never with a laser. This scribe propagates through every metal generation onto every record.',c:['Groove inspection under microscope','Test cut evaluation','Dead-wax matrix scribe and angular fiducial (mechanical cold scribe)'],f:['1 to 2 days','Lacquer must be plated within roughly 24 to 72 h, so cutting and plating stay in the same building']},
- silver:{t:'4a · Silvering',w:'The lacquer is sensitised and sprayed with silver to make its surface conductive, the first step of the metal path. Bath chemistry is logged per batch.',c:['Bath chemistry log per batch','Handled in the galvanics clean room with decontamination and PPE'],f:['Part of the 2 to 4 day galvanics block']},
- galv:{t:'4b · Electroforming: father, mother, stamper',w:'Nickel is electroformed onto the silvered lacquer to grow a father (negative), from which a mother (playable positive) and then stampers (negatives) are grown. In-house galvanics removes the overseas stamper dependency that bottlenecks most plants.',c:['Bath chemistry logs per batch','XRF nickel thickness per part (0.2 to 0.3 mm, TTV target 10 to 20 µm)','Confocal or profiler groove metrology on sampled radial zones','Mother listening check (mothers are playable)','Fiber-laser Data Matrix on every part back'],f:['2 to 4 days','Clean room + water treatment + chemical store ~80 to 150 m²','Zero contaminated water commitment']},
- prep:{t:'5 · Stamper prep',w:'The stamper is centre-punched, back-finished and coined to fit the press mold. Concentricity of the hole against the groove spiral is the critical check; an off-centre stamper makes every record wow.',c:['Concentricity and dimensional checks after punch, back-finish, coin','Visual inspection','Genealogy: stamper knows its mother, father and lacquer'],f:['1 day','Stamper prep room ~30 m²','Stampers last roughly 1,000 to 2,000 records']},
+ silver:{t:'4a · Silvering',w:'The lacquer is sensitised and sprayed with silver to make its surface conductive, the first step of the metal path. Bath chemistry is logged per batch.',c:['Bath chemistry log per batch','Handled in the galvanics clean room with decontamination and PPE'],f:['Part of the 2 to 4 day galvanics block','Candidate: Pheenix PASU, 4-nozzle spray (2024 flyer)']},
+ galv:{t:'4b · Electroforming: father, mother, stamper',w:'Nickel is electroformed onto the silvered lacquer to grow a father (negative), from which a mother (playable positive) and then stampers (negatives) are grown. In-house galvanics removes the overseas stamper dependency that bottlenecks most plants.',c:['Bath chemistry logs per batch','XRF nickel thickness per part (0.2 to 0.3 mm, TTV target 10 to 20 µm)','Confocal or profiler groove metrology on sampled radial zones','Mother listening check (mothers are playable)','Fiber-laser Data Matrix on every part back'],f:['2 to 4 days','Clean room + water treatment + chemical store ~80 to 150 m²','Zero contaminated water commitment','Candidates: Digital Matrix, or Pheenix PPPU pre-plate + PDPU, 2 cells at up to 200 A (flyers)']},
+ prep:{t:'5 · Stamper prep',w:'The stamper is centre-punched, back-finished and coined to fit the press mold. Concentricity of the hole against the groove spiral is the critical check; an off-centre stamper makes every record wow.',c:['Concentricity and dimensional checks after punch, back-finish, coin','Visual inspection','Genealogy: stamper knows its mother, father and lacquer'],f:['1 day','Stamper prep room ~30 m²','Stampers last roughly 1,000 to 2,000 records','Sibert VSP punch (manual centring at ×100), VSF wet back-finish, VSC coiner (2021 specs)']},
  archive:{t:'Mother archive',w:'Archived mothers make a repress the fastest and highest-margin job the plant takes: pull a fresh stamper, prep, press. No artist gates, 7 to 11 working days.',c:['Storage conditions and genealogy per traceability spec','Retention policy to be stated in the customer contract'],f:['Choose 3-step plating so a mother exists to go back to']},
  audioqc:{t:'QC layer 3 · Automated audio comparison, sampled',w:'A needle-drop capture station plays a sample and compares it to the source master by spectral envelope, counts clicks and pops, reads the noise floor from lead-in silence and channel balance from program RMS. It runs on every test pressing plus about one record in fifty, densifying as a stamper ages.',c:['Spectral-envelope comparison against the master (whole-program FFT fingerprint)','Click/pop detection and count','Noise floor and channel balance','Numeric score and pass/fail to traceability'],f:['Only this layer catches a wrong master, EQ errors, or pitch problems','100 % audio QC is impossible: one press outruns 80 to 95 listening stations']},
  carton:{t:'Cartons and sleeves from local partners',w:'Jackets and sleeves come from local carton partners (Ploy Printing as intended partner). Every delivery passes an incoming gate before it reaches assembly, and the packaging path often becomes the critical path when artwork lands late.',c:['Dimensions (records must fit without force, spine per title)','Print Delta E against the approved proof','Seam strength, board grammage, lamination','Inner sleeve scuff check'],f:['10 to 20 working days from approved artwork','Artwork deadline is effectively a fourth approval gate']},

docs/process-flow.md

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ The complete chain with every check and approval gate. Three gates involve
 the artist or label directly (marked as approval gates); everything else is
 internal QC. Every step writes to the [traceability
 database](traceability.md); the instruments behind the checks are specified
-in [quality automation](quality-automation.md).
+in [quality automation](quality-automation.md), the machines for stages 4
+to 6 in [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md) and the
+[pressing line](equipment/pressing-line.md).
 
 A printable diagram of this flow lives alongside this document:
 [process-flow.drawio](process-flow.drawio) (editable),

docs/quality-automation.md

@@ -97,6 +97,24 @@ industry practice, which is exactly the point: it makes every father, mother,
 and stamper a data-backed accept/reject decision before the next plating
 generation or press mounting.
 
+### Hardness on the centre slug
+
+From optical-disc practice, per the 2008 Blu-ray stamper working-group
+paper in
+[`equipment/sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/`](equipment/sibert/sps-optical-disc-2009/):
+stamper hardness (micro-Vickers, HV0.3) is measured on the disc punched out
+of the centre, never on the part, and a freshly made-up nickel bath plates
+soft at first (from ~150 HV0.3 upward against a ~200 HV0.3 target for
+Blu-ray), which changes how stampers punch and finish. The vinyl centre
+punch (Sibert VSP) leaves one slug per stamper; marked with the part
+serial, it is a free per-stamper coupon for hardness and thickness, logged
+against the bath ID. The paper's limits are for Blu-ray and do not
+transfer, but its structure (thickness, flatness, hardness, back
+roughness, centre hole, eccentricity, burr, visual defects, each with a
+method) is the model for the stamper acceptance spec this plant still has
+to write. Equipment context in
+[galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md).
+
 ## Pressed record QC: three layers
 
 Full automated audio checking of every record is physically impossible: a

docs/roadmap.md

@@ -42,8 +42,12 @@ These three run in parallel and gate everything downstream:
 5. **Pheenix Alpha**: current metric datasheet and quotes for the AD12 and
    AD12 Manual, evaluating the single-vendor option against Newbilt for
    the semi-auto half
-6. **Digital Matrix**: galvanics line quote; in parallel, identify the
-   separate water-treatment vendor for the zero-discharge system
+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
+   [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md). In parallel,
+   identify the separate water-treatment vendor for the zero-discharge
+   system
 7. **Thai utility RFQs** from the candidates in the
    [utilities CSV](finance/utilities-investment.csv), with guaranteed
    northern service response as a line item; resolve the 35% vs 45% RH
@@ -105,8 +109,9 @@ These three run in parallel and gate everything downstream:
 ## Phase 5: Expand (revenue-gated)
 
 22. Duplex expansion (second press and extruder are already quoted options)
-23. Galvanics line in-house (silvering, electroforming, stamper prep) with
-    the zero-discharge water plant; Stamper Discs moves to overflow/backup.
+23. Galvanics line in-house (silvering, electroforming, stamper prep; see
+    [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md)) with the
+    zero-discharge water plant; Stamper Discs moves to overflow/backup.
     **Open question: should this move to Phase 1?** The August 2026 market
     evidence says the domestic bottleneck is imported metalwork, not press
     capacity, and that a galvanics line could earn from the incumbent's

docs/scale.md

@@ -169,6 +169,12 @@ conversion, which forestry land generally does not.
 Grid connection: a medium-voltage connection with a transformer in the
 **500 to 1,000 kVA** class from PEA, sized by the boiler decision.
 
+Galvanics (Phase 5) is not in the table yet. By the Pheenix Alpha and
+Sibert datasheets, one electroforming line plus the stamper prep machines
+is ~30 kVA connected, two three-phase plating units and the rest
+single-phase (see [galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md)):
+small against the connection, but its own feeder and meter.
+
 ## Solar and storage
 
 - The phase 1 roof carries **~247 kWp** (425 modules on the 1,523 m²

docs/suppliers/equipment-suppliers.md

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ What we need:
 - Nickel pre-plate station (low-stress strike)
 - Electroforming cells (father, mother, stamper generations)
 - Electro-clean / passivation station
+- Deionised water supply (the passivation bench needs a DI connection)
 - Clean room with controlled access, ventilation, fume extraction/scrubbing
 - Closed-loop rinse water treatment and metal recovery (zero-discharge
   requirement; e.g. wastewater evaporator, reference: Gotta Groove Records
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ Suppliers identified:
 | Supplier | Location | Offering | Notes |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | 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 |
 
 Open: industrial water-treatment vendor for the zero-discharge system;
 clean-room design/build contractor; fume scrubbing.
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ Suppliers identified:
 
 | Supplier | Location | Offering | Notes |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| Sibert Instruments | Hampshire, UK | VSP punch, VSF back-finisher, VSC coiner | Spec PDFs on request; confirm no overlap with press-integrated forming before buying the VSC; sales@sibert.co.uk, Ian Locke |
+| 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 |
 
 ## 4. Stamper Service (bridge / overflow, until in-house galvanics runs)
 
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ Suppliers identified:
 | Supplier | Location | Offering | Notes |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | Newbilt machinery GmbH | Alsdorf, Germany | Single 2.1 system (VEX 50 extruder, HRP 12 press ~150 t, semi-auto), Duplex expansion, molds, Vario trimmer, Granulator 400 grinder, Label Punch, EX 35 auxiliary colour extruder. **Also builds the Classic 12" fully automatic press**: hydraulic **3-column** frame, **built-in extruder** (3 heated zones, water-cooled screw; 7.5 kW drive motor per the 2024 flyer, earlier noted here as 15 kW, confirm), automatic patty loading, automatic label supply, automatic cooling-plate management, spindle stack output, Siemens Security PLC (two 21" touchscreens per the 2024 flyer, one 10" per the website) with SCADA / OPC UA, inserts shared with the Duplex, CE approved, **28 s cycle (~128 records/h)**, vendor-claimed **≥95% yield and ≥95% uptime**. So Newbilt is a single-vendor candidate for *both* fleet halves, not only the semi-auto one. Note the half-automatic press is a **4-column book-mould** design; column count is the quickest way to tell the two apart on a factory floor | 2024 quote EUR 200,549.50 (~USD 232k / ~7.7M THB) incl. freight, expired, needs re-quote; ask for build time and order-book position in the re-quote; **ResurRec Bangkok already runs one automatic + one semi-automatic Newbilt: ask for the Thai install base and a service-response precedent**; contacts Hans-Juergen Helm (Sales Manager) and Erwin Neubauer (Managing Director); 2026 flyers in [`../equipment/newbilt/flyers-2026/`](../equipment/newbilt/flyers-2026/), summarised in [pressing-line.md](../equipment/pressing-line.md) |
-| Pheenix Alpha | Solna, Sweden | AD12 fully automatic press (24-26 s cycle, ~140 records/h, 1 operator per 4 presses); AD12 Manual semi-auto | Direct Toolex Alpha successor; possible single-vendor option for both fleet halves; andreas.runsten@pheenixalpha.com |
+| Pheenix Alpha | Solna, Sweden | AD12 fully automatic press (24-26 s cycle, ~140 records/h, 1 operator per 4 presses); AD12 Manual semi-auto | Direct Toolex Alpha successor; possible single-vendor option for both fleet halves; also builds the electroforming line (section 2); andreas.runsten@pheenixalpha.com |
 
 Open: decision between Newbilt semi-auto + Pheenix automatic vs. single
 vendor; local steam-generator and chiller suppliers in Thailand.

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

@@ -305,6 +305,14 @@ founder Niklas Poblenz stays on innovation and customer support. Sibert
 installed equipment at Pheenix in January 2025. Deepgrooves (NL, attending)
 runs AD12 presses on biomass steam. Contact in this repo:
 andreas.runsten@pheenixalpha.com.
+
+**On file** (filed with the Making Vinyl material, October 2026): four
+electroforming flyers from 2024 (PASU silvering, PPPU pre-plating, PDPU
+dual-cell plating, PMPB passivation bench) in
+[`../equipment/pheenix-alpha/`](../equipment/pheenix-alpha/), summarised in
+[galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md). Pheenix builds the
+galvanics line as well as the presses, so the quote below should cover
+both.
 Site: https://www.pheenixalpha.com/
 
 **Why they matter.** The alternative single-vendor path (AD12 + AD12
@@ -334,6 +342,9 @@ Roadmap item 5.
 - What did the new CEO change commercially: financing, leasing, staged
   delivery, regional agents?
 - What are the "latest releases" mentioned in the Haarlem announcement?
+- Galvanics line (PASU, PPPU, PDPU, PMPB): budget quote next to the AD12,
+  measured cycle per part per cell, empty and filled weights, PLC protocol,
+  and the water-treatment partner their customers use.
 
 ## 9. PlastChem (Hardenberg, Netherlands)
 
@@ -373,6 +384,16 @@ the best-documented one on the market. Not on the 2021 supplier list.
 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.
+
+**On file** (filed with the Making Vinyl material, October 2026): the VSP,
+VSF and VSC technical specifications (2021) 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.
 Site: https://www.sibert.co.uk/
 
 **Why they matter.** Exactly the gap between the plating line and the

docs/suppliers/vendor-landscape.md

@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ zero-discharge plating room at Gotta Groove Records in Ohio, built around a
 wastewater evaporator, is the reference model), and no stamper
 punching/finishing equipment (see Sibert below). No Southeast Asia
 distributor; contact is via the US factory or their Japan/Korea distributors.
+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).
 
 ## Stamper preparation: Sibert Instruments (UK)
 
@@ -134,6 +137,12 @@ 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
+[`../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
+[galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md).
 
 ## Stamper service, as a bridge: Stamper Discs (UK)
 
@@ -147,7 +156,7 @@ then overflow capacity and a quality benchmark. Watch-outs: a small
 single-site operation, no documented Asia customers yet, and two
 international freight legs per job.
 
-## Fully automated presses: Pheenix Alpha (Sweden)
+## Fully automated presses and electroforming: Pheenix Alpha (Sweden)
 
 [Pheenix Alpha](https://www.pheenixalpha.com/) (Solna) is the direct
 successor of Toolex Alpha, founded in 2006 by former Toolex staff. Their
@@ -163,3 +172,14 @@ working precedent for the renewable-steam question. Pheenix also offers the
 splatter and short runs, which makes them a possible single-vendor
 alternative covering both halves of the 50/50 fleet; that option should be
 weighed against the Newbilt plan on price, spares, and support.
+
+Pheenix also builds **electroforming equipment**: an automatic silvering
+unit (PASU), a four-position pre-plating unit (PPPU), a two-cell production
+plating unit (PDPU, up to 200 A per cell) and a passivation and cleaning
+bench (PMPB), the plating units PLC-controlled with network access (2024
+flyers in [`../equipment/pheenix-alpha/`](../equipment/pheenix-alpha/),
+summarised in [galvanics and stamper prep](../equipment/galvanics.md)). It
+calls itself the only manufacturer of both electroforming and pressing
+systems, which makes it a single-vendor candidate for the whole chain from
+lacquer to record, not only for the presses. The flyers give the company's
+address as Skepptuna, Märsta.

docs/sustainability.md

@@ -200,7 +200,10 @@ cooling loop. We will not build it that way.
   involves plating chemistry: silver solutions and nickel baths. This is the
   hardest part of the zero-discharge commitment. Rinse water will need
   closed-loop treatment and metal recovery, designed in from the start rather
-  than retrofitted.
+  than retrofitted. The stamper back-finisher (Sibert VSF) runs wet too, on
+  a closed loop whose filters collect nickel fines; its spent water and
+  filters take the same route
+  ([galvanics and stamper prep](equipment/galvanics.md)).
 - Solvent handling (flagged in the site requirements) will be contained and
   disposed of as controlled waste, never via wastewater.
 - Target: no process-water discharge to the local environment. Detailed water