VASTEX LittleRed-X Series User manual

LittleRed-X Series Dryers
Assembly, Operating, and Maintenance Instructions
LittleRed-X Series Dryers (X1/X1D/X2/X2D/X3/X3D)
Serial Number:
(Please log your machine's serial number and date of purchase for future reference.)
Date:____/____/______
Electrical Drawing #: Rev:______
Doc. # 01-28-001M
VTX
Vastex E-mail assistance
Purchasing & Product Info:
[email protected]m
Electrical Support:
[e-mail]
Tech Support, Mechanical Setup, and Operation:
[e-mail]
Original Instructions
Vastex International, Inc.
7 Emery St
Bethlehem, Pa. 18015-1982 USA
Phone# [phone] Fax# [phone]
Web Site www.vastex.com
Authorized Representative in Europe:
Certification Experts BV
Nieuwstad 100 1381 CE Weesp,
The Netherlands
Tel : + 31 (0) 294 – 48 33 55
Fax : + 31 (0) 294 – 41 46 87
Year of Manufacture:
Contents Page#
 Introduction / Safety 2-3
 Assembly 4-7
 Electrical Hookup 6
 Component Identification 8
 Controls 9
 Controls / Zone Information 10
 Operation 11-12
 Exhaust 13
 Maintenance 14
 Troubleshooting 15
 Speed Adjustments 16-17
 Conveyor Details 18
 Ducting Information 19
 Warranty / Terms & Conditions 20

The Instruction Manual and Safety Instructions must be read and understood by anyone
operating the Vastex Conveyor Curing System.
 The operator should read and understand the instruction manual before operating this equipment. Store instruc-
tion manual and safety instructions near equipment for easy access to operators.
 VASTEX Conveyor Curing System is intended for the curing of non-flammable inks on screen printed materials.
Do not use for any other purpose unless authorized by Vastex International, Inc. Use of this equipment for any
other purpose can be dangerous and may cause damage to this equipment, voiding the warranty.
 It is recommended that the area around this equipment be designated as a work area and only authorized em-
ployees be allowed in the area.
 Children and pets must be kept clear of the work area.
 Do not place any objects on top of the drying chamber. Surfaces are hot!
 Never leave equipment unattended.
 Do not operate conveyor or dryer with any cover or guard removed.
 Operator must be familiar with controls of the dryer and conveyor.
 Never put excessive load on the conveyor belt.
 Before starting production, the operator must check that all covers and guards are in place, no material has been
left on the conveyor, and the work area is clear of obstructions.
 Switch on and verify conveyor belt is moving before turning on the heat.
 Allow dryer to cool to 300°F (149°C) before switching off conveyor.
 Always turn off power at the main disconnect at the end of production.
 In case an abnormal symptom occurs, for example excessive vibration, noise, and strong smell or smoke devel-
opment, turn off the VASTEX Conveyor Curing System and contact a qualified technician.
 Immediately turn off the VASTEX Conveyor Curing System if products become jammed in the drying chamber or
conveyor belt.
 Do not remove any cover or guard until power at the main disconnect is switched off and locked out. No unau-
thorized persons are to be allowed inside the control boxes.
 Turn off and lock out power at the main disconnect before any cleaning or maintenance.
 Only qualified technicians should be allowed to make repairs on the VASTEX Conveyor Curing System.
 Noise and vibration: This equipment does not produce noise exceeding 70 dB(A) at workstations.
 Operating Temperature: Vastex Equipment should not be operated in temperatures below 40°F(5°C) or
above 105°F(41°C)
 Stability during use, transportation, assembly, dismantling when out of service, testing, and foreseeable
breakdowns: This equipment is designed and expected to be stable during all foreseeable conditions, so long
as the procedures and instructions given in this manual are followed.
Congratulations, you have chosen a VASTEX conveyor curing system. VASTEX has been designing and building
dryers since 1960 and has the knowledge and expertise to supply a quality dryer and help you keep it running for
years to come. VASTEX has innovated many of the features found in conveyor ovens today from control methods,
modular features, air movements and belt tracking.
Your Vastex Infrared Dryer has been Factory tested and burned in for a period of 2-8 hours. All components are
tested to be sure they work correctly when the Dryer leaves our factory.
Introduction
Safety
Pg. 2

 Safe handling, transport, and storage: Before storing the unit, follow the shutdown procedure on P. 9
(or on the front of your machine) to allow the heater assembly to cool properly. No special handling con-
siderations are necessary, except to be aware of the weight of the equipment and take standard precau-
tions for moving such weights:
LittleRed-X1D-18: 172 lbs (78kg), 47.5” x 28” x 50” (121 cm x 72.3cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X1-30: 172 lbs (78 kg), 47.5” x 40” x 46” (121 cm x 102 cm x 117 cm)
LittleRed-X1D-30: 220 lbs (100 kg), 47.5” x 40” x 46” (121 cm x 102 cm x 117 cm)
LittleRed-X1-54: 380 lbs (172 kg), 65.5” x 65” x 50” (166 cm x 165 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X2-30: 304 lbs (138 kg), 83.5” x 40” x 48” (212 cm x 102 cm x 122 cm)
LittleRed-X2-54: 480 lbs (218 kg), 83.5” x 65” x 50” (212 cm x 165 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X2D-30: 304 lbs (138 kg), 65.5” x 40” x 50” (166 cm x 102 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X3-30: 420 lb (191 kg), 87.5” x 40” x 50” (222 cm x 102 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X3-54: 700 lb (318 kg), 87.5” x 65” x 50” (222 cm x 165 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X3D-30: 420 lb (191 kg), 87.5” x 40” x 50” (222 cm x 102 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X3D-54: 700 lb (318 kg), 87.5” x 65” x 50” (222 cm x 165 cm x 127 cm)
LittleRed-X3D-78 850 lb (386 kg), 102” x 88” x 54” (258 cm x 225 cm x 137 cm)
*** REMOVE THE CLEAR HEATER / SENSOR PROTECTOR SHEET BEFORE OPERATING THE DRYER ***
(protector sheet is located between the heater face and the sensor bracket)
At the end of all shifts and / or production runs, follow the Dryer Shutdown Procedure posted on the front of the dryer.
Any restriction in the dryer exhaust may result in excessive heat buildup within the chamber. Follow the Dryer & Exhaust
Hood Ducting directions in the manual.
Placing your equipment into service and using your machine:
To place your machine into service, follow steps 1-9 on pages 4 through 6.
To use your machine, follow the instructions on pages 11 and 12, after familiarizing yourself with the controls of
your machine (see pages 9 and 10).
Please read and understand all parts of this manual to avoid any Residual Risks.
 Loose or dangling clothing may become entangled in the pulley. The pulleys are guarded against direct contact.
 Your Vastex Infrared Dryer has high temperature heaters. There is an inherent danger when dealing with a heat
source of this degree. These heaters are often run at temperatures near 1,000° F(538° C). Any body part or item that
comes in direct contact with the heaters will be damaged. The heaters are guarded against direct contact from all
sides except the bottom.
 The workspace that your Vastex Infrared Dryer occupies must be kept clean and clear of debris.
 All sides of dryer must be reasonably accessible by the operator. A clear perimeter of 18” is preferred.
 Do not store items, especially food or drink, on the top of your Vastex Infrared Dryer.
 The room that you are operating your dryer in should be adequately ventilated. Please refer to the MSDS sheet of
the ink you are curing.
Important
Safety (cont’d)
Residual Risks
Workspace
Pg. 3

Tools Needed: (2) 9/16” open end wrenches, (1) 7/16” open end wrench or socket, (1) 1/4” nut driver OR flat blade screw driver
1b) Each conveyor has a pair of legs, a Front section,
Rear Section, and middle conveyor pieces. Bolt together
each section, as shown in the diagrams. Refer to Page 18
for each conveyor’s specific layout.
All parts are attached together using 3/8-16 x 3/4”
bolts, square washers and 3/8” serrated locknuts.
Assemble the Front Section, Rear Section, and mid-
dle conveyor pieces first.
Place assembled conveyor onto legs, attach using
3/8-16 x 3/4” Bolts and 3/8” Locknuts
Tighten all with 9/16” open end or socket.
Front
Section
Drive
Section
Assembly
Middle
Section
1a) For X1-30 and X1D only, the legs must be
assembled. Using (20) 10-32 Bolts and
(20) 10-32 Serrated nuts, assemble each
leg set as shown on right. Stock dryers
have 2 legs. Conveyor Extensions which
lengthen the conveyor to 10’+ should add
an additional leg per 3’ extension.
10-32 Bolt
10-32 Serrated Nut
Pg. 4

4) Install the chain guard with the (2) black #8
machine screws. Tighten with 1/4” nut driver.
See Maintenance section for chain adjust-
ment
5) Install the (3) Belt covers. Each uses (2)
black #8 Screws. Tighten with 1/4” nut driver.
Do not operate with Chain Guard removed.
Serious Injury may result!
6) Place the Heat Chamber on the conveyor, centered
between the belt’s rollers, with the Control Panel on
the right side.
2) The belt needs to be installed as shown in
the diagram. To connect your belt, align
the Alligator Lace and install the pin.
NOTE: If the pin walks out of the alligator
lace during use, pull the pin out about 1
inch add a kink to it and push the pin back
in.
Aligner
3) The belt needs to be tightened and ad-
justed. To tighten and adjust the belt, use
the Aligner Bolts. To raise the Aligner,
turn the Aligner Bolt clockwise with a
7/16” wrench. To lower it, turn it counter
clockwise. Raise the Aligner until you
have about 2”-2½” of slack as shown on
right. Additional details on PAGE 7.
Aligner Bolt
Belt Travel
Front Pulley Rear Pulley
Alligator lace
Chain Guard
Belt Cover
#8 Machine
Screws
Heat Chamber
Assembly (cont’d)
2a) For LittleReds
equipped with a drop
down motor and rear
idler, route the belt
above rear idler.
Rear Idler
(Optional)
Never tighten this nut!
Pg. 5

Motor
Threaded CPC connection
7) Have a licensed electrician complete the electrical hook-up and fill out the warranty card. Send it back to Vastex
to validate your warranty. A wiring diagram has been included with this manual and must be referenced to con-
nect this machine to power. If your machine has a plug installed from the factory, under no circumstances may
anyone other than a Vastex Employee modify the line cord or plug. Plug this into the correct wall socket with
dedicated breaker and appropriate sized wire. No extension cords may be used.
8) Plug the wire from the control box into the threaded cpc connector near gear motor. Shown below
9) Have a licensed electrician test the shops voltage at the machines disconnect, for shops with less than 240V service,
it is necessary to auto tune your controller. This procedure can be found in the Troubleshooting section.
Please record your shops actual voltage here:______________________
 Review spec tag and wiring diagram for electrical requirements.
 FLA refers to Full Load Amps, NOT the recommended line size.
 A licensed electrician should perform electrical installation.
 Please follow the NEC for wire selection and sizing.
 Do NOT use solid or aluminum wiring for main power hookup.
 All connections, especially power hookup, should be checked
and tightened after one month of operation
Ground
Assembly Electrical
Spec Tag
Motor CPC
Main Power
Feed
Pg. 6

Assembly (cont’d)
Belt Tracking
(Move in small increments while belt is moving. Do not leave
conveyor running unattended.)
 If the belt is slipping, add belt tension by raising equally
both sides of aligner roller. 1”-2” of belt sag at the bottom side
is desirable. To raise roller turn adjustor bolt clockwise.
 Belt moving to the left, raise left side of aligner by turning
aligner bolt clockwise 1/2 turn at a time.
 Belt moving to the right, raise right side of aligner by turning
aligner bolt clockwise 1/2 turn at a time.
 If belt is tracking off center at the drive roller, slightly loos-
en bearing bolts, (2) 1/2” wrenches needed. Turn adjustor
screw clockwise to move belt toward motor end of pulley and
counter clockwise to move belt away from motor end of pul-
ley, retighten all bolts. Recheck belt tracking at front end.
Note: Do not over-tighten belt. Final Belt tightness can be
gauged by the ability to stop the rear (drive) pulley
by applying a moderate force to the belt. Exceeding
your drive’s weight capacity should cause the belt to
slip before motor damage occurs.
Belt aligner pulley Aligner bolt
Conveyor Front End
Drive roller adjustor
Adjustor screw
Bearing bolts
Conveyor Rear End
DO NOT
TIGHTEN
NUT!
To move the belt to the Left
To move the belt to the Right
Turn bolt Clockwise,
Raising this side of
Aligner Roller
Turn bolt Counter Clockwise,
Lowering this side of Aligner
Roller
Turn bolt Counter Clockwise,
Lowering this side of Aligner
Roller
Turn bolt Clockwise,
Raising this side of
Aligner Roller
Never tighten this nut!
Never tighten this nut!
Pg. 7

Conveyor Components
IR Heater- w/ J Sensor Gear Motor
Belt
Belt Aligner
Front Pulley
Belt The conveyor belt is made of Teflon coated fiberglass. It is joined together with an alligator lace using a steel pin to connect each side.
The belt will not burn under normal conditions but the dryer should always have the belt moving while the heaters are above 300°F(149°
C). The belt should remain tracked in the center of each pulley. (See “Belt Installation and Tracking” for adjustment instructions.)
Aligner The aligner is a device for tracking the belt and keeping it on the pulley. As the belt moves from side to side the aligner is used for ad-
justments to keep it centered. The belt does not have to be perfectly centered on the pulley but should not be hanging over either edge.
LittleReds come standard with an aligner roller.
Pulley The pulleys at either end of the conveyor are made by VASTEX of 4 ½ inch tubing with ¾ inch center shaft. They are mounted on self
aligning flange bearing blocks for precision rolling.
Gear Motor A 90 or 130 Volt DC gear motor is located to the rear of the conveyor. It drives the rear pulley and belt with a roller and a #25chain
(standard drive) or #35chain(HD drive). Replacement part numbers can be found on the wiring diagram.
IR Heater The infrared heaters in VASTEX dryers emit medium wave infrared heat, perfect for curing many types of inks. The heater connections
are located in the trough on the right side of the heater, connected with high temperature terminals and stainless steel socket head cap
screws. (See Wiring Diagrams for Heater Specs)
J Sensor The sensor is mounted under the heating element, on the side closer to the control panel, with a shield beneath it. On X2 models, the
sensor is on the rear heater. The sensor is wired to the temperature controller using two wires, a red (positive) and a white (negative).
They must be attached to the proper terminals on the controller. Refer to wiring diagram when replacing “J” Sensor. (if SBER is dis-
played on controller “J” Sensor is malfunctioning)
Control Box The Control Box houses all the electrical components of the Dryer except the Drive motor. More information on the Control Box and
Control Panel found in section Controls.
Powered Powered exhaust removes fumes/moisture from the chamber. See Dryer & Exhaust Hood Ducting on pg19 for more information.
Exhaust Powered exhaust is standard on all LittleReds manufactured after May 2020
Chamber Components
Control Box
Powered Exhaust
Rear Pulley
(LR-X2-30 Shown)
Component Identification
Pg. 8

DC Volt Meter:
Digital Volt Meter displays, in
volts, the amount of power going
to the belt motor. A table showing
the time associated with voltage
can be found in Dryer Operation.
Belt Speed Control: An AC-DC
converter, mounted to the face of the
control panel, allows the operator to
vary the belt speed / DC volts to the
motor. The dial is for reference only and
does not represent seconds in the heat.
Control Output Light:
This light should cycle on & off
with the controller, indicating
output signal to relay.
(1 light per temp control)
System Switch:
Sends power to Controls.
Shut off power at main dis-
connect before servicing,
Power Light must be out be-
fore entering any part of this
machine
Power Light: It is wired to
the line cord and/or the Shut
Off Switch and will be
illuminated whenever power
is coming into the unit. At the
end of the day, the machine
should be disconnected so
this light is out.
Temperature Control:
See Dryer Operation
for more information
(1 control per zone)
Relay Output Light:
This 250 volt RED pilot light
is wired to the output side of
the relay. This light will cycle
on & off with the control
output light. It verifies that
the relay is working properly.
(1 light per relay)
Heat Switch:
Controls power
to heater only.
Controls (LittleRed X1/X2/X3)
Shut Off Switch
Machines that are direct wired by the end user are
equipped with a shutoff switch. This is the main junction
block for incoming power, and is used to restrict access
to the control box while it is live. The shutoff must be in
the OFF position to enter the control box.
Shut Off Switch:
Fuses:
Fuses for control circuit
are located on the face for
easy maintenance. Older
models have fuses located
inside the control box.
Please refer to wiring
diagram for fuse specs.
Heater Light:
This 6v WHITE pilot light is
wired to the IR Heaters. These
lights indicate when electricity
is flowing through each heater.
(1 light per heater)
Controls (LittleRed X1D-18)
Heat Switch: Main Heat Switch
controls power to heater.
Boost Zone Diagnostics:
The Boost Zone on your X1D is always
active. These 2 lights should stay on while
the Heat Switch is on and the Boost Zone
is functioning. BOOST mode runs the front
19% of the heater at 100% power to
preheat the garment on tunnel entry.
Pg. 9

Controls (LittleRed-X1D-30/X2D/X3D)
Controls between all LittleRed-X Models are similar. Refer to previous page for all unlisted controls.
BOOST Zone Temp Control:
Controls Temperature of Boost
Zone. Must be set to the same
temperature OR HIGHER than the
MAIN Temperature control.
MAIN Temp Control:
Controls Temperature of
MAIN heat zone.
Heat Switch:
Controls power to
BOTH heat zones
Zone Control X2D/X3D
Zone “BOOST”
Zone “BOOST” on your LittleRed X2D or X3D is controlled independently. This Zone is used to superheat your garments on the
way into the chamber. Typically, the longer your garment is in the chamber, the lower this BOOST zone can be set.
 Setting the BOOST to 1100F+ is recommended for cure times at or below 60 seconds.
 Setting the BOOST to 800F+ is recommended for cure times between 2 and 4 minutes
Zone “MAIN”
Zone “MAIN” on your LittleRed X2D or X3D is controlled independently. This Zone encompasses 85%(X2D) or 90%(X3D) of
your cure time. If you are running plastisol or other non-specialty items, you may set the BOOST and MAIN zones to the same
temp. The dryer will perform similar to other infrared dryers when BOOST and MAIN zones are set the same.
 Setting the MAIN to 650F + is recommended for cure times at or below 60 seconds.
 Setting the MAIN to 500F + is recommended for cure times between 2 and 4 minutes
BOOST ZONE TEMP CONTROL
BOOST ZONE DIAGNOSTICS
MAIN ZONE DIAGNOSTICS
Controls (LittleRed X3D-78)
MAIN ZONE TEMP CONTROL
BOOST ZONE TEMP CONTROL
Exhaust System Fault
Warning Lights:
These lights will flicker upon
startup as the fans reach
their full operating speed.
These lights MUST be off
during normal operation. If
either illuminates, there is
likely an obstruction in the
exhaust or a fan has failed.
Heat Switch:
Controls power to
BOTH heat zones
Heat Switch:
Controls power to
BOTH heat zones MAIN ZONE TEMP CONTROL
Pg. 10