Problem in HID MH lamp and ignitor?

Dear All,





My name is Nimesh Silva and I'm a person who in printing industry in sri lanka and using Instant start HID MH lamps for making the PS plates for used in my printing machines.





But I have a problem and please help me on solving this. My plate maker branded as Quantek Quantalux-i and using 3KW MH lamp (to be precise, USHIO GL-3KW (GL-30201) lamp). that machine also comes with a programmable electronic timer controlled by a microcontroller. in a past day while repairing a problem of the timer unit, the lamp was accidentally switched on and off several times in a very short intervals (may be about 100ms between one on and off) by my electrician. Now, the problem is the lamp is not starting. My electrician try to repair it with the thought of the problem is in some other parts of the machine (eg- ignitor) but he failed to turn on the lamp. So I think the lamp has failed and I'm looking for your help to identify the issue and confirm whether it is the lamp.





I'll tell you some of my observations on the lamp.





the lamp's glass has become rough to touch and a side of the lamp glass has become opaque and turned to whitish color instead of the transparency the glass normally has.





the both tips of electrodes of the lamp are become like a bloomed flower (sorry for the bad usage of words, b'se I got no way to explain this to you) (I think they should be sharp like the tip of a needle. isn't it?, I don't know, just a guess)





and there is a trigger wire lying along the lamp, and was cracked at the not connecting end to the supply, but however it is still in contct with the lamp glass.





some drops are present inside the lamp (I think they are mercury drops)





those are my observations with the limited knowledge I have with the HID MH lamps. Please help me on determining the lamp has failed or not.





and please note that this machine is with me since 2001 and I left it not working for couple of years.





please contact me if their any problem you need to ask from me and if you need, I can send some pictures of the lamp also.





Please help me on solving this problem and it will be a grate help on me.





and i'm very grateful to you if you can send me a circuit diagram of an ignitor to start this lamp or any web link of getting such a circuit diagram.





Thank you,


Nimesh Silva|||I am no expert on this type of lamp, but it sure sounds like the lamp is bad to me.


It does seem odd to me that the lamp could be damaged by what you describe.


THe ignitor aka ballast might also be bad.





However, you can probably go to the website[s] of the lamp and/or equipment manufacturer and get more information, and/or find a way to email them to ask.