Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: CFS superplatter help

This is topic CFS superplatter help in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Wohlford (Member # 905) on 07-03-2001, 09:05 PM:

Since CFS shut down, where can I send my CFS super platter motors to be repaired? Right now, we don't have the money to upgrade to descent platter systems.

Posted by Ethan Harper (Member # 472) on 07-03-2001, 11:56 PM:

To my knowledge Strong is taking care of replacement parts for CFS. I am not to sure on that one though.

------------------
--"That's my story and i'm sticking to it!"--

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-04-2001, 12:20 AM:

The motors are Lamb motors, and can be obtained from Grainger. Slight modification is necessary, but not too hard to do.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-04-2001, 02:45 AM:

Strong to my knowledge is supporting only the old ORC platters with the 'wide' tree assemblies.

The majority of the stock of CFS Super Platter parts were bought at auction in December 2000 by three parties: Dick Niccum, Cinema West Theatres, and another party that bought a bunch of the discs and trees for scrap metal.

Dick Niccum at LTI still has some CFS platter components available. He also supports the CFS lamphouse consoles.

Paul: I would love to learn to adapt the Lamb motor to a CFS casing, it would be a huge cost saver and headache reducer

Aaron

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 07-04-2001, 02:57 AM:

Aaron, that's why I do it. We have motors up the Gazoo now..

Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 07-04-2001, 11:15 PM:

I have heard that some Battlebots builders use platter motors.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-04-2001, 11:57 PM:

Here in Salt Lake City we call them the Stupid Platter. The best cure for them is to dispose of them all together. What a piece of crap! However they would go right along with a Christie projector. Two marvels of engineering.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-05-2001, 08:38 AM:

Aaron said: "The majority of the stock of CFS Super Platter parts were bought at auction in December 2000 by three parties: Dick Niccum, Cinema West Theatres, and another party that bought a bunch of the discs and trees for scrap metal."

Did Cinema West Theatres buy them for use in their own theatres, or to sell them to others?

Do you have contact information for Dick Niccum?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-05-2001, 07:00 PM:

Cinema West bought the CFS platter parts inventory for company use, mainly motors, bearings, rollers, brain parts, guidance hardware, and some lamphouse components. Cinema West also bought the entire Aura lighting stock, and have had inquiries from some people that were referred to us about parts from that stock. (None of our locations uses any Aura lighting products....yet.

)

As far as I know we are not offering any of the components for sale, but I can see if they can be made available if they are needed badly enough (no more operational motors left, sorry)

Dick Niccum's new company Lighting Images Technology can be reached at: (909) 981-7190.

Aaron

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-05-2001, 10:55 PM:

If anyone needs replacement Aura Parts contact Lighting And Electronic Design in Henderson,Nevada. The plex I just worked on had to replace its early Aura LED lighting to be able to get open again as too many LED's had failed. Lighting And Electronic Design was able to supply me with their Stadia Light LED lighting and poly extrusion covers to fit the original Aura track.
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 07-06-2001, 07:03 PM:

just caught this thread late, have CFS folded? this is interesting as we we have CFS platter and tables in all our screens. Fill me in guys

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-06-2001, 07:26 PM:

CFS-Rentec went out of business in the fall of 2000. The company's assets and inventory were liquidated at auction December 6th, 2000. Most of it went cheap.

Everything but the building itself was sold, to include the patent for the Dreamcatcher projector, all of the Aura Lighting division's stock, machine shop equipment, complete and semi-completed lamphouses, platters, Dreamcatcher projectors, special-venue equipment (they were a major supplier to the Disney parks), projector, platter, lamphouse, electronic and mechanical components (and LOTS of them), forklifts, raw materials, and much much more. The parties buying the largest lots were:

Dick Niccum (who has since started a new company called Lighting Images Technology)
Cinemark USA
Cinema West Theatres
Various dealers buying sheet metal and other raw and 'scrap' materials

Support for CFS platters and lamphouse consoles is now handled by LIT (see above posts for the number)

I don't think that any of CFS' former tech staff is providing any support.
Aaron

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 07-07-2001, 12:20 AM:

We demo'ed a Rentec ESP3 platter in 1997. It was pretty good. The fit on the parts was very good, and I liked the "no-moving-parts" design of the payout head. The manual was better (clear, well-drawn illustrations, etc.) than many other projection equipment manufacturers.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 07-07-2001, 12:59 AM:

Are you sure the company isnt LTI?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-07-2001, 03:18 AM:

>>Are you sure the company isnt LTI?<<

its LIT. Is LTI based in Upland, CA?

-Aaron

Posted by Michael Pace (Member # 553) on 07-07-2001, 07:42 AM:

We had the ESP3 platters when we first opened. From the very first week we were having problems with them. They would either over-feed and wrap the film aound the pay-out unit or they simply forget to pay film out and wrap up the pay-out unit. Then we received a new set of pay-out units that had a film motion(?) sensor built into the unit. We soon found out that the sensor would build up dirt onto the infra-red sensor and would then stop pay-out because it 'forgot' that it had film in it. We had one session stop 3 times until we tumbled this 'new' problem.

The slide unit for control of take-up speed would have to be thoroughly clean to make it slide or you soon found that the show would be off-the-sheet. One platter had to be run with the perspex cover permanently off because when it was fitted it distorted the metalwork and seized the slide unit.

The plates where they were screwed to the central hub were also a problem. With time they would strip the thread out of the thin aluminium used on the underside of the plate. A set of inserts was sent to us along with an insert tool to fit in place of the thread and this solved the problem. They were not a solid design in this area especially when you have to slide film on and off the plates by hand.

Also the speed control that is mounted in the end of each platter arm were constantly dying and would need replacing.

They were replaced a couple of years back with Kinoton platters which have not missed a beat since installation.

The last thing I heard of these platters was that they were being reconditioned for use in Fiji. I pity the poor Fijians if they ever finally arrived in Fiji.

About the only thing the ESP3 platter could be used for would be a boat anchor but I doubt that it would be big enough for the QE2.

We still have the CFS consoles but most of the parts like switches, motors, etc we have been able to source locally.

Regards,

Michael.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-07-2001, 07:56 AM:

Lighting Images Technology, Inc.
Gary Waters Phone: (909) 981-7190
1330 N. Monte Vista Fax: (909) 981-3071
Unit 1 Email: garyh20@worldnet.att.net
Upland, CA 91786

Description: Full theater service provider for rebuilt movie projectors and sound heads. Engineers, designs and manufactures low voltage led aisle lighting systems and related products, fiber optic illuminators, signs, displays and other specialty lighting effects with AutoCad capabilities. Key market applications include movie theaters, casinos, themed restaurants, entertainment centers and hotels.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-07-2001, 06:22 PM:

That's them, John.

I should add that they are currently not MANUFACTURING any 'new CFS' products, but DO provide support for those already in the field.

I will be there next week, I can ask some more questions then.

Aaron