With the VacuCalculator from Schmalz, it is easy to calculate vacuum-system parameters correctly and quickly, and the program also permits easy conversion between the various units of measurement used in different countries.

Under the heading "Unit calculator" the various units are arranged in 14 main groups such as volume flow, pressure, power, area, time, distance, energy, force, mass, etc. In addition, the proven expert system "Vacuum calculator" provides designers with reliable information on such things as the evacuation times of pumps for given volumes, the suction capacity of vacuum generators, the required suction-pad area, the suction force and the necessary vacuum-hose diameters.

For the last of these, the new version of this free program from Schmalz has a new feature: the function "hose-diameter calculator", with which the hose diameter can be optimally matched to the requirements of the application. The correct hose diameter is important because a vacuum hose always resists the flow of air and thus has a decisive effect on the efficiency of the vacuum system. The hose diameter is calculated from three parameters: the volume flow rate, the hose length and the flow velocity. A small-diameter hose will always present more resistance than one with a larger diameter, which means that less air can flow through it in a given time. The logical consequences of this are that the evacuation takes too long, the suction capacity is too low and the system safety of the vacuum system is reduced. Particularly when handling porous workpieces, the volume flow will not be sufficient to ensure safe gripping of the workpieces. Such problems are in most cases not due to a weak vacuum generator, but to the use of hoses with insufficient diameters.

On the other hand, the problem cannot be solved by simply using a hose with a much larger diameter, since this will increase the volume which has to be evacuated from the hose and will result in longer cycle times in parts-handling operations.

Another point to be considered when designing vacuum systems is that the hoses should be kept as short as possible. In other words, the vacuum generators should, if possible, be located close to the suction pads in order to minimise the losses and the vacuum which has to be evacuated.

With the aid of the new version of the VacuCalculator, vacuum systems can be designed efficiently and then assembled cheaply from the wide range of Schmalz vacuum components. The VacuCalculator is available free of charge on request. It can also be downloaded as a Zip file from the Schmalz website (http://www.vacuworld.com/service/vacucalculator/uebersicht.html.en). This can then be unpacked to provide the necessary EXE file (size: 700 kB).