Fully automatic vacuum clamping system for precise and flexible machining of CNC woodworking centres.

The new, self-setting console system VC-RC from J. Schmalz GmbH, is the ideal vacuum clamping system for workpieces on modern CNC woodworking centres. Only a perfect symbiosis between the machine, the tools and the workpiece clamping system can ensure economical use of a high-performance machining centre for the flexible production of wooden parts.
Or, in other words: what is the point of buying a complex CNC machine with all kinds of technical features if the resulting gains in productivity are cancelled out by a workpiece clamping system which requires complex handling and does not clamp the workpieces precisely? The self-setting console system VC-RC is the final link in the process chain for automated machining of wooden parts. The three or (optionally) four clamping elements of this innovative system can be moved independently on the consoles with the aid of an integrated drive motor and motion measuring system, which means that they can be positioned as desired by the controller of the machining centre.

It is thus possible to mount and (reproducibly) clamp either differing or identical workpieces. The clamping positions can be saved and retrieved as necessary. This, in turn, permits fast and simple conversion for different workpieces, improves the flexibility and ensures high availability of the machining centre. The centre can also be operated in several shifts without major operating costs.

The clamping elements (suction blocks) can be moved over a distance of 1400 mm and secured in their new positions within five seconds. A further option is that the suction blocks can be repositioned with a workpiece clamped on them. The motor is so powerful that even large amounts of dirt on the consoles do not affect the positioning accuracy. The system also has an integrated cleaning system which ensures the necessary operational and process safety, even in multi-shift operation with only a few operators. The user can select the desired clamping elements from the standard range of suction blocks from Schmalz and can construct individual clamping arrangements to match the applications. The suction blocks are easily inserted into the guides of the consoles and just as easily removed.

For machining of workpieces with extremely complex shapes, it is also possible to position further suction blocks by hand and to dock them onto the optional spare connections of the consoles. The consoles of the VC-RC system can first be placed on the machine and milled down to ensure absolute accuracy with respect to the machine spindle. This ensures that the clamping elements and thus the workpieces are always precisely aligned with the drilling or milling spindle. Since the suction blocks are all of the same height, with a tolerance of only +/- 0.06 mm, the system guarantees a high reproducibility when machining identical workpieces.