Press Info

March 2010

Flip-Pod Vacuum-System simplifies fast machining of large parts

A special milling machine was recently developed for fast and accurate machining of large surface sandwich type plates i.e. plywood, plastics or fiber materials. Previously this process was done manually with electrical saws.

Fixation of these large parts on the machine was originally planned using clamps. Because of the surface area involved that method would have been impractical and too time-consuming, also theclamps would have impaired the traverse path of the tool. Fixation via vacuum clamping was a much more viable alternative.

The machine was equipped with a Flip Pod vacuum system from Witte Bleckede. This system is characterized by high holding forces and is suitable for applications on large machines as well as for machining processes on wood and plastic workpieces. Beyond that the seals are designed and developed in such a way those natural fiber materials and rough or uneven surfaces can also be clamped. When parts are clamped their outer workpiece contours remainfree enabling milling of chamfers, radii and undercuts around the outside.The Flip Pod vacuumchucks have a regular grid of pockets, into which so-called Pods are inserted. These Pods are as it were the contact points to the workpiece, through which it is sucked down and thereby clamped. Unused Pods are turned over (flipped) and stored in the cavities (pods) of the Pod plate. Different configurations can be flipped up at any time corresponding to the geometry of different workpieces.

In the existing application the milling machine was equipped with six Flip Pod chucks each measuring 300x300 mm. The plates are operated separately, so that milling of different sized workpieces is possible. All necessary accessories such as vacuum pump with integrated liquid separator, manifold distributor, safety equipment and hoses configured for this application were part of the vacuum package solution.

Photo 1: Milling machine with Flip Pod clamping plates

Photo 2: Flip Pod plate with six activated and 3 non-activated Pods

(Photos: Albert Denis, France)

Horst Witte Gerätebau Barskamp KG, Horndorfer Weg 26, 21354 Bleckede, Germany

Tel.: +49 / 58 54 / 89-0, Fax: + 49 / 58 54 / 89-40, ,

Press/PR: Maren Roeding, Tel.: +49 / 58 54 / 89-47 bzw. 0065 6248 5980 (Singapore),

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