vacuum requirements

[Indywood]

We are running a motionmaster router (I believe a 1430) with a Fagor 8050-55m controller, single spindle (Columbo) and a 5x12 table with a 20hp vacuum pump. I have 20 years in the business, but fairly new to cnc, and everything I think I know tells me this pump is way too small for this machine. I have a few ideas involving zoned valves to isolate sections of the table, but again I'm new at this and would love to hear from this community.

[TheWoodCrafter]

With a 5 x 12 table and if you are cutting a 4 x 8 sheet your effective vacuum is only 50% (10HP). It would be less because of the losses with the open table. Zoning or masks would be the cheap way out. Doubling you vacuum pump size would be expensive.
Try cutting 1/4 melamine and use it as a mask on the open table area not being used. This should make a big difference. Depending on how your table is built zoning may not be an option and using the mask may be the only way to go.

[robinl]

I use a 40 hp Decker pump.