Vacuum Clamping fixtures PLEASE HELP!

[karlthebassist]

Hi

I'm new to the forum and have no idea where I should have posted this question so I thought here would be a good a place as any.

I work for a small pattern making firm where I operate a Haas TM2 3-axis mill. 95% of the things I make on it are foundry patterns and composite tooling machined from PU and epoxy tooling boards.

More often than not, to mahine a job I usually end up screwin it to a wooden base board of mdf or plywood and then clamping that to the table.

For a while I have been interested in using a vacuum table for workholding but am totally unsure of how to aproach this.

So far I have expremented using a workshop vacuum, a table made from PU tooling board and a neoprene rubber seal. I think the principle is there but the vac is totally insuficient.

I have NO idea when it comes to pneumatics etc about pump sizes and all that lot. I want to be able to plough through tooling board at 4mpm with a 42mm cutter at 5mm depths without it flying off the table is my goal. What size pump/tubing etc should I be looking at? What kind of vacuum pressure etc?

Help would be HUGELY apreciated.

[wendtmk]

Look about 3 sub forums down for the Workholding forum. You'd more than likely get a quicker answer there.

Mark

[keebler303]

You will run into some issues with your tooling board being porous. WHat densities are you using and how big are the pieces? On a commercial 4'x8' wood router with a vacuum clamping system you will see anywhere from 20hp up past 50hp. That should give you an idea of what you need. A "shopvac" is not going to do it.\

Matt