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Thread: CNC People - Vacuum Pumps

  1. #1
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    Default CNC People - Vacuum Pumps

    im dead keen on getting a vacuum table setup for my cnc, but know nothing about vacuum pumps.

    what sort of figures should I be looking for?

    for example is this crap?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Single-Sta...item46190537e4
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  2. #2
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    Generally speaking, vacuum tables for CNC gear don't use a vacuum pump to generate suction; they use a shop vac or something like an industrial dust collection system for that.

    One of the biggest reasons for this is that all kinds of gack (metal chips, cutting fluid, metal dust) WILL get pulled into the suction system. Metal dust will destroy a vacuum pump whereas a shop vac was made specifically for sucking up garbage.

    There are vacuum pump powered CNC tables, but they require a filter/liquid separator before the pump intake.

  3. #3
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    I was also looking at these, the ATC on my cnc runs off a compressor, but again no idea if the figures are any good???

    http://www.clampusystems.com/Venturi.html
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    Ah ok. A little more info is always helpful.

    A few questions/things to consider:

    What are the specs of the compressor running your ATC?
    What are the minimum pneumatic requirements for the ATC?
    Will anything else besides the ATC and vacuum table require a connection to the compressor while the CNC machine and vacuum table are running?

    A venturi-based vacuum system will require a good amount of your compressor's output and you need to ensure that it will be able to provide enough constant output to meet the demands of the ATC, the vacuum table, and anything else connected to the pneumatics circuit in a "maximum load" scenario.

    How big is the vacuum table you plan to use?
    What kinds of materials do you plan on CNC'ing on the vacuum table?
    What is the minimum part size you plan on machining on the vacuum table?
    How far is your pneumatics gear from the CNC machine?

  5. #5
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    anwser below .


    Quote Originally Posted by CountFunkula View Post
    Ah ok. A little more info is always helpful.

    A few questions/things to consider:

    What are the specs of the compressor running your ATC? http://www.aircomps.co.uk/product/ba...ir-compressor/
    What are the minimum pneumatic requirements for the ATC?
    this is what info ive managed to find

    air filter regulator
    normal operating pressure is 100psi (6.6bar)

    max pressure for air regulator is 150psi (9.9bar)

    operating pressure is 100lbs sq

    air consumed by ATC = 0.87dm3 / cycle
    Will anything else besides the ATC and vacuum table require a connection to the compressor while the CNC machine and vacuum table are running? No
    A venturi-based vacuum system will require a good amount of your compressor's output and you need to ensure that it will be able to provide enough constant output to meet the demands of the ATC, the vacuum table, and anything else connected to the pneumatics circuit in a "maximum load" scenario.

    How big is the vacuum table you plan to use? looking at A4 paper size so pretty small
    What kinds of materials do you plan on CNC'ing on the vacuum table? just ally
    What is the minimum part size you plan on machining on the vacuum table? ??? not sure i want to be able to machine ally sheet for projector cases.
    How far is your pneumatics gear from the CNC machine? on top of so like 0.5 metres
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    thoughts on this as a vacuum pump for a vacuum table?

    http://www.hvacstore.co.uk/acatalog/...cuum_pump.html
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    I wouldn't get one of those Andy, I've heard they really suck, lol
    Quote: "There is a theory which states that if ever, for any reason, anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened.”... Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001

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    don't give up ya day job jem
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  9. #9
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    A single stage rotary vane lab pump (Cenco, Edwards etc) will work just fine, as long as you open the gas ballast knob when its humid and properly filter the input. Pumps that are dead for lab service after 20 years have plenty of life left in them as a platen hold down. Most small systems use a two stage diaphragm vacuum pump. These go for cheap and have readily available rebuild kits. You also need to place a simple oil trap on the output when pumping that much air.

    Most lab machinists don't want to get dirty and often don't rebuild the rotaries, so a dose of flushing oil and worse case some new seals and you have a hard vacuum.

    Some times surplus lab pumps will suck, and sometimes they will be Gems. Most times they have plenty of life remaining even if they do not achieve their ultimate vacuum from chamber wear. I've probably bought ten over the years and only had one bad used rotary pump.

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    These vacuum pumps have low productivity and quickly overheated, they cannot work more than 5 minutes without a break. You can have time to vacuuming your air conditioner pipeline but do not have time to process your metal billet. Also, as noted herein, they require a continuous supply of oil to airflow

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