Vacuum-membrane press. Equipment for the production of furniture blanks

Furniture production in our country is very well developed. Companies that manufacture cabinets, tables, headsets, etc., there are many. And consequently, the competition in this segment of the market is unusually high. In order to get a good profit, the enterprises of this specialization need to pay maximum attention to both the quality of their products and its appearance. Simply put, furniture should be not only good, but also beautiful. In order to achieve this, of course, it is of course first and foremost to use high-quality machines in production.

Machines for manufacturing blanks

At the specialized enterprises such equipment is used for furniture production, as:

• Formal machine tools. This equipment is designed specifically for cutting MDF or chipboard.

• Milling-copying machines. They are necessary for applying to a plate a certain relief.

• Presses for the production of bent facades.

• Grinding machines. They are necessary for the processing of facade details when applying paint or varnish on them.

Also in furniture production, a vacuum-membrane press is mandatory, which will be discussed in this article. This equipment is used for pasting the facades of cabinets and sets with decorative PVC film or veneer. Modern machines of this type have a fairly simple design and are also easy to use.

Basic elements of the vacuum machine design

Arranged equipment of this type is not too difficult. Any such machine tool consists of five basic elements:

• The table on which furniture pieces are laid out. Its surface is usually covered with a metal sheet or thick tin.
• Vacuum pump.
• Clamping frame. This press element is also made of durable metal.
• Heating installation. Different presses use different types of this equipment. The heating system can be infrared or contact.
• Actually the press itself. It can be made in the form of a hinged or rolled cover.

Additional structural elements

Vacuum such equipment is called because the tight pressing of the film to the workpieces in it is done by completely evacuating the air from under it. From the end of the table in such equipment there are shafts (one or several) under rolls of PVC film. In order for the blanks to adhere to the material as tightly as possible, they are placed on special substrates on the table. When finishing MDF or chipboard with veneer, special glue is additionally used. The control of the press is carried out using an automatic remote control. At the same time, the operator can manually adjust the equipment.

Types of presses

At the moment, only two main types of such machines are used at the enterprises:

• Actually vacuum press. Used for finishing furniture blanks in a gentle way. Such installations can provide a pressure of not more than 0.95 kg / cm ² .

• Vacuum with additional pressure. Such equipment is much more expensive. At the same time, it can provide a pressure of up to 8.5 kg / cm ² .

The first variety is usually used for gluing PVC film or for veneering of simple blanks. Vacuum presses of the second type are used for cladding furniture parts from MDF, having a complex configuration.

Membrane for presses

Both types of vacuum machines are usually supplemented with a special membrane. It is used most often when gluing the blanks with veneer as an additional "press", which prevents undesirable progress in the process of work. Also, the membrane is used to finish parts with very thin films that do not tolerate extreme temperatures. This element is attached to the hooks located along the perimeter of the clamping frame.

In this sphere of the national economy, as in furniture production, only two basic types of membranes are used. Most often these elements are made of rubber. Sometimes a strong silicone is also used. The latter is obtained by the vulcanization method, and consequently, it has all the qualities of natural rubber. Moreover, silicone also has a higher degree of wear resistance.

Among other things, the use of a rubber or silicone membrane in the press allows:

• To cover details of very small sizes;

• Reduce the amount of waste film.

Film Finishing

The procedure for pasting furniture blocks with PVC material using equipment such as a vacuum membrane press includes the following steps:

• On the surface of the table, carefully lay out the substrates. At the same time, technological gaps of a few centimeters are left between them. This is necessary because during the pressing process the film stretches and compresses, including the ends of the blanks along the perimeter. Without gaps, this becomes simply impossible.

• The workpieces are laid on the substrates: the doors of the cabinets, the drawers of the boxes, the parts of the facade, and so on.

• The table with the workpieces is completely covered with PVC film, rolled up from the rollers.

• On the film around the perimeter the presser frame is lowered, pulling and straightening it.

• Depending on the design, the press itself is lowered or pushed at the side.

• The operator exposes the temperature and pressure values necessary for the technology on the PC and includes the equipment. After that, the film starts to warm up. As soon as its surface reaches a certain temperature, the vacuum unit is turned on. From under the film, air begins to be pumped out (with a given pressure and a certain speed).

• At the end of the set time, the operator deactivates the press and throws it back (or pushes it away).

• Next, trim the pasted film around the edges. In this case, a special design knife is used, which excludes the risk of damage to the blank cover.

It is impossible to violate this technology in any way. Otherwise, the workpieces will be finished poorly. In addition, in the near future, it may be necessary to perform such a costly operation as repair of industrial equipment.

Veneer finish

In this case, the cladding procedure is done approximately the same way. The difference lies in the fact that the blank before the overlay veneer is greased with a special glue. Substrates are usually not used in this case. The membrane is put on the frame. Keep the press when veneering on the workpiece longer than with lamination - about 7-10 minutes.

How to choose

When buying equipment such as a vacuum membrane press, you should first pay attention to such parameters as:

• The pump mark. Equipped vacuum presses can be Italian models or domestic. The first increases the cost of equipment, but at the same time they are more reliable. Domestic vacuum pumps are also quite reliable. In addition, repair of industrial equipment of this type a problem for the shop owner will not in any case. Get all the necessary nodes and details will be easy.

• The material used for the table cladding. It is important to make sure that it is metal. Some manufacturers sheathe tables with chipboard sheets. In the process of trimming the film, such an impractical coating can be easily damaged.

• Dimensions. This, perhaps, is the main characteristic of presses, on which it is necessary to pay attention. Equipment of large dimensions allows processing a lot of blanks at a time. However, such presses are quite expensive. In addition, in small shops to work with them may not be too convenient. Today there are also two types of presses on the market. This type of equipment is most suitable for large furniture production. For a small press you will have to pay less, but at the same time, its productivity will be less, of course.

• Type of heaters. The most practical is the equipment equipped with KGT-lamps. Such presses do not burn the film in the upper part of the bent parts. When using the same equipment with TEN, it is necessary to make sure that the distance to the highest point of the workpiece is not less than 150 mm.

• Manufacturer's mark. Of course, we do not need to buy equipment from an unknown manufacturer.

Price for the press

How much can a membrane-vacuum press cost on the market? The price of the machines of this type depends mainly on their dimensions, design features and the manufacturer's brand. Small models intended for use in small enterprises cost about 300-500 thousand rubles. The price for overall equipment, installed in large furniture factories, fluctuates within 3-4 million rubles.

Also on the market you can often find a used technique of this specialization. Such equipment costs a little cheaper - 200-300 thousand rubles.

To choose the most suitable vacuum-membrane press in this or that case, so, if necessary, it will be quite simple. Equipment of this type in the modern market is represented very widely. The most important thing is to determine the dimensions of the unit and pay attention to the features of its design. In this case, you can purchase the most suitable, productive and reliable model.