Do not let go!

One cubic meter of wood stores around one ton of carbon dioxide that it has absorbed from the atmosphere over the years of its growth. In addition to carbon storage, there is another effect that has a positive impact on the climate: substitution. For example, if energy-intensive materials such as aluminum, concrete, steel or bricks are replaced by wood superstructures in a house construction, this reduces the emission of carbon dioxide. As long as the renewable raw material is used as a material, it binds the gas. And at the end of its useful life, it can be burned - with a better CO2 balance than fossil fuels.

This and the fact that wood can be used in a wide variety of ways - not only in furniture and house construction, but also for packaging, in paper production and as a basic chemical material - makes it a valuable raw material. Current supply chain problems and high material costs additionally increase the need to generate as little waste as possible during processing. CNC machines help here: they work quickly, precisely and without errors. In addition, they can also implement complex designs and mill entire panels, long slats or smaller workpieces. This reduces wood consumption and saves the carpenter working time, which he can use elsewhere to add value. However, the decisive factor for the precision of the computer-controlled machines is their stability. This is because high forces occur when processing wood, including at the support points.

Matthias Schmider, product manager at J. Schmalz GmbH, knows what characteristics clamping systems must have in order to be as flexible and efficient as the processing machines. "They are definitely adverse conditions. Despite dust, abrasive materials and high forces, the vacuum blocks must fix the wood workpiece 100 percent securely, otherwise the accuracy of the hole, groove or chamfer is at risk." As a leading supplier of clamping systems, Schmalz equips numerous woodworking machines from various manufacturers with console systems, grid tables as well as the appropriate clamping devices. What makes the difference are the interfaces to the machine table, which vary depending on the manufacturer. One of the latest representatives is the VCBL-S6 block suction cup series for SCM machines. "Its robust base body is made of a special plastic with the original receptacle, which are adapted to the consoles of SCM's Morbidelli machines," explains Schmider. Depending on the variant, a suction cup is still mounted on this base, which the user can insert into the suction cup receptacle in 15-degree increments and fix in place with a clamping lever. Plug-in suction cups and tool-free fixing reduce setup times. Common to all versions is a touch valve that automatically activates the vacuum as soon as a workpiece is in contact. Schmalz has also integrated an NFC tag (Near Field Communication), which the user can read with his mobile device. This means he has all the relevant product data at his fingertips at all times - eliminating the possibility of errors when ordering spare parts. A suction plate with diaphragm forms the interface to the workpiece and protects the vacuum block from penetrating chips. Its elastomer provides optimum sealing and can be replaced quickly in the event of wear or a collision.

The VCBL-S6 are available in various dimensions and working heights with flexible suction cups for different woodworking applications. They clamp curved contours just as securely as rough surfaces and can also cope with the high lateral forces. "This makes our clamping systems just as flexible as the CNC machines for which we developed them. Their high holding forces ensure the dimensional accuracy that the machinist expects from his machine," emphasizes Schmider.