Vacuum membrane press for plastics. Vacuum press - operation of membrane-vacuum presses in non-standard conditions. The work of a vacuum press for MDF and its functional features. Manufacturers from which it is best to buy a vacuum press. Pres

The main equipment for the production of MDF facades in PVC film is a thermal vacuum press.Today, a huge number of presses with a wide variety of technical characteristics are presented on the Russian market.Therefore, before purchasing, you should ask yourself a few questions in order to correctly answer the main one - how to choose a vacuum press for MDF facades.

The size of the working surface of the vacuum press for MDF facades

When choosing the size of the working table of the press, the expected volume of production and the range of MDF products should be taken into account. Manufacturers of thermal vacuum presses for the manufacture of MDF facades offer equipment with a working surface of 1150× 1090 mm, such as, for example, a membrane-vacuum press for bent MDF facades from the New Technologies company, Penza. The maximum size of the working table of a vacuum press for facing MDF facades can currently boast of Latvian equipment VP -4000, from ISTRA-A (Latvia), with table 4000× 1400 mm.

Please note that the standard width of PVC film rolls for vacuum pressing is 1400 mm. Some European companies offer films with a width of 1420 and 1450 mm. However, the main manufacturers of equipment for membrane vacuum pressing are oriented towards the 1400 mm standard.

In addition, for continuous flow production of MDF facades, some developers offer membrane-vacuum presses with 2-3 working tables, such as Master PRO, Moscow. The movable heating carriage, moving freely over the working surfaces, provides alternate heating of the PVC film. The structure of the vacuum press can include a table for cladding curved facades.

The design of a vacuum press for MDF facades and its dimensions

With a shortage of working space in the furniture workshop, the size of the vacuum press for the production of MDF facades and the area it occupies will become a natural question. But we should not forget about the convenience of equipment maintenance. Here you should understand the design solutions for the location of the working table and the heating module offered by manufacturers of vacuum presses.

The main manufacturers offer the following options for the design of the membrane vacuum press:

· With movable heating carriage on rail guides. This design of the vacuum press allows you to lay out MDF facades from 3 sides.

· Vacuum press for MDF facades with hinged lifting thermal module. The effectiveness of this design lies in saving the working space of the furniture workshop. However, laying down parts and stretching the PVC film becomes more difficult.

· With pull-out table for loading MDF and PVC foil parts, such as the vacuum press for MDF facade cladding MTA-2500. Ideal for small furniture production, as it will compactly fit into any corner of the workshop.

· The most effective in terms of workshop space saving and serviceability are membrane-vacuum machines with vertical pneumatic or hydraulic lifting of the heating module, such as the VPF-2 vacuum press from a Latvian manufacturer, or the Italian PM ORMA press, which, among other things, makes it possible to produce facing products with 2 -x sides.

Features of the configuration of membrane-vacuum presses for the manufacture of MDF facades

1. Heating module of the membrane vacuum press . At the current level of development, manufacturers of vacuum presses for cladding MDF facades in PVC film use quartz-halogen thermal heaters that provide fast heating with minimal energy consumption. In other embodiments, infrared lamps may be used. Some manufacturers of membrane-vacuum presses use hot air for heating, supplied through heating elements, to prevent uneven heating on the membrane surface. In addition, additional thermal equipment for heating the table can be installed on the vacuum press. Chinese machine tool manufacturers heat PVC film by pumping hot air underneath it.

2. Automation of the process of facing MDF facades in PVC film . Vacuum presses equipped with automation systems have proven themselves well in in-line and continuous furniture production. Human participation is reduced only to laying the details of the MDF facades on the desktop and then trimming the excess PVC film. However, in small businesses that work daily with a wide range of PVC films, it is easier to carry out the cladding process manually, “by eye”.

3. Silicone, rubber or rubber membrane . Most manufacturers supply a vacuum press for MDF facades with silicone membrane, which has high heat resistance and elasticity. With the help of a silicone membrane, some technological operations are performed for gluing various materials, giving them a curved shape according to a pattern, as well as for the rational use of PVC film with small bookmark volumes. In some designs of vacuum presses, the silicone membrane is mounted on a special frame, which makes it more convenient to use. In other cases, the process of cladding MDF facades in PVC film is based directly on the use of a silicone membrane, and it is an integral part of the equipment.

4. Vacuum pump. As a rule, modern membrane-vacuum presses for MDF facades are installed oil pumps, which currently have the highest performance. With a small size of the vacuum press table and a short pressing time, oil-free "dry" pumps with lower performance. As a budget option, a membrane-vacuum press can be installed VVN water ring pump. With a significant size of the working table of the vacuum press, the vacuum pump can be supplemented with a receiver. Some machine tool builders combine a vacuum supply with a counter-supply of high pressure, so a compressor may be required with the equipment.

5. Dividing frame . It is used when dividing the working table of a membrane-vacuum press for the simultaneous use of two types of film or one, in combination with a silicone membrane, for the rational use of PVC film with a small number of products.

6. Additional desktop . In large-scale production of MDF furniture facades in PVC film, the installation of one additional working table allows increasing the productivity of the membrane-vacuum press and, accordingly, the output by 1.5 times or more.

7. Membrane vacuum press control panel . When crimping MDF facades "in manual" mode, as a rule, two buttons are used to turn on the heating and vacuum pump, as well as a valve that regulates the vacuum supply rate. More powerful and automated equipment requires an appropriate control panel.

8. Possibility of manufacturing radius (curved) MDF facades . In view of the design features, some membrane-vacuum presses do not allow the production of MDF radius facades and their cladding in PVC film. On the other hand, as for example the Master PRO company in Moscow, machine tool builders took care of this option by adding additional devices to their equipment.

9. Unwinders . Including with manual or pneumatic cutting of PVC film. Such equipment can significantly increase the productivity of a vacuum press with large production volumes.

10. Antistatic brushes . Allows to remove a static charge from a PVC film to facilitate its cleaning and eliminate debris sticking to its surface before feeding it to a vacuum press. They are installed in order to improve the quality of the manufacture of MDF facades and other products.

11. Support system. Special supports, including magnetic ones, are used as a substrate when laying MDF facades on the working table of a vacuum press. Some manufacturers even took care of such a “little thing”.

12. PVC Film Waste Briquetting Press, Silicone Membrane Tears and Damage Repair Devices, PVC Film Roll Storage Movable Racks - all this may not be included with a membrane-vacuum press for MDF facades, however, it is often offered by the manufacturer as additional equipment, such as, for example, German designers of vacuum presses BR 2600, Wemhoener. Such devices make the production of MDF facades more convenient and efficient.

Before you finally decide and choose a vacuum press for MDF facades, you should also study the price range, the availability of options for installation and adjustment of equipment, staff training, further warranty and service.

A vacuum press is a unit that allows the production of furniture facades with PVC films and decorative door linings based on MDF. It can be purchased or made at home.

The material will be devoted to how to make a vacuum press with your own hands, and what is required for this.

Remember that such work is quite difficult, you need observe safety rules, because it is associated with the use of power tools of a high degree of danger and heavy structures. If you want to assemble a press with your own hands, evaluate your capabilities, and if it is difficult for you, it is better to entrust this matter to a professional.

Vacuum press: purpose and principle of operation

Film furniture facades are widely used in the manufacture of cabinet or upholstered furniture due to the following characteristics:

• a wide range of colors;
• variety of forms;
• affordable cost.

Such facades produced on special equipment, while the main production tool is a vacuum press. It shrinks a PVC film onto the surface of an MDF-based workpiece.

The press includes the following key elements:

• vacuum chamber or table;
• thermal module.

The chamber most often has a rectangular shape and is made on the basis of a rigid material that does not compress under artificially created negative pressure from the inside. And outside, a PVC film is laid, the edges of which are sealed with the frame.

film shrinking process includes the following steps:

• laying blanks on the table;
• sealing;
• film heating;
• air pumping;
• cooling;
• cutting blanks and removing excess film from the facade.

Do-it-yourself vacuum press: what you need to know?

Before working on the independent manufacture of a vacuum press remember the following:

If you plan the purchase of components and do the work correctly, the cost of a do-it-yourself press will be significantly lower than the factory counterpart, and you can make film facades and MDF lining at home.

Before you start making a bed for the press, you need to pick up optimal type of heating unit, since this will affect not only the design of the bed, but also other elements of the press. When assembling with your own hands, it is best to choose a retractable thermal module, which is easy to assemble and easy to use, but it has large dimensions.

For the manufacture of the bed you will need:

• steel profiled pipe;
• rails for thermomodule.

The bed design is best modeled on a computer using special 3D modeling programs.

Required to work the following set of tools:

• small one-handed angle grinder with a disc diameter of 115 or 125 mm;
• welding machine;
• electric drill;
• locksmith set, including a hammer, wrench, pencil, tape measure, etc.

Assembly steps the stands will be:

• cut the steel profile into parts according to the cutting charts;
• lay them out on a flat surface in accordance with the project, align and fix with clamps;
• tack the joints of the parts, taking into account the final welding on all sides or full welding of the seams without tacks;
• knock the slag off the seams and check their quality;
• if necessary, clean them with a grinder with a grinding wheel;
• drill holes;
• clean the surface with a metal brush from rust;
• prime the surface;
• paint it with a brush or spray can.

For operation, the welding machine can be selected based on AC transformer, inverter type device or semi-automatic device.

The table assembly stage is the most important when assembling a vacuum press with your own hands. At the design stage, decide on its size and material, on the basis of which it will be made, also consider how to fix and seal the connector elements in order to preserve the internal vacuum. Tools for work will require the same as for the bed.

vacuum table is a design that includes the following elements:

• bath;
• clamping frame;
• clamps and other items.

vacuum bath

You need to calculate the size of the bath before assembling it. Remember that the longer it is, the more blanks will fit in it, but at the same time you will use more films in one working cycle. As practice shows, its optimal length is about 2.5 meters.

The width of the structure depends on the width of the applied PVC film, most manufacturers produces products with a width of 1.4 m.

And the working height of the bath should be provided taking into account the presence of a small space between the upper part of the facade and the film with which it will be covered. So, before the air is pumped out, the film should not touch the workpiece.

A 2 mm thick steel sheet is suitable as a bottom for a bath, and a profile pipe is suitable for a frame. The pipe cut in advance must be laid on the slipway, fixed with clamps and boiled all the junctions. A steel sheet must be welded on top of the stiffening frame.

Manufacturing of clamping frame and clamps

We make the frame on the basis of a profile pipe, its dimensions must strictly correspond to the parameters of the bath. To keep the pressure frame up, you need to put 4 gas lifts and make sure they are able to hold it.

Clamps are needed in order to ensure a reliable and tight hold of the film during the pressing process. To do this, the upper frame must be firmly and evenly pressed against the perimeter of the bath. Clamps work on the principle of eccentrics, they can also be made by hand on the basis of rolled steel.

To install them, holes must be drilled at 8 points on the vacuum table. At the same time, the upper ones increase and give them an oblong shape. Further, they are adjusted by installing nuts in the threads of the stud and fixed with locknuts.

If the table does not have a perfectly flat surface, then you need to cut off the welds with a grinder, you do not need to do everything again. Also, to ensure evenness, you can treat the table with special epoxy compounds, setting it strictly according to the level and cleaning the bottom from rust.

Vacuum system installation

A vacuum system is needed to remove and pump out air so that the film can easily fit the surface of the workpieces.

When installing it , keep the following points in mind:

• it is desirable that the system components are not custom-made, and they could always be purchased at retail;
• it is best to choose inexpensive components with satisfactory reliability and ease of use;
• the system must provide the air pumping speed and vacuum depth, which are enough to create standard flat facades and overlays;
• the air removal system should not be demanding on the environment and food quality;
• controls and controls should be simple and inform about the current pressure, also with their help you need to smoothly adjust the speed of pumping out air.

Such a system consists of the following elements:

• water ring vacuum pump with water tank;
• pipeline for delivering air from the table to the pump with a valve and a pressure control device;
• tabletop for pumping air from any point of the table, regardless of the position of the blanks and the film.

Features of the water ring pump and its installation

The pump must have the following specifications:

• productivity 1.57 m3/min;
• three-phase motor voltage;
• electric motor power is 5.5 kW;
• residual pressure 0, 45 mm Hg;
• rotation speed is 1500 rpm.

His the working principle is as follows:

• the impeller rotates eccentrically in the cylinder in the direction of the arrow;
• there is a working cavity between the wheel hub, water rings and the body, it is divided into cells by the wheel blades;
• during pump operation, water is thrown from the sleeve to the housing under the influence of centrifugal force, and the volume of the cells increases and air is sucked in. Then this volume is reduced, and the gas is pushed out through the discharge window during compression;
• in order to maintain a constant volume of the ring and to remove heat, only clean water must pass through the pump. It is supplied to the central hole in the pump housing and discharged through a special device that separates water from gas. This prevents water from being drawn out of the discharge pipe along with the air.

The pump should be installed on a special foundation or in a concrete floor, it should be leveled, then it should be fixed with anchors through standard holes. Next to it you need to put a water tank with a volume at least 30 liters. Two tubes are attached to it, one takes water with a pump, and the second drains the waste liquid into the tank. During circulation, the water is heated, and this negatively affects the operation of the pump. To ensure its natural cooling, the tank must be made of a material that conducts heat well, in particular steel or aluminum.

The pipe supplying water to the pump must be equipped with a tap that can shut off the water when idle. The tank and pump are connected by flexible hoses and fastened with metal clamps.

When you have assembled the pipeline and fixed it to the press frame, installed and connected the pump, you can test the system. For this purpose, power the pump in a timed manner by means of a circuit breaker. But it is better to postpone testing until the moment when the electrician of the press is ready.

How to make a thermomodule with your own hands

The thermal module is a heating device that allows you to evenly heat the film to the required temperature and hold it for some time.

This stage of work is considered the easiest when assembling a vacuum press. For the frame of the thermal module, we need a steel pipe with a cross section of 20 by 20 mm. It will be necessary to weld the cases of profile wheel supports and L-shaped handles to the frame to move along the rails of the module. Wheels can be ball bearings.

Next, the frame is needed sheathed with sheet steel and secure with aluminum rivets. On the side of the casing, it is necessary to cut rectangular openings for viewing windows and insert silicate glasses there, having previously darkened them with a tinting film. Cut one 50mm round hole next to each window, this will be a reference window to measure the temperature of the film, and they should also be equipped with sliding shutters. And in order to improve the reflectivity, the thermal module must be equipped with aluminum foil from the inside.

To create a thermal module we will need:

• exhaust riveter;
• metal scissors;
• spanners;
• press tongs;
• insulation stripper.

Now you need to install the heating elements. Linear lamps KGT (quartz halogen thermal) are suitable for this. They have a number of advantages:

• affordable price;
• high resource;
• efficient transfer of thermal energy through radiation.

Connecting the lamps according to the wiring diagram is the final stage of assembling a vacuum press. The lamp connection scheme takes into account the requirements in terms of the symmetry of a three-phase load and the possible zonal control of groups of lamps depending on the level of distance from the center of the table.

Now you have an idea about the independent manufacture of a vacuum press. If you decide to take on this job, then do not forget to use personal protective equipment, since it is not only difficult, but also dangerous if safety rules are not followed.

Vacuum presses are used most often in furniture industries, as well as other types of enterprises that produce products consisting of wood-based panels. Sometimes such devices are also used to give relief to materials, as well as to form products.

How the equipment works

The vacuum press for facades has the following components:

• a frame that is load-bearing and has a collapsible type
• desktop, which is also a carrier. A special clamping frame is installed on the table
• vacuum pneumatic working system. Without it, it is impossible to implement the entire technological process.
• retractable carriage. It is equipped with electric type heating devices. The vacuum press works with the help of automatic control, therefore, the performance of work on this equipment does not require the involvement of manual labor. A few operators involved in the maintenance and start-up of the plant are quite sufficient.

Kinds

Today there are several modifications of vacuum presses. They differ in automation and the number of additional options present on a particular device.

The press can be:

• auto. In such a press, all work is performed without the participation of an operator in
• semi-automatic. In such devices, opening the installation door, pressing the buttons to start it up, then turning off and removing the workpiece is carried out by the operator himself. The operator must also monitor the process of the installation
• membrane. In such a press, the surface is pasted over with a film or veneer. To do this, a material is placed in a heat-resistant membrane, on which glue is preliminarily applied. Then the membrane warms up, and the vacuum pump pumps air out of the membrane. As a result, negative pressure is formed in it. Under such conditions, the film or veneer is firmly adhered to the material.
• membraneless. Such a press is used for gluing thicker coatings. For thin films, this option is not suitable.

Today, the membrane-vacuum press is used more and more often, in comparison with the equipment of the old model. Such popularity is due to the fact that much less time is spent on processing the material using a vacuum press, but the quality of the finished product does not decrease, but rather increases.

Also presses can be: Types of vacuum pressing equipment:

• vacuum sublimation press
• 3d vacuum sublimation press
• press vacuum drying chamber.

Vacuum presses are characterized by a high level of productivity. The equipment has a rather high cost due to the fact that workpieces of large dimensions are processed on it.

3d vacuum sublimation presses are versatile electro-mechanical devices. They are needed in order to create souvenir products. They apply images to objects of regular and irregular shapes. Such equipment is most in demand when applying different images to ceramic, fabric, and other products. Modern production uses such presses to decorate decorative stones, patterns on the protective covers of cell phones, on crystals, puzzles.

In a vacuum sublimation press, an image is transferred from one medium to another. For this purpose, high pressure and elevated temperatures are used. The operation requires preliminary preparation of the pattern on a special surface and its fixing. After that, the temperature rises, and the air is pumped out. The products are of fairly high quality.

The marketable appearance of a product created using a vacuum press is distinguished by a longer period of operation. Another advantage of such devices is the fact that the resulting surface does not need further refinement. You can immediately assemble products.

Vacuum press operation

The vacuum press for MDF has a fairly simple principle of operation. First, the workpiece with glue applied to it is placed on the surface of the table. Next, a membrane for a vacuum press is placed on it. And in the closed position, the operation of the vacuum pump and the heating system begins. There is a simultaneous heating of the object to the required temperature and the creation of a vacuum.

Silicone membrane for vacuum presses is used when it is necessary to guarantee a tight fit of the film. The pump for the vacuum process is able to form a vacuum of different depths, it all depends on the properties of the material. In addition, it is necessary that the membrane is suitable for a vacuum press. It is worth purchasing along with the unit.

Types of membranes

Vacuum press membranes can be:

• silicone
• rubber.

Silicone membranes have a long service life. They can also be used in bag sealing machines for cold and hot pressing.

Rolled silicone membrane sheet is used as a membrane sheet in hot and cold membrane-vacuum and membrane presses for applying veneer to furniture facades, door panels and other shaped panels, creating bent-glued furniture products.

The membrane is made of an elastic silicone film or heat-resistant rubber. The rubber membrane has the ability to stretch up to 700%. The membrane is needed in presses, both for finishing with natural veneer, and when working with workpieces that have a complex profile (for example, if the film needs to be brought to the back of the facade) or high-gloss films. The last films must never touch the upper heating plate of the press. The membrane is also used when the dimensions of the film are smaller than the dimensions of the loading table or when the film thickness exceeds the standard 0.3-0.6 mm.

In most presses, the membrane is installed on a special frame with a hermetic seal along the upper and lower perimeters. Such a frame can be easily dismantled, thereby making a single-chamber press from a two-chamber press, and a two-chamber press from a three-chamber press. Thus, the operator can not only control the lining process more precisely, but also change the pressing mode, which is more suitable for the company's technology.

The tasks that the membrane performs:

• more evenly heats the film, in comparison with just hot air
• acts as a frame
• prevents film breaks
• does not allow air to enter under the membrane, which significantly reduces the amount of defects in production
• evenly transfers heat to end surfaces of a product.

The film shrinking procedure consists of the following steps:

• laying the workpiece on the table
• sealing
• film heating
• air extraction
• cooling
• cutting blanks and removing excess film from the facade.

The operator can press the membrane against the heating film before it touches the workpiece. As a result, the formation of air bubbles between the membrane and the film is excluded. After pressing, the pressure in the upper and middle chambers stabilizes.

At the same time, the air that enters the middle chamber separates the film from the membrane, and the finishing process becomes more like a membraneless method. The only difference is that the film is evenly heated. At the end of the press cycle, cool air enters the lower pressurized chamber to cool the workpiece slightly. This helps to prevent the film from peeling off the part during removal from the press, while the part is still warm.

The membrane is a consumable. If you follow all the rules of operation correctly, then it will last approximately 3000 working cycles. The average period of its operation is no more than two months.

Before you start creating a vacuum press with your own hands, remember that 5 years after assembly, the device needs to be upgraded or made new. If you correctly plan the purchase of components and do all the work correctly, then the cost of the press will turn out to be significantly lower than the factory device.

The first step is to create a good frame, since it is the support of the entire device. However, before that, select the optimal type of heating unit, because this will affect not only the design of the frame, but also all other components of the press. A retractable thermal module is best suited for this. It is easy to assemble, convenient to use, but it has quite impressive parameters.

To create a bed you will need:

• profiled steel pipe
• rails for thermomodule.

If you are good with a computer, then the design of the bed is best modeled using special 3D modeling programs.

Tools that may be needed for the job:

• small single-handed angle grinder with a disc diameter of 115 or 125 mm welding device
• electric drill
• locksmith set
• including hammer
• spanners
• pencil
• roulette.

When everything is assembled, you can get to work. First you need to cut the steel profile into parts strictly according to the cutting map. Lay them on a flat surface according to the project, align and fix with clamps. Next, start welding the parts. Welding seams must be cleaned with a grinder with a grinding wheel. After that, you can drill all the necessary holes, prime the part and paint it.

The table assembly procedure is perhaps the most important event. During design, you will determine its dimensions and material. Be sure to consider a method of fixing and sealing the connector elements in order to maintain an internal vacuum. The vacuum table is a design that consists of:

• baths
• pressure frame
• clamps.

The dimensions of the vacuum bath affect the number of workpieces placed in it. Experts advise making a bath about 2.5 meters long. The width should be chosen depending on the width of the PVC film used. Most often, the width is 1.4 m. And the height of the bath is provided taking into account the small space between the upper part of the facade and the film with which it will be covered. The bottom of the bath can be a steel sheet, the thickness of which is 2 mm, and the frame can be made from a profile pipe.

It is also possible to create a clamping frame and clamps from a profile pipe, its dimensions must completely match the dimensions of the bath. To keep the pressure frame up, 4 gas lifts must be installed and ensure that they can hold it. Clamps guarantee a secure and tight hold of the film during pressing. The upper frame must be firmly and evenly pressed against the perimeter of the tub. In fact, the clamps are eccentrics. They can be created from steel rolled metal. They need to be mounted in 8 pre-drilled holes in the vacuum table.

In the event that the table does not have a perfectly flat surface, it can be leveled with special epoxy compounds.

The vacuum system is responsible for removing and pumping out air so that the film easily fits the surface of the workpieces. When installing the system, pay attention to the following points:

• Purchase all components in retail so that they can be easily replaced
• it must guarantee the speed of air pumping and the depth of vacuum so that they are enough to create typical flat facades and overlays
• the air removal system should not harm the environment
• controlling and managing bodies should be simple and give signals about the current pressure, smoothly adjust the speed of air pumping out.

The thermal module is a heating device that allows you to evenly heat the film to the desired temperature and hold it for a certain time. The frame for it is made of a steel pipe with a cross section of 20 by 20 mm. To the frame, it is necessary to weld the cases of profiled wheel supports and L-shaped handles for movement along the rails of the module. Ball bearings can be used as wheels. After that, the frame must be sheathed with sheet steel and reinforced with aluminum blind rivets. On the side part in the casing, it is necessary to make rectangular openings for viewing windows and mount silicate glasses, darkening them in advance with a tinting film.

To improve the reflectivity, inside the thermal module must be equipped with aluminum foil. The next step is to install the heating elements. Linear lamps KGT (quartz halogen thermal) are excellent for this purpose. They need to be connected according to the electrical circuit. This scheme must take into account the requirements in terms of three-phase load symmetry and the possibility of zonal control of groups of lamps.

As you can see, the procedure for self-manufacturing a vacuum press is not so complicated. Remember that it is very important to use personal protective equipment, because working with such a device can become dangerous if safety rules are not followed.

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

Machine tools for the manufacture of blanks

In specialized enterprises, such as:

format machines. This equipment is designed specifically for cutting MDF or chipboard.

Milling and copying machines. They are necessary for applying a certain relief to the plates.

Presses for the production of bent facades.

They are necessary for processing facade parts when applying paint or varnish to them.

Also in the furniture industry, 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.

The main elements of the design of the vacuum machine

The arrangement of this type of equipment is not too complicated. Any such machine consists of five main elements:

• A table on which furniture blanks are laid out. Its surface is usually sheathed 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 installation can be infrared or contact.
• Actually the press itself. It can be made in the form of a hinged or rolled cover.

Additional design elements

Such equipment is called vacuum because the dense pressing of the film to the blanks in it is carried out by completely pumping out air from under it. From the end of the table in such equipment there are shafts (one or more) for rolls of PVC film. In order for the workpieces to fit 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 press is controlled using an automatic remote control. In this case, the operator has the ability to manually configure the equipment.

Types of presses

At the moment, enterprises use only two main types of such machines:

Actually vacuum presses. Used for finishing furniture blanks in a gentle way. Such installations can provide a pressure of no more than 0.95 kg/cm 2 .

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

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

Membrane for presses

Both types of vacuum machines are usually supplemented with a special membrane. It is used most often when pasting blanks with veneer as an additional “press” that prevents unwanted movements during work. Also, the membrane is used when finishing parts with very thin films that do not tolerate extreme temperatures. This element is attached to hooks located along the perimeter of the clamping frame.

In such a sphere of the national economy as furniture production, only two main types of membranes are used. Most often, these elements are made of rubber. Sometimes durable silicone is also used. The latter is obtained by vulcanization, and therefore, it has all the qualities of natural rubber. At the same time, silicone also has a greater degree of wear resistance.

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

to veneer details of very small sizes;

reduce film waste.

Film finish

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

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

Blanks are laid on the substrates: cabinet doors, drawer slats, parts of the facade, etc.

The table with blanks is completely covered with a PVC film rolled off the rollers.

A clamping frame is lowered onto the film along the perimeter, pulling and straightening it.

Depending on the design, the press itself is lowered from above or advanced from the side.

The operator sets the temperature and pressure values ​​required by the technology on the control panel and turns on the equipment. After that, the film begins to warm up. As soon as its surface reaches a certain temperature, the vacuum unit is turned on. Air begins to be pumped out from under the film (at a given pressure and a certain speed).

After the set time has elapsed, the operator turns off the press and folds it back (or moves it back).

A vacuum press is an indispensable device in the manufacture of furniture and various industries where a person has to deal with MDF, chipboard, elements made of plastic, artificial stone, etc. Additionally, the press is able to give the surfaces of the material a certain relief, which allows you to get products that are original in shape and configuration .

The vacuum press consists of several main elements:

• Frame. Often, this supporting structure is made in a collapsible type, which allows for repair, maintenance, disassembly for convenient transportation;
• Desktop. It is also a supporting structure, which is completed with a special clamping frame;
• vacuum system. This pneumatic system is the main element without which it is difficult to imagine a vacuum press as such;
• Retractable carriage. There is a heating element that is powered by electricity;
• Control automation. Press vacuum drying chambers, doors, carriage, the vacuum system itself operate by means of automatic control. The participation of the operator is minimal, which makes it possible to achieve a higher quality of artificial veneering, manufacturing elements for furniture facades, gluing plastic, chipboard, MDF, etc.

Kinds

The vacuum press is classified according to several main features. Let's start with the level of automation. Depending on this characteristic, devices for pressing wood, facades, plastic, artificial stone are divided into two types.

1. Automatic. Here, the presser of wood, artificial stone, plastic performs all operations independently, therefore the participation of the operator is practically not required.
2. Semi-automatic. These are more outdated models of wood pressers, since the operator must open the doors of the press chamber, press the buttons to start, turn off, remove the pressed elements from wood, plastic, MDF with his own hands. Their period is gradually coming to an end, since it is more efficient to work with devices where the mold works in an accelerated automatic mode.

Automatic models are more attractive because they require less time to complete the operation. Therefore, the manufacturer can produce more products in the same period compared to semi-automatic plants.

No less significant classification is the division of devices into membrane and non-membrane.

• Membrane installations paste over the surfaces of wood blanks with veneer or special films. In this case, a blank with a pre-applied adhesive is placed in the membrane. The membrane heats up, the vacuum pump pumps out air, which creates a negative pressure. This allows the product made of wood, MDF to firmly contact the film. After waiting for some time, the mold is removed, the workpiece is ready for use;
• Membraneless presses are relevant for those cases when blanks made of plastic, MDF, wood are pasted over with denser films, special coatings. Membrane counterparts perform well with a thinner coating.

With such units as the Master, ST 420, the choice does not become very difficult. But the market is not limited to Master or ST 420 presses alone. Before making a choice, it is worth understanding the varieties, features and nuances of buying this equipment.

In production, two main types of vacuum press are used.

1. Standard vacuum unit. This is a device that has gentle characteristics used in the manufacture of furniture elements from MDF, wood, plastic. The main feature of the machines is that the pressure they create is no more than 0.95 kg/cm2. They are used when applying PVC films or veneer to simple furniture blanks.
2. With extra pressure. This is more expensive equipment that can create pressures in excess of 8 kg/cm2. It is used to work with MDF, plastic products and elements of complex configuration.

membranes

The membrane is an important element of the machine used for the manufacture of wood blanks, furniture facades. The membrane has certain characteristics.

• The main task is to exclude movement when creating facade elements or furniture components made of wood;
• The membrane allows you to qualitatively apply a thin film on a piece of wood that does not like high temperatures;
• The membrane is installed on special hooks, which are located on the clamping frame;
• Furniture production and MDF facade assembly enterprises use two types of membranes - rubber and silicone. Rubber is used more often, while silicone is more wear-resistant;
• The use of the membrane contributes to the facing of small parts;
• These elements significantly reduce the consumption of the film required for application to wood parts, MDF facades, etc.

Press or bag

Before you buy yourself a ST 420 press or make a vacuum press with your own hands instead of ST 420, you should learn about such a thing as a press bag.

• The press bag is designed for you to make your own vacuum press;
• Its essence lies in the fact that the bag itself is a press machine;
• A product made of wood, chipboard, MDF, prepared for gluing, is placed in the bag;
• The bag is sealed from all sides, which allows to achieve sealing;
• With the help of a pump, air is pumped out of the bag, which allows you to gradually create the necessary pressure, evenly distributed over the workpiece;
• Next, the bag stands in a compressed state for some time, after which the workpiece is removed;
• The main advantage is that the cost of the bag is ten times less than the price of the machine. A press measuring 1400 by 2500 mm will cost the buyer $ 1,000, while a bag can be purchased for 500-1000 rubles. You will not need any drawings to make an effective press out of a bag to create elements of facades, furniture, etc. We draw conclusions and make a decision.

But the bag is no match for the ST 420. The modern ST 420 is unique because it is a 3D press. Model ST 420 can be used for private business when applying images to T-shirts, mugs, to create covers for tablets, smartphones. At the same time, the ST 420 costs about 70 thousand rubles.

The bag is certainly not capable of what the ST 420 can produce. But the choice is yours.

When choosing a membrane press for the manufacture of facades from MDF, chipboard, furniture elements, pay attention to a few questions.

1. Pump. The membrane press can be equipped with our or foreign pump. Italian models are preferred. Although they are more expensive, they are more efficient, reliable and durable.
2. Table material. It is best if the desktop is made of metal. A number of models of machine tools are made of chipboard, but they quickly become unusable, the surface is damaged during the manufacture of products.
3. Machine dimensions. The main characteristic on which the ability to create parts of various dimensions depends.
4. Heater. There are heating elements and KGT lamps. Choose the second type, because they do not burn the film.

Don't forget the manufacturer. Little-known companies should not be trusted. But it doesn’t always make sense to overpay for a brand.