Vacuum press machine. How to choose a vacuum press for mdf facades. Membrane vacuum press

The main equipment for the production of MDF facades in PVC film is a thermo-vacuum press.A huge number of presses with a wide variety of technical characteristics are presented on the Russian market today.Therefore, before purchasing, you should ask 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 press worktable, you should take into account the estimated production volume and the range of products from MDF. Manufacturers of thermo-vacuum presses for the production of MDF facades offer equipment with a working surface from 1150× 1090 mm, for example, a membrane vacuum press for MDF curved facades from the company "New Technologies", Penza. The maximum size of the working table of the vacuum press for facing MDF facades currently boasts Latvian equipment VP -4000, from the company ISTRA-A (Latvia), with a table 4000× 1400 mm.

Please note that the standard roll width of PVC films for vacuum pressing is 1400 mm. Several European companies offer films in 1420 and 1450 mm widths. However, the main manufacturers of equipment for membrane vacuum pressing are focused on the 1400 mm standard.

In addition, for continuous streaming production of MDF facades, some developers offer membrane-vacuum presses with 2-3 working tables, such as the company "Master PRO" in Moscow. A movable heating carriage, moving freely over the working surfaces, provides alternate heating of the PVC film. A table for facing radius facades can be included in the structure of the vacuum press.

Construction of a vacuum press for MDF facades and its dimensions

With a shortage of working space in the furniture shop, a natural question will be the size of the vacuum press for the production of MDF facades and the area it occupies. But we must not forget about the convenience of equipment maintenance. Here it is necessary to understand the constructive solutions for the location of the working table and the heating module offered by the manufacturers of vacuum presses.

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

· With a 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 a lifting thermomodule on hinged fasteners. The effectiveness of this design lies in saving the working space of the furniture shop. However, it becomes more difficult to lay the parts and stretch the PVC film.

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

· The greatest efficiency in saving workshop space and ease of maintenance is possessed by membrane-vacuum machines with vertical pneumatic or hydraulic lifting of the heating module, such as a VPF-2 vacuum press from a Latvian manufacturer, or an Italian PM ORMA press, which, among other things, allows products to be coated with 2 sides.

Features of the complete set 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 facing MDF facades in PVC film use quartz-halogen thermal heaters, which provide rapid heating with minimal energy consumption. In other embodiments, infrared lamps can be used. Some manufacturers of membrane vacuum presses use hot air blowing through heating elements for heating to prevent uneven heating on the membrane surface. In addition, additional thermal equipment for table heating can be installed on the vacuum press. Chinese machine tool manufacturers heat the 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 continuous and continuous furniture production. Human participation is reduced only to laying the details of the MDF facades on the desktop and then cutting off the excess PVC film. However, in small businesses that work with a wide range of PVC films on a daily basis, it is easier to perform the cladding process by hand, "by eye".

3. Silicone, rubber or rubber membrane ... Most manufacturers supply a silicone membrane with high heat resistance and elasticity to the vacuum press for MDF facades. With the help of a silicone membrane, some technological operations are carried out for gluing various materials, giving them a curved shape according to a template, as well as for the rational use of PVC film with small bookmark volumes. In some designs of vacuum presses, the silicone membrane is fixed on a special frame, which makes it more convenient to use. In other cases, the process of facing 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 equipped with oil pumps with the highest performance at the moment. With the small size of the vacuum press table and short pressing times, they can be used oil-free dry pumps with lower performance. As a budget option, the membrane vacuum press can be installed water ring pump VVN... With significant dimensions of the working table of the vacuum press, the vacuum pump can be supplemented with a receiver. Some machine tool builders combine vacuum supply with high pressure counter-supply, so a compressor may be required as part of the kit.

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

6. Additional work table ... At large factories of MDF furniture facades in PVC film, the installation of one additional work table allows increasing the productivity of the membrane vacuum press and, accordingly, the output by 1.5 times or more.

7. Diaphragm vacuum press control panel ... When pressing MDF facades "in manual" mode, as a rule, two buttons are used, which include heating and a vacuum pump, as well as a valve that regulates the vacuum supply rate. More powerful and more automated equipment requires equipping with 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 radius MDF facades and their cladding in PVC film. On the other hand, as, for example, the company "Master PRO" in Moscow, machine tool builders have taken care of this option by supplementing their equipment with additional devices.

9. Unwinding devices ... Also with manual or pneumatic cutting of PVC film. Such equipment can significantly increase the productivity of the vacuum press at large production volumes.

10. Anti-static brushes ... Allows you to remove static charge from the PVC film to facilitate its cleaning and eliminate the adhesion of debris on its surface before feeding to the vacuum press. They are installed in order to improve the quality of manufacturing 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 have even taken care of such "little things".

12. Press for briquetting waste from PVC film, devices for repairing tears and damages on a silicone membrane, mobile stands for storing rolls of PVC film - all this may not come with a membrane vacuum press for MDF facades, but it is often offered by the manufacturer as additional equipment, such as, for example, by the German designers of vacuum presses BR 2600, the Wemhoener company. 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 installing and setting up equipment, training personnel, and further warranty and service.

A vacuum press is a unit with a huge number of functions, each of which plays an important role in the system. Such installations are now actively used in a huge number of large enterprises that simply cannot function without such systems. If we talk about the industry where the vacuum press has become a key element, then this is furniture production, which at the moment can no longer do without the work of a vacuum press.

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Vacuum press- This is an element that deals with the creation of certain shapes from a tree, making it possible to further process the tree within the system. If you believe the reviews of users from the network, then it is not difficult to guess that such installations are very productive and useful, since they are capable of performing a number of important functions that not any unit can handle.

At first glance, such installations seem rather unusual in the external design, but if we take into account the fact that each of the elements performs certain functions, and there is simply nothing superfluous in the system, then it seems that the unusual design of the device is exclusively for his benefit. ... To begin with, we will consider what a vacuum press consists of in order to understand how complex this unit is in terms of operation:

Desktop- This is an additional element of the system, which includes several small devices that only provide certain advantages during the operation of the unit.
Carriage- This is an element that constantly interacts with other parts of the device, which subsequently makes it possible to achieve the highest indicators in terms of performance
Pneumatic vacuum system- This is one of the main elements in the system, which takes responsibility for performing tasks of the most varied complexity. This element does a good job with the distribution of pressure, redirecting air flows and the like, which play an important role in the formation of a vacuum.

These are just the most obvious elements that can be seen with the naked eye. In fact, such units consist of a huge number of similar elements that somehow affect the operation of the mechanism. The vacuum press is also divided into two categories according to the principle of operation:

Auto
Semi-automatic

Automatic working principle is a hollow automation system that does not require any person to work.

Semi-automatic working principle- this is almost the same system, only at certain points it requires loading or unloading materials. That is why they began to call it semi-automatic.

If we talk about which of these options is better, then it is imperative to take into account a huge number of points. In fact, both options are interesting in their own way, because of which, you must first decide on the purpose of buying such a unit, and only after that draw some conclusions.

Membrane vacuum press

A membrane vacuum press is a device that is far from the smallest in size and is most often used at furniture enterprises, where at the moment it is simply impossible to do without a high-quality and reliable vacuum press. The modern vacuum technology market is currently overflowing with a variety of membrane vacuum pumps, which have not only different characteristics, but also different configurations.

If you look at the cardinal differences between membrane vacuum pumps and other devices of this series, then they, in fact, do not exist. The principle of operation of such devices is very similar and the only obvious difference is the potential of membrane vacuum pumps, which may soon reach a completely new level. Now we will consider the most optimal version of a membrane vacuum press, which can be used in any direction:

Membrane vacuum press VPR-3000- for a relatively small amount, the buyer receives a really high-quality and efficient unit, the characteristics of which are at a high level. Now such installations occupy leading positions in sales, and there is nothing surprising in this. Perhaps, in the near future this indicator will become even higher, because the model is only getting better, which means that the demand of buyers is increasing significantly.

Vacuum press for MDF

Vacuum press for MDF- This is a category of equipment that is most often used for cladding kitchen or furniture facades. No less quality indicators, such installations are also issued when doors are lined with various films. The completed process of processing in such an installation allows the material to work in a further direction. And all because without preliminary processing in this unit, the material will not be so persistent, which is why a high-quality work result simply will not work.

The situation is no worse in the facing of various materials with a high-gloss film, which makes it possible to obtain all possible quality guarantees. Any material that has been processed with a high-gloss film becomes protected from various kinds of environmental influences, which can adversely affect the appearance of the material. Heating of such oversized equipment occurs with the interaction of heating elements located on the top of the press. It is they that allow you to reach such high temperatures, which is subsequently redirected to the material being processed.

Facade vacuum presses

Facade cladding is not at all an easy task, as it might seem at first glance. In order for the work to be of high quality and durable, a huge amount of effort must be made, without which it will be simply impossible to achieve a good result. It is good that at this stage there is a huge amount of different equipment that can be very useful in such processes.

The facade vacuum press is just one installation among a huge number of vacuum equipment. By the way, this unit is currently more than in demand, and many enterprises are ready to pay a lot of money for it, just to get it at their enterprise. The high performance of such a press directly depends on the frequency at which all elements of the system will operate. Only with the full interaction of all elements of the system, you can achieve truly high performance indicators. At the moment, vacuum presses for facades are gaining more and more distribution and this is far from the limit. Most likely, in the near future this figure will grow several times more, since the potential in these devices is simply enormous. Do not forget about the shortcomings that are present in absolutely any system. The main thing is to think carefully before buying such equipment for yourself. Having weighed all the pros and cons, you can focus on a specific option that is right for you to solve certain problems.

Where to buy a vacuum pump

But characteristics and cost are far from all the criteria that you should pay attention to when buying a vacuum press. An equally important role is played by the brand itself, which provides you with its products. It is important to take into account the fact that having bought the products of a well-known manufacturer, you can be sure that you have bought a truly high-quality unit that will serve you for many years.

That is why do not forget to take into account the fact of the brand, which will help you choose the highest quality and most efficient unit. Now we will consider several well-known and, most importantly, reliable manufacturers who provide high-quality and productive products:

Becker- the company pays great attention to the quality of the products, which is what attracts the attention of buyers.
Atlas copco- One of the oldest companies, which currently occupies a leading position all over the world.
Edwards- This is not a well-known company, but recently it has begun to gain more and more momentum, attracting buyers with a high level of quality and performance.

production costs and speed of furniture production according to customer sketches. The fact is that in the manufacture of furniture for individual orders, manufacturers are faced with the need to use rounded or non-planar elements such as parts of cornices, various columns, gables, semi-columns, seats of armchairs and chairs, drawers, table covers, oval tables, curved doors, panels, door platbands, stairs, curly details of the facade door frames, semicircular bar posts. Diaphragm press Orma CVM. It is to facilitate the work with such parts that a vacuum press is needed, consisting of a table on which the manufacturer places workpieces, a heater that is used to heat the film, a vacuum system that provides uniform pressure by injecting excess pressure or atmospheric pressure onto the film, and a membrane.

The membrane vacuum press is a machine for cladding various surfaces of wood and lumber (for example: furniture facades, countertops, doors) with films made of thermoplastic such as PP, polyvinyl chloride and ABS. In addition, such equipment makes it possible to veneer wood with synthetic and natural veneer and use thermal printing on ribbed and flat surfaces of wood.

Most devices allow it to be used as a membrane, vacuum and membrane-vacuum equipment. That is, you can remove the membrane from this equipment, which is mainly used for finishing with natural wood veneer, and cover the surfaces with thermoplastic films without it, which will significantly reduce costs when using the machine. As for the pump, it allows gluing surfaces of different levels of complexity without causing damage to the quality of the cladding.

In addition, the diaphragm press is very easy to operate, because with the help of a special remote control, any person can work at it.

Membrane vacuum press - working principle

As for the principle of operation of this equipment, it is not complicated - the worker must place prepared furniture blanks with pre-applied glue on its retractable surface, cover with the film he needs and move it all to the machine. After that, the device can be closed (in closed equipment, the heating process will take place to the optimum temperature of the film) and the film will cover the wood using pressure and vacuum (to make the film fit more tightly, use a membrane).

Vacuum equipment can also be cold, and the main element of such a device will be a vacuum bag, on which the quality of pressing depends. That is why the bag must be made of a material characterized by high strength, elasticity, transparency and maintainability. Despite this, some artisans make bags from improvised materials such as air mattresses, film for greenhouses, etc. to create several pressings of thin material. Professional bags are designed for frequent and repeated use, allow you to perform a fairly wide range of pressing work, can withstand long and heavy loads, sometimes withstand heat, and therefore are made of PVC (plasticized polyvinyl chloride) and polyurethane. That is why, when choosing the equipment you need, you should take into account not only the size of the workpiece and the method of lining, but also the quality of the bag.

In addition to membrane vacuum Persians, there are simply membrane presses used for one of the processes: laminating flat parts, laminating flat parts, and facing parts of complex shapes. Lamination is the process of fusing the outer layer of a material under pressure with molten melamine or melamine-impregnated paper. Thanks to this process, a durable and durable coating is obtained. In the process of laminating, urea-formaldehyde glue, dry glue or PVA are applied to a special film (laminated paper, paper impregnated with formaldehyde resins, natural veneer). Veneering is carried out using compressed air and vacuum and for this process both membrane and membraneless presses can be used.

own full cycle production in Rostov-on-Don

serial models and customization

It is difficult to imagine modern furniture production without the use of specialized automatic vacuum presses for facing PVC foils of facades, gluing blanks, and manufacturing bent parts. This section presents membrane vacuum presses of our own production, which is located in Rostov-on-Don

The vacuum press is designed for use in modern furniture production, allows you to veneer furniture panels, facades, decorative trim elements with PVC films, as well as bending of MDF blanks, cladding with plastics, veneer, gluing blanks in thickness.

Membrane vacuum press "G-1430V-1"

Working field size 1250x2900 mm (reduction of 1250x2300 mm is possible)

Frame with silicone membrane for pressing and creating bent blanks,

Vacuum press video review

Video instruction for working with a thermal vacuum press

Membrane vacuum press "G-1430V-2" with lowered table

Working field size 1250x2900 mm

includes 2 quick-release frames:

Frame with silicone membrane for pressing and creating bent blanks

clamping frame for decorative foil cladding

Membrane vacuum press "G-1740V-3" with heating hoist

The size of the working field can be individual 1700x3500mm, 1700x4000mm or others

Presentation on standard vacuum presses "site" ()

Robust welded construction includes:

main table,
two removable frames, one for working with films, the other with a silicone membrane for bending workpieces, veneer and plastics.

Brief technical characteristics of the vacuum press "G-1430-V1" :

working area size 1250x2900 mm (may be increased by agreement)
maximum workpiece size 1150x2800 mm (may be increased by agreement)
maximum operating temperature 140 degrees (programmatically you can remove the limitation)
maximum pressure 0.9 kg / cm2
lamination cycle time 3-10 minutes (depends on color, film thickness and setting modes)
pump capacity 40 m3 / hour
heater power 24 kW
average electricity consumption for one lamination cycle is 1 kW / hour (at the average tariff it is 7 rubles)

Each vacuum press is guaranteed for 1 year.

What a vacuum press can do:

laminating and veneering of furniture facades;
heating and shaping of artificial stone
thermal vacuum lamination of sheet and film coatings;
thermal vacuum forming of sheet and film products;
creation of "sandwich" panels;
forming of bent and non-standard parts;
facing with plastics;
gluing blanks in thickness;
production of decorative finishing elements of any complexity.

The use of an industrial vacuum press will facilitate most of the production work regularly performed in the furniture industry, making them less labor-intensive, more high-tech, less energy-intensive and, of course, of higher quality due to the use of precise program control, a ventilator temperature distribution and a high-quality silicone membrane that creates a perfectly uniform pressure. over the entire area of a workpiece of any shape

5 advantages of a vacuum press from the site

Vacuum press for furniture production is an advanced, thought-out device that:

Has minimal heat loss indicators.
Allows you to replace the frame in just a couple of minutes and switch from lamination with PVC film to bending MDF facades and vice versa
In automatic mode, it works stably due to the presence of microcontroller control.
Allows you to save settings and quickly switch from one operating mode to another.
Three operating modes of the press: manual, laminating, pressing

Our equipment is not only of high quality, but also very easy to use!

Heating box has its own frame, the interior is made of polished stainless steel. The outer part is made of 0.5 mm sheet metal and painted. The inner space is filled with mineral wool insulation to reduce heat loss. The press is equipped with a “quick-release” mechanism for the vacuum frame, which allows replacing the frame within 1-2 minutes.

Control by means of the touch screen, on the example of the press "G-1740V-3"

The vacuum press is equippedmicrocontroller control, which ensures stable operation in automatic mode, allows you to save your settings for different modes of operation, quickly switch to the same program of the work cycle. The mode of manual control of the heating element and the vacuum pump is also provided.

The control panel is a 10-inch touch panel that displays all controls and controls.

All touch buttons displayed on the display are duplicated by mechanical buttons.

Purpose of buttons:
- "Raise heater" - lifts the heating duct.
- "Lower heater" - lowers the heating duct.
- "Raise the membrane" - lifts the frame with the membrane.
- "Lower the membrane" - lowers the frame with the membrane.
- "Start cycle" (Cycle ON / OFF) - starts the working cycle of the machine.
- "Switch on heaters" (Heating ON / OFF) - manual switching on and off of heating elements and fans to heat the working field of the machine.
- "Vacuum release" (Pressure release) - produces a vacuum release in the working field of the machine.
- "Settings" - go to the settings screen.

Indicators:
- "Current temperature" - displays the current air temperature of the working field of the machine.

- "Current pressure" - displays the current air pressure between the working field and the membrane.

- "Cycle time" - when executing a working cycle, displays the time until the end of the cycle.

- "Left heating element" - displays the current air temperature in the place where the left heating element is installed.

- "Right heating element" - displays the current air temperature in the place where the right heating element is installed.

Duplicate buttons:

- "MAINS OFF / ON" - turning on the machine.
- "EMERGENCY STOP" - emergency stop of all processes. Blocking the movement of the heating duct and frame with a membrane, turning off the vacuum pump and heaters. The emergency stop does not apply to the fans in order to exclude the possibility of overheating and damage to the heating elements of the heaters.

- "BACKLIGHT ON / OFF" - includes a lamp built into the heating box to illuminate the working area of the machine. The lamp will automatically extinguish after 20 seconds if the operator does not do this earlier.

Settings menu:
The screen contains 7 parameters for controlling the running cycle of the program:
- "Temperature setpoint" - sets the temperature that will be maintained during the working cycle.

- "Pressure setpoint" - sets the pressure that will be created and maintained by the vacuum pump during the working cycle.
- "Lower pressure setpoint" - sets the lower pressure threshold. After the pressure in the system reaches the value specified in the "Setpoint pressure" field, the vacuum pump turns off and the program waits until the pressure in the system drops to the value of the "Setpoint low pressure" and then turns on again. Thus, pressure hysteresis is created so that the vacuum pump does not work in continuous mode.
- "Cycle time" - the duration of the working cycle of the machine is set.
- "Automatically lower the heater and turn on the heating" - if the option is active at the beginning of the cycle, the heating box will automatically lower and the heating will turn on.
- "Heating delay" - a parameter that sets the pause between the beginning of the cycle and the turning on of the heaters.
- "At the end of the cycle, automatically raise the heater" - if the option is active, after the end of the operating cycle, the heating duct will be automatically raised.

The order of cooperation and manufacture of a vacuum press

To purchase a furniture press on the website, you need:

if you want to come to our production, watch the press "live", get answers to all your questions.
call / write to us and agree on the nuances of cooperation;
sign an agreement and make an advance payment;
wait 20 working days for the equipment to be ready.

We sell, install and service membrane vacuum presses throughout Russia.

Functionally, the gluing and laminating press consists of four components

1. First component, work table for stacking products.

On the press "G-1430V-1" you can laminate the workpieces with PVC film, or bend the workpieces by pressing and veneer with the help of a silicone membrane.
The press "G-1430V-2" performs similar operations as on the press "G-1430V-1", but there is also the possibility of simultaneously facing several high bent blanks (up to 350 mm high) with PVC film (in the case of the press "G-1430V -1 "pulling the film over several high parts without lowering the table will not work due to the formation of folds and / or the impossibility of clamping the film in the frame due to its tension over the curved facade). Thanks to the lowering table, the workpiece is lowered along with the working table 200 mm down, the film is clamped and stretched from above in the frame. When the set temperature is reached, the table rises and lamination takes place.
The standard width of a silicone membrane or PVC film determines the width of the press worktable 1250 millimeters, the length of the table according to the dimensions of your parts or a set for one cycle of lamination, gluing.
For molding and gluing large parts, the membrane is glued, and the dimensions of the desktop can be increased, for example, 1700x3500 or 1700x4000 mm
On the press "G-1740V-3" for servicing the entire working area of the table of a large working table, the upper part of the table with fans, air ducts and heaters rises vertically upwards on racks and opens access along the perimeter of the working table. To increase the productivity of the press, a second work table can be installed for stacking products. At the same time, the process of heating, laminating or molding products on one table takes place, with the process of removing and stacking the next batch of products on the second table.

2. The second component, when heated, are used

Heating elements with fans for heat distribution by air flows,
or infrared lamps installed without fans.
with a narrow specialization of cold bonding and forming, the heating and ventilation unit is not installed.

3. The third component, applying pressure to the laminate and the parts to be bonded and formed.

for working with thin films and parts, vacuum pumps are used that create a vacuum under a silicone membrane up to 0.9 kg / cm2.
to work with thick materials, artificial stone, compressors are used that create pressure over the silicone membrane up to 9 kg / cm2.

4. The fourth component, for high-precision process control and to prevent loss of gloss, overheating or rupture of the film, electronic software is installed

user-friendly interface that allows the user to independently select the operating modes of the press, or, even easier, to select a program from a list of pre-installed programs.
there is a manual control option for exclusive operations.

A complete line of presses allows you to produce:

cladding of curved relief furniture facades,
gluing flat and bent parts,
molding of curved facades, ceramic sinks, cake packaging,
facing of decorative details,
cladding of large-sized parts of tables and furniture, snowboards, surfboards, visors for car doors, stylish packaging for products, dishes, vases, shades and exclusive.

Our company provides free training for users during the purchase and consultations during operation. A small list of commands and detailed instructions allow you to independently study the device and competently operate the membrane-vacuum presses of the company website

Service maintenance

Delivery across Russia

You can order a cnc machine on the website or in the office, having previously discussed the conditions, prices, discounts, and having received advice and recommendations. On the pages of the site you will find a detailed description of cnc machines, photos and videos, prices and specifications, reviews on the purchase and installation of industrial equipment. There is also a comparison of different models, you can choose the necessary parameters. Comments on the goods are in the discussion on the forum, there are also instructions, and guides on how and what you can do with your own hands. Delivery of goods is carried out in Russia. The warranty is provided for and. You can buy or order products at the following address: Rostov Region, Aksaysky District, Rassvet, st. Trunk 7.

A vacuum press is a unit that allows the production of furniture facades with PVC films and decorative covers for doors on the basis of MDF. It can be purchased or can be 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 difficult enough, you need comply with safety rules, because it is associated with the use of high-risk power tools 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 business 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 are made on special equipment, while the main production tool is a vacuum press. It shrinks the PVC foil onto the surface of the 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 shrink under artificially created negative pressure from the inside. And outside the PVC film is laid, the edges of which are sealed with the frame.

Film shrinking process includes the following stages:

laying workpieces on the table;
sealing;
warming up films;
air evacuation;
cooling;
cutting out blanks and removing excess film from the facade.

DIY vacuum press: what you need to know?

Before working on self-manufacturing a vacuum press remember the following:

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

Before you start making a bed for the press, you need to choose 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.

To make the bed, you will need:

steel profiled pipe;
rails for the thermal module.

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

For work you will need the following set of tools:

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

Assembly steps the beds will be as follows:

cut the steel profile into parts according to the cutting sheets;
lay them on a flat surface in accordance with the project, align and fix with clamps;
grab the joints of the parts, taking into account the final welding from all sides or full welding of the seams without tacks;
knock down the slag from 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 work, the welding machine can be selected AC transformer based, inverter-type device or semi-automatic device.

The stage of assembling the table is the most crucial when assembling a vacuum press with your own hands. At the design stage, decide on its size and the material on the basis of which it will be made, also think over the method of fixing and sealing 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 structure that includes the following elements:

bath;
pressure frame;
clamps and other elements.

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 used PVC film, most manufacturers manufactures 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 starting to pump out air, the film should not touch the workpiece.

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

Making a clamping frame and clamps

The frame is made on the basis of a profile pipe, its dimensions must strictly correspond to the parameters of the bath. To keep the hold-down frame raised, you need to supply 4 gas elevators and make sure they are capable of holding it.

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

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

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

Installation of the vacuum system

A vacuum system is needed to remove and evacuate air so that the film can easily cover the surface of workpieces.

When installing it , consider the following points:

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 usability;
the system must provide a speed of air pumping and a vacuum depth, which is enough to create typical flat facades and overlays;
the air removal system should not be demanding on the environment and the quality of food;
controls and controls should be simple and inform about the current pressure, and with their help it is necessary to smoothly regulate the speed of pumping out air.

Such a system consists of the following elements:

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

Features of the liquid ring pump and its installation

The pump must have the following technical characteristics:

productivity 1.57 m3 / min;
three-phase voltage of the electric motor;
the power of the electric motor is 5.5 kW;
residual pressure 0.45 mm Hg;
the rotation frequency is 1500 rpm.

His the principle of operation 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 casing 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 injection port during compression;
to maintain a constant volume of the ring and to remove heat, it is necessary that only clean water passes through the pump. It is supplied to the central hole in the pump casing and discharged through a special device that separates water from gas. This prevents water from leaving the discharge nozzle together with the air.

The pump should be installed on a special foundation or in a concrete floor, it should be leveled, then it is fastened with anchors through the standard holes. Next to it you need to put a water tank with a volume at least 30 liters... Two pipes are connected to it, one takes water with a pump, and the second drains the waste liquid into the tank. When circulating, the water heats up, 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 during idle time. The tank and the pump are connected with flexible hoses and secured with metal clamps.

When you have assembled the pipeline and secured it to the press bed, installed and connected the pump, you can test system operation... To this end, supply the pump on a temporary basis with a circuit breaker. But it is better to postpone testing until the press electrician is ready.

How to make a thermal module with your own hands

The thermal module is a heating device that allows you to uniformly 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 section of 20 by 20 mm. It will be necessary to weld the casings of the profile wheel supports and L-shaped handles to the frame for moving along the rails of the module. The wheels can be ball bearings.

Next, the frame is needed sheathe and secure with aluminum blind rivets. On the side in the casing, you need to cut rectangular openings for viewing windows and insert silicate glasses there, having previously darkened them with a tinting film. Cut one 50 mm round hole next to each window, this will be a control window for measuring the temperature of the film, and they need to be equipped with sliding flaps. 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:

pull-out riveter;
scissors for metal;
spanners;
press tongs;
insulation stripper.

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

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

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

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