Vacuum clamping technology for measuring and checking
Compared to conventional methods vacuum clamping has always had the edge when it comes to difficult part geometries or sensitive materials.
Witte Bleckede offers decades of experience using vacuum clamping technology and is specialised in developing and manufacturing not only their own large range of standard items but more especially custom built solutions.
This kind of technology, until now mostly used in milling or other machining processes, is gradually making itself extremely useful in measuring and checking processes because of its many individual configuration possibilities.
Here are three examples giving an overview on options of clamping in quality control.
1. Vacuum for circuit boards
Function testing of foil-like electronic circuit boards is taking place on vacuum chucks, which are placed in a kind of drawer. They slide into a testing machine where circuit boards are mechanically scanned and tested.
As these circuit boards are max. 0,5mm thick a vacuum chuck with a Metapor insert is an ideal solution. Metapor is a completely porous material which clamps thin workpieces evenly over its whole surface making additional holes unnecessary. It is therefore especially suitable for this type of sensitive, thin material. Unused areas of Metapor do not require covering. This chuck measuring 600x630mm has been equipped with handles to enable fast pallet exchange of up to 20 times in one shift. Other chucks with different dimensions are also in use.
2. Vacuum caps it all
Bottle caps must fit perfectly to ensure lemonade, soft drinks, juice etc. reach customers in best condition and to achieve that, plastic tops have go through several quality checks. In order to get reliable data when measuring these small plastic parts, several of them are positioned on this kind of vacuum chuck simultaneously. Depending on bottle top size and shape several different versions of vacuum chucks have been manufactured. Vacuum allows even, gentle and torsion-free clamping.
3. Vacuum on the run
A sophisticated, custom built chuck is currently in use for checking soles of running shoes on a visual CMM. Witte Far East, Asian subsidiary of Witte Bleckede, manufactured a modular clamping fixture which corresponds to 3D inner contour of a shoe. An adapter plate, mounted for one shoe version, can be exchanged for other versions while basic chuck remains unchanged.
This chuck has areas of porous Metapor set in a high tensile aluminium base. Metapor ensures clamping of almost complete inner surface of sole available during optical measuring process of outer sole surface.
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Horst Witte Gerätebau Barskamp e.K., Horndorfer Weg 26, D-21354 Bleckede,
Tel.: +49 / 58 54 / 89-0, Fax: 90-40, www.horst-witte.de, info@horst-witte.de