How to Choose the Right Vacuum Table for Your Process

Vacuum tables are used to improve many commercial and industrial applications by holding down various substrates and products during additional processes. Whether using your vacuum table for machining, milling, drilling, cutting or screen printing, choosing the right type of vacuum table and pump is an important decision. Consider the following factors when selecting the right vacuum table for your process:

• Type of application or process
• Air permeability of substrate or product
• Surface area of your substrate or product
• Friction between the substrate and vacuum table

These are all important considerations in selecting the right vacuum table and pump for your application.  Increased horsepower does not improve a process.  Evaluate these factors for successful implementation and operation of your vacuum hold down table.

Type of Application or Process

The type of application or process is an important factor when selecting the right type of vacuum table and pump. The vacuum table must complement your application with the efficiency, accuracy, consistent flatness and the right amount of vacuum hold down force for your product.

Air Permeability of Substrate or Product
the air permeability of your substrate or product is a critical factor when determining the amount of vacuum hold down necessary. Products with increased air permeability such as canvas or paper do not require the amount of vacuum force needed when holding down a solid sheet of metal, wood or aluminum.

Surface Area of Your Substrate or Product
The surface area of your substrate or product is another critical factor when choosing the right type of vacuum table and pump. Smaller parts may require more vacuum force or a denser hole pattern to hold them in place during processes.

Friction between the Substrate and Vacuum Table
The amount of friction between your substrate and the vacuum table is another important factor when choosing the right type of vacuum hold down system.  Substrates that are more prone to slip may require a higher amount of vacuum force. If your vacuum table top has a non-slippery surface it may help to hold your substrate more firmly in place.

For more information on selecting the right type of vacuum table and pump for your application, consult with the leading vacuum table manufacturers at Systematic Automation.

Systematic Automation has over 35 years of experience designing, engineering and manufacturing high quality vacuum tables. We offer assistance in selecting the right vacuum table for your application as well as custom designed options to meet your specifications. Contact us to speak with an engineer and for assistance in evaluating your application and vacuum hold down requirements.

Screen Printing Machines with Vacuum Tables

Vacuum tables are used to enhance many applications including screen printing.  Whether you are printing on flat or cylindrical products, vacuum tables or vacuum hold down platens help to keep your product securely in place for quality printing results. Many screen printing machines allow for vacuum system options although a few models stand out from the rest as offering maximum value with high performance and low cost.

Whether you are printing on flat or cylindrical items, Systematic Automation has the right screen printing machine and vacuum table system for your process.

Screen Printing on Flat Products with Vacuum Hold down
Systematic Automation offers many solutions for printing on flat products such as the automatic Model CC–5000 screen printer.  This automatic screen printing machine features pneumatic controls for smooth and quiet operation with adjustable print stroke speed, the screen printer is popular for printing plastic cards and utilizes of vacuum pump for accurate, precision printing.
The Model ST36/ST48 is a popular semi-automatic screen printing machine for large, flat products such as banners and signs. The screen printer accommodates sizes of 36” x 36” or 48” x 48”, featuring dual printhead controls, foot pedal cycle start and controls and X, Y and angular micro-adjust

Screen Printing on Cylindrical Products with Vacuum Platens
Vacuum hold down platens utilized in screen printing machines help to hold cylindrical items in place during precision printing.  The Model 810 is a clamshell screen printing machine with versatility to print on either flat or cylindrical products. The semi-automatic screen printer is popular for printing on cups, mugs, glassware and other cylindrical items.

Systematic Automation offers a low cost manual screen printer, the MC–1, which offers many desirable features along with the option of printing on flat or cylindrical items with vacuum table system features.

Whether printing on flat or cylindrical products, Systematic Automation offers the widest selection of screen printing machines available along with vacuum hold down options for improved quality and efficiency.

Systematic Automation is recognized as an authority on screen printing machines and vacuum tables.  We design, engineer and manufacture high quality screen printers and precision vacuum tables with consistent flatness. Contact us to learn more about screen printer vacuum tables and how to improve your product and process quality.

Small Vacuum Table Tips for Success

Vacuum tables aid many applications by holding various products and substrates firmly in place during additional processes. It can be tricky to hold small parts securely during cutting or milling applications. It is important to know how to use your vacuum table properly for quality processes as well as safety to the operator. Preventing your small parts from slipping and holding cut pieces firmly in place so they don’t fly around and cause injury is important during cutting processes.

Here are a few tips and things to consider for improved product and process quality as well as operator safety when using small vacuum tables.

1)  Use a sacrificial layer.
Utilizing a sacrificial layer for your small vacuum table will help to protect your tabletop surface during cutting or milling applications. Sacrificial layers should have matching hole patterns or be permeable to allow air to flow through the layer.  It is important to replace damaged sacrificial layers to maintain consistent flatness.

2)  Consider the vacuum hole patterns.
Vacuum tables typically have similar hole patterns although smaller tables may require a denser hole patterns to hold smaller parts in place. More vacuum holes to create a denser hole pattern will hold small parts for securely in place and will prevent pieces from flying off the table and causing injury.

3)  Use tools designed for small vacuum tables.
It is important to use tools designed for small vacuum tables during your cutting or milling processes as smaller cuts are required. Talk with an experienced vacuum table manufacturer for more tips on the right tools and strategies to preserve your workpiece.

4)  Determine your vacuum table strategy.
Plan out your strategy ahead of time and determine the amount of hold down force required for your milling or cutting process.  Determining your strategy including proper process set up parameters will allow you to achieve maximum productivity while preventing damage product and injury.
For more tips on how to properly use a vacuum table for maximum benefit contact Systematic Automation, a leading manufacturer of quality vacuum table systems and precision screen printing machines.

Systematic Automation designs engineers and manufacturers vacuum tables of all shapes and sizes with high-quality components and consistent flatness. You can find our vacuum tables in a myriad of applications and industries worldwide. Contact us to learn more about our wide selection and tips for using any size of vacuum table.

Easy Screen Printer for Cups and Cylindrical Items

There are many options out there for printing on cups, mugs, bottles and cylindrical items.  Finding the right screen printer for you depends upon a few considerations such as how much versatility and automation is needed.  One printer stands out from the rest and is known in the industry at the most versatile screen printer ever made.

The Model F1 is simple, brilliant and versatile with the ability to print on both flat and cylindrical items. The F1–DC stands for dedicated cylindrical and is the printer of choice for many applications that require printing on cups and other cylindrical items. This workhorse, clamshell screen printer can produce up to 3,600 products per hour depending on the application.

Model F1-DC Features and Benefits

The F1-DC has many desirable engineering features to provide a versatile, reliable and highly accurate precision screen printer. Features and benefits include:

• Variable flood bar and squeegee speed
• Adjustable flood length and print stroke
• Print flood cycle allows the machine to wait in flood position
• Heavy duty micro adjust table with X, Y and angular axes
• Heavy duty steel base with casters
• Foot pedal cycle starts
• Overhead carriage screen lift
• Quick changeover in seconds
• Capability to adjust to various sizes
• 100% pneumatic for smooth and quiet operation
• Multicolor, precision printing
• Up to 3,600 parts per hour throughput depending on product

This versatile clamshell screen printer offers these features and many others.  Systematic Automation offers assistance in evaluating the benefits of the Model F1 and our many other selections of semi-automatic and automatic screen printing machines.  We design, engineer and manufacture screen printing machines and precision vacuum tables utilized worldwide in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications.

We offer flame treatment to pretreat plastic products for improved ink adhesion, UV curing inks and a patented UV curing system for quick drying of vibrant inks that will last. We design, engineer and manufacture high-quality equipment in our state-of-the-art US facility, and inspect all machinery with rigorous testing prior to shipping.

Systematic Automation is an experienced manufacturer of screen printing machines and vacuum tables found worldwide. We offer high-quality equipment, exceptional customer service, support and training. Contact us to learn how to choose the screen printer which provides maximum value for your application.

Cost-Efficient Screen Printing on Cups and Mugs

Screen printing on cups, mugs, bottles and other promotional items can be a profitable business with the right cup printing machine. Companies who promote their business and their brand on beautiful cups, mugs and bottles get their name in front of their audience on a regular basis.  Providing high-quality, cost-efficient screen printing on cups and mugs can be as simple as finding the right screen printing machine.

Cup Printing Machine Options

It’s always better to talk straight to the machine manufacturer rather than a salesperson or some equipment reseller. Systematic Automation designs, engineers and manufacturers screen printing machines which outperform comparable models. With nearly 2 dozen standard models to choose from and custom designed options available, the knowledgeable staff will help you find the right printer for your process with the most cost-efficient solution.

Model PT-8 Cup Printing Machine

There are a few screen printing machines which perform well for printing on cups, such as the Model PT-8, the Model F1–DC and Model T8 – SS.  We help to evaluate your process and determine the best printer for your application.  Depending on your volume and the level of automation required, the Model PT-8 will provide high quality printing on cups with cost-efficient operation and a quick return on investment.

This turret motion screen printer is a high-speed, cost-efficient solution for printing on cups and cylindrical items.  Standard engineering features include:

• 100% pneumatic control for smooth and quiet operation
• Adjustable operating, print and flood speed
• Single or automatic cycles
• Emergency stop
• Standard 8 station indexer with custom options available
• Hardened, polished shafts with ball bearings rated for over 300 million cycles
• Adjustable squeegee with quick release assembly

These benefits and many more are available with this high quality screen printing machine.  Systematic Automation partners with you to examine your process and deliver the best printing solution for your needs. We offer one of the widest selections of printing machines which can be found worldwide in a number of industries and applications.

Systematic Automation designs, engineers and manufacturers high quality screen printing machines, vacuum tables pretreatment and posttreatment equipment. We partner with you to provide the most cost-efficient printing solution with state-of-the-art equipment and full customer service. Contact us to learn more and to find the right screen printer for your cups, mugs and cylindrical items.

What’s the Best Screen Printing Machine for Plastic Bottles

It can be challenging to print on plastic bottles of varying levels of thickness and sizes.  Plastic can be especially difficult to print on due to the nonporous nature of the surface which hinders ink adhesion. When printing on plastic cups, a pretreatment application such as with a flame treater may be required to improve the ink adhesion to the plastic surface.

It is best to check with an experienced screen printing specialist for guidance on selecting the right cup printing machine for your application.

Systematic Automation Offers Cup Printing Solutions

Systematic Automation offers a wide selection of high quality, precision screen printing machines with a few models designed for efficient printing on plastic cups.  The Model F1-DC is a versatile clamshell printer which prints on nearly any cylindrical item, the Model PT-8 is a high-speed, turret motion printer and the fully automated T8–SS offers automatic loading and unloading with pretreatment and UV curing options available.

Model F1-DC Cup Printing Machine

The Model F1 screen printing machine set the industry standard with high speed, precision, versatility and simple operation. The Model F1–DC is dedicated to cylindrical products of varying shapes and sizes, with quick changeover and universal tooling. This will become the workhorse printer of your operation providing a quick return on investment.

This versatile, clamshell printer provides smooth and quiet 100% pneumatic operation with mechanical point registration. High quality rack and pinion system rotates cups, bottles, mugs and cylindrical products with precision accuracy and heavy duty X, Y and angular axes which allow easy adjustments. Multicolor printing, pretreatment processes such as flame treating, UV inks with a UV curing system is available for high-quality, vibrant screen printing that will last.

Systematic Automation offers many options for screen printing on cups, mugs, even kegs and virtually any product.  Our wide selection of semiautomatic and fully automatic screen printing machines accommodate a wide range of applications and can be found worldwide in many industries. We design, engineer and manufacture screen printing machines, vacuum tables, pretreatment and posttreatment equipment.

Systematic Automation is recognized as a leading supplier of high quality screen printing machines and vacuum tables with more than 35 years of experience. We provide exceptional customer support and training along with custom designed, automated solutions. Contact us to learn more about our wide selection of screen printing solutions including high quality and efficient printing on cups, mugs and cylindrical items.