Considerations When Evaluating Hold Down Methods

Router applications such as CNC machining, grinding, cutting and other precision processes require substrates to be held firmly in place. Various methods of hold down technology can be used depending on your substrate. Many industrial processes require reliable hold down force of various substrates such as wood, metals aluminum, steel, plastics, plexiglass and many other types of materials.

Choosing the hold down method which facilitates precision operations with quick changeover will provide the most benefits.  Some common hold down methods used in various industrial processes include vacuum tables, clamps, jigs, screws or even adhesives. Here are a few of the top considerations when evaluating hold down methods for CNC or router processes.

The thickness of your substrate - the thickness of your substrate is an important factor when choosing the right hold down technology. While clamps or jigs may hold thicker substrates securely in place, they may not facilitate quick changeovers. Clamps can be time-consuming to remove and reapply, jigs may allow for some slippage and these hold down methods are typically not ideal for thin materials.  Vacuum hold down technology will hold thin or flimsy materials firmly in place as well as securing thicker products for precision processes.

Changeover time - hold down methods which facilitate quick changeovers improve cycle times leading to increased productivity. This is one area where vacuum table technology outperforms other hold down methods. Quality vacuum tables can be designed with custom vacuum zones which can instantly be turned on or off for improved efficiency, productivity and profitability.

Material flow - the movement of material throughout your application is an important factor in choosing the right hold down technology. In certain cutting applications, special care must be taken to ensure that cut pieces do not fly off the table and pose a safety hazard.

Upon evaluation of these considerations, you may find that vacuum hold down technology provides the most benefit to your process. Consulting with a vacuum table specialist will help you to understand the features and benefits available to you.

Systematic Automation Assists with Evaluating Hold down Technology

The engineers at Systematic Automation offer more than 35 years of experience in designing vacuum tables for a wide range of industries and applications. We can help you to evaluate vacuum table technology compared to other hold down methods to help you choose the right system for your process. Our skilled engineers offer custom designed vacuum hold down tables to meet your specifications.

Our vacuum tables set the industry standard with +/- .001” per linear foot for any size of vacuum table system.  Our standard vacuum tables range in sizes from 5” x 6” up to 72” x 144”, with even larger custom designed sizes available. We can program specific vacuum zones with controllable valves, custom design hole patterns and table top surface options including Formica or anodizing for corrosion resistance as well as designing sacrificial layers to protect your tabletop surface.

Systematic Automation is recognized worldwide for designing, engineering and manufacturing high quality vacuum table systems, as well as offering one of the widest selections of screen printing machines available. Our vacuum table systems complement many screen printing operations as well as a multitude of commercial and industrial processes.

Systematic Automation offers assistance in evaluating various hold down methods to meet your application requirements. We partner with you to custom design the right vacuum hold down table to provide maximum efficiency with precision quality. Contact us to learn how vacuum hold down technology can benefit your application and improve your product and process quality.

Custom Designed Vacuum Table Solutions

Vacuum table systems are utilized worldwide in a wide variety of industrial manufacturing processes. Using vacuum hold down technology during operations such as screen printing, material movement, engraving and CNC operations provides many benefits. Vacuum tables are proven to increase quality by aiding consistent work processes and improve productivity with quick and efficient changeovers.

Vacuum tables provide many advantages over other methods of holding down products such as screws, jigs, adhesives or clamps. With a vacuum table system designed for your specifications, you can instantly shut off or on vacuum force in a targeted zone to facilitate quick changeovers. Utilizing a vacuum table custom designed to your specifications will greatly improve your quality, productivity and profitability.

Vacuum Tables with Advanced Engineering Features

Systematic Automation has been designing and manufacturing vacuum tables with advanced engineering features for more than 35 years. Our experienced engineering team is skilled at designing a vacuum hold down solution to meet your custom specifications. We offer vacuum table solutions for any size of product ranging from small tabletop systems to large tables which accommodate products like large canvases and boat sails.

We set the industry standard with consistent and reliable flatness of +/-.001” per linear foot and offer many advanced engineering features. Our vacuum table systems are designed to meet your unique specifications with features such as:

• Custom vacuum zones
• Valves for custom on / off control
• Custom hole patterns
• Sliding table with two axis of travel
• Automatic pin registration
• Sacrificial layers to protect tabletop surface
• Surface options such as anodizing or Formica table top
• Vertical or horizontal hold down force
• Custom designed shapes

Systematic Automation partners with you from the beginning to learn your exact process requirements and develop a vacuum hold down solution. We offer advanced and custom designed engineering features to meet your needs. No job is too small or too large with custom vacuum solutions. We are recognized worldwide as a leading provider vacuum tables and screen printing machines, offering quality components and exceptional customer service.

Systematic Automation offers automated, turnkey solutions with vacuum tables used in any industry.  We help to improve your quality and productivity with custom vacuum solutions to meet your specific requirements. Contact us to speak with an engineer and learn how to improve your process with custom designed vacuum hold down tables.

Improve Your Process with Vacuum Hold Down Systems

Vacuum hold down systems aid a multitude of applications by holding products and various substrates in place during additional processes. Vacuum tables come in all shapes and sizes and processes such as CNC machining, printing and many others.  Vacuum tables successfully hold many products such as plastics, plexiglass, canvases, metals and many others.
Vacuum hold down table systems can be found worldwide, improving a wide variety of applications and processes such as:

Screen Printing - screen printing on various items can be challenging without the help of a vacuum table system to hold your item securely.  Screen printing machines which utilize vacuum tables offer improved quality and productivity.

Engraving – engraving applications which utilize vacuum table systems experience improved quality with consistency.  Vacuum hold down tables designed for your application provide quicker changeover than other hold down methods such as screws, adhesives or jigs.

Sail Making – precision cutting or printing on large canvases require a reliable hold down method for accuracy. Large vacuum tables improve canvas and sail making processes with consistent flatness for precision operations.

Material Handling - material handling systems which incorporate vacuum hold down technology keep your products safe during transport from one area to another while maintaining part specifications and dimensions to maintain quality.

Custom Designed Vacuum Hold down Tables

Systematic Automation has been manufacturing vacuum tables for more than 35 years, offering custom design solutions to meet your specifications. We offer small tabletop vacuum systems, large vacuum tables to accommodate boat sails or oversized canvases, and custom designed vacuum solutions. We set the industry standard with consistent flatness of +/-.001” per linear foot and use only quality components in our state-of-the-art United States facility.

Systematic Automation is a recognized global leader in vacuum hold down technology. We offer a wide selection of vacuum tables with advanced engineering features and custom solutions to meet your needs. Contact us to learn how vacuum hold down technology will benefit your application.

Tips for Screen Printing PVC ID Cards

Printing on plastic cards is a popular printing application as plastic cards are used for a number of industries and applications. There is a great need to process printing on things like credit cards, identification cards, luggage tags and other flat, small items.  While this may seem like a simple process, there are several things to consider that will make printing on plastic ID cards go a lot smoother.

It is important to choose the right screen printer to print on plastic cards with all of the features and options for a successful process. There are many things you want to consider when selecting the right PVC ID card printer for you. Here are some tips on things to look for when searching for the perfect plastic card printing machine.

You’ll want to make sure that your PVC card printer includes the following features:

Automatic loading - an automatic feeder is a must for quick processing.

Automatic stacking – you’ll want your plastic cards to stack neatly in a pile after printing.

Dust removal - this is a very important feature when printing on plastic cards and is critical to quality printing without blemishes.

Anti-static treatment - static is a common problem with printing on plastic cards making anti-static features mandatory for successful printing.

Vacuum hold down - PVC ID card printers which utilize vacuum hold down can process cards quicker and with improved quality.

UV curing - plastic card printers which offer UV curing options produce high-quality inks which dry instantly upon UV exposure. This greatly improves quality and process time.
One plastic card printing machine offers all of these benefits and more, the CC-5000 PVC ID card printer by Systematic Automation delivers a host of benefits and engineering features

CC-5000 PVC ID Card Printer by Systematic Automation

The CC–5000 PVC ID card printer is a fully automatic In-Line screen printing machine which provides precision printing on small, flat items with proven consistency.  This plastic card printer offers 100% pneumatic operation for smooth, continual printing. Learn more about this proven plastic card printing solution from the screen printing specialists at Systematic Automation.

Systematic Automation offers the widest selection of screen printing machines and vacuum table systems.  We offer printing solutions for any size of product from small plastic cards to large boat sails. Contact us to speak with a skilled engineer to find the best solution for your plastic card printing process.

Here’s the Best Cup Screen Printing Solution

Screen printing on plastic cups can be tricky unless you have right equipment. Printing on plastic cups and mugs is a very common marketing and promotional process and can be a profitable one with a cup screen printing machine.  We have evaluated three different screen printing machines which are ideal for printing on cups.

The machine you choose will depend upon various factors such as the volume of cup printing you anticipate, the automation required and your budget. No matter your goals, there is a screen printing machine which meets your requirements with profitable printing solutions.

An entry-level screen printer which prints on a wide range of cylindrical items to meet versatility needs is the Model F1 – DC.  For a fully automated cup printing machine with automated stacking and auxiliary options, the T8 – SS delivers quality precision printing with increased productivity for increased profitability. For something in between, the Model PT – 8 prints in autocycle with an operator loading and unloading quality printed cups. 

Model F1-DC Clamshell Cup Printing Machine

The Model F1-DC is dedicated to cylindrical printing with versatility and a modular design. This affordable clamshell printer processes up to 3,600 items per hour depending on your specific process.

Model T8-SS Turret Motion Cup Screen Printer

The Model T8-SS cup screen printer offers quick and easy set-up and fully automated cup printing with the auto loading and unloading. Printed cups are accumulated in an orderly, complete stack. Additional options such as UV curing provides instant drying of high quality inks and improves cycle time. The T8 – SS will produce up to 2,000 products per hour depending on your process.

Model PT-8 High Speed Cup Screen Printer

The Model PT-8 is a high speed, low cost, cup printing machine providing precision printing to versatile cylindrical items. This user-friendly printer provides autocycle printing with operators loading and unloading cups onto the eight station rotary indexer, accommodating versatility to print on various sizes of items.

You can learn more about each one of these cup printing machines from Systematic Automation, the leading screen printing manufacturer and global supplier of printing solutions.

Systematic Automation offers screen printing solutions for any size of product with the widest selection of screen printing machines available.  We offer custom designed screen printers, vacuum tables automated equipment for turnkey solutions. Contact us for manufacturer direct pricing and exceptional customer service.

The Best Way to Screen Print on Mugs

Coffee mugs are a great promotional product that many companies give away touting their brand and logo. Whether sipping coffee, tea or your favorite beverage, your favorite mug is in your hands for a good part of the day. This is an easy way to get your company name in front of your audience and buyers on a regular basis.

Whether you are bringing this job in-house to screen print your own mugs, or you are a screen printing provider looking for the best mug screen printing machine, here are a couple of our favorite screen printers for the job.

Model F1 Screen Printing Machines for Mugs

The Model F1 by Systematic Automation is one of the most versatile clamshell screen printing machines available. The F1 has the ability to print on either flat or cylindrical items, whereas the Model F1 – DC is dedicated to cylindrical printing.  The F1 – DC offers precision, high volume printing of up to 3,600 items per hour. Additional benefits include 100% pneumatic operation, full pedal control, adjustable squeegee height, steel casters for mobility and heavy duty x, y and angular axis.

Model T8-SS Screen Printing Machine for Mugs

The Model T8-SS provide high quality, multicolor screen printing machine on mugs with many automated options available. Incorporate automatic loaders, unloaders and pretreatment machine such as a flame treater which improves ink adhesion on plastics or glass.  UV curing is also available to instantly dry vibrant inks which provides high-quality and improved cycle times.

Systematic Automation Offers Mug Printing Solutions

Systematic Automation is an industry leading manufacturer of high quality, precision screen printing machines and vacuum tables which aid a multitude of applications. We expertly design, engineer and manufacture semi-automatic and fully automatic screen printers, vacuum tables, pre-treatment and post-treatment equipment such as flame treatment machines and UV curing machines. All equipment is manufactured in our modern United States facility and rigorously tested prior to shipping.

Systematic Automation provides turnkey solutions for screen printing applications with affordable and easy to operate screen printing machines. We offer custom designed engineering features to meet your specifications coupled with exceptional customer service. Contact us to learn how you can improve your screen printing process for any product requirement including printing on mugs.