Panels & Furniture Asia March/April 2024

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
VacuMaster Charge:
Ergonomics without
needing a power socket
How can the flexibility of Schmalz’s vacuum
lifting device VacuMaster be enhanced?
The vacuum specialist company has
a simple answer: with a rechargeable
battery that enables operators to work
ergonomically without mains power.
after the work is done, the lifting aid will
be quickly put down, and the crane system
will be ready for other services.
The VacuMaster Charge comes with
a switch-off suction plate for flexible
changing of workpieces. Individual
suction plates can be switched off for
handling blanks or workpieces with
recesses. It also comes with parking
stands to park the lifting device safely and
gently for the suction cups after work.
Lastly, it comes with a water separator to
protect the vacuum generator from moist
workpieces.
According to Schmalz, the VacuMaster
Charge has a battery that provides
enough power for an eight-hour shift
in normal operation. Longer shifts
should have minimal issues with an
optional exchangeable battery: This
allows employees to use the lifting
device continuously over several shifts.
The power storage unit supplies four
diaphragm pumps with energy. Users
have a suction rate of 8m 3 /h and a vacuum
of 850 millibars at their disposal. The
intelligent control system switches off
the four pumps when the vacuum level
is safe and thus ensures lower energy
consumption and a longer battery life.
Equipped to computerised numerical
control (CNC) machining centres, Schmalz’s
VacuMaster is a vacuum lifting device that
can load and unload wooden boards up to
750kg, depending on the model. According to
Schmalz, for applications where many hands
would normally be required, the VacuMaster
allows workpieces to be handled more easily
by just a single operator while protecting the
employee’s health.
The original VacuMaster is ergonomic
by design, but recently Schmalz has
launched a more ergonomic variant of the
VacuMaster. With the new VacuMaster
Charge, skilled workers can now also
handle the aforementioned heavy loads
independent of a power supply. This
increases flexibility as only an overhead
crane is required, without a need to
connect to the power supply. Furthermore,
Developed in the standard version for
horizontal transport of suction-tight
workpieces, the VacuMaster Charge can
handle loads of up to 750kg. The modular,
plug-and-play system allows users to
adapt the battery-powered lifting device
to individual requirements, as is the case
with all models in the product family. It
is configurable for different workpiece
formats. P
26 PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA | MARCH / APRIL 2024