CNC router vacuum hold-down at a furniture factory
The customer
A custom-furniture workshop in Chiang Mai with two 5-axis CNC routers machining solid wood, MDF and laminated panels. Workpieces are held to the bed by a vacuum hold-down system — no clamps, no fixtures.
The challenge
The existing oil-sealed rotary vane pump was reaching end-of-life. Worse, oil mist was contaminating porous wood pieces, requiring rework or scrap. The shop wanted a permanent fix.
The solution
A single CR300 claw pump replaced the rotary vane unit:
- Dry-running — no oil to migrate into the workpiece
- Hold vacuum at 150 mbar with 280 m³/h flow at the inlet
- Service interval measured in years, not months
Installation took half a day, including a new exhaust line vented through the roof.
The result
- Zero oil-contamination scrap since installation (8 months in)
- No oil changes — the CR Series has no oil in the working chamber
- Lower noise — 68 dB(A) vs. 76 dB(A) for the previous unit
- Lower energy use — pump cycles less frequently because hold-down vacuum is more stable
"The first month I kept checking the oil sight glass. There isn't one. That's the whole point." — Workshop owner