The STEPCRAFT M-Series CNC Systems are one of the only benchtop CNC's that offer an integrated flow-thru vacuum table solution. When processing panels and sheet material, there is no better way to hold the material in place than with vacuum. There are no clamps to accidentally hit and no tape to deal with. Simply place your work material on the vacuum table and it is held securely in place while you mill, carve and engrave.
The M-Series Flex-Grid Vacuum Table uses our grid system which allows you to section off areas of the table to adapt to specific shapes and sizes of panels that need to process. Or you can simply leave the cord around the perimeter of the table to maximize the material work area on the machine.
When you have long production runs where you are cutting the same parts over and over, you can easily design a vacuum fixture that sits on top of the vacuum table to focus all the vacuum hold down to a very specific shape making the M-Series CNC a true production machine.
When cutting parts out completely, it is necessary to use a sacrificial board (also known as a spoilboard). These are typically made from MDF. You simply cut the MDF to the required size for your project and set up the cord in the grid so that it is just inside the perimeter of the spoilboard. Then you surface both sides of the MDF, removing around .030" to .040" to eliminate the compressed glue layer on the MDF. Doing so, allows the vacuum to flow freely through the MDF, securely holding your material in place. To cut parts out of your material, you will usually program it so the cutter passes about .010" below the bottom of the material into the spoilboard.
The M-Series Flex-Grid Vacuum Table is designed to fit on the machine in place of the standard MDF/T-Track, or Aluminum T-Slot tables. It will sit flush with the top of the machine giving you access to the full Z height of the machine. You can also position the vacuum table in the lower table location on the M-Series to give you even more working Z height.
