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Automatic Air Clamp (AAC) Instruction Sheet To use your unit, pick a location that will allow you freedom of movement as you work a piece held onto your unit. It is strongly recommended that you attach the unit to the floor in a safe manner to prevent the unit tipping over in the case of an oversized workpiece with a center of gravity not in a vertical line with the AAC's pedestal stand. If properly fastened, the unit can hold a workpiece even though the center of gravity is not aligned as described above. Of course, special care must be exercised in such situations, particularly when "breaking vacuum" while placing or removing a workpiece. Your use of this flexible vacuum clamp will of course be customized to your specific needs. Trial and error will be required to adjust the regulator to the proper outlet pressure for your particular work applications. The unit creates vacuum on the same principal as an airplane wing: if you remember high school chemistry class where water running through the two legs of a glass "Y" inserted into a smoky test tube drew the smoke out of the test tube/ This is accomplished in your air clamp with a venturi unit. This unit is adjusted at the factory and requires no adjustment by you and is essentially a "non-wear" part. Of course, before disassembling the unit (as outlined below) because it doesn't appear to be working, make sure the compressor air supply, ball valve and regulator are on and the vacuum tape on the top of the clamp table is "airtight". The only problem you will possibly have is the unit becoming clogged in a dirty/dusty environment. For this reason, we strongly recommend and in line air / water filter be installed before the air regulator inlet. However, if the unit becomes clogged, so you cannot feel a passage of air, disconnect the hose hardware (ball valve, regulator, 1/2-20 nut on outside) and blow air in the opposite direction. Besides the four foot "perimeter" of vacuum tape that comes installed on the unit, an extra four feet are enclosed for your first replacement. This tape should last you a long time if you do not allow it to become dusty or dirty or rub your workpiece across the tape during placement and removal rather than lifting it directly up and down.
If you need additional vacuum tape, it is available from
Mar-Bel in 25 foot rolls. Copyright © 2002 John Mouzakis |
