Eclipse from Vitap - The small size quilting machine

In the stand Accessory Group at BIFE SIM 2018 I had the opportunity to see Point K2, machine for feeding, routing and drilling Xylexpo award-winner. I had written about it and I wanted to see it at work and learn more technical information from Adriano Tanzini, technician at Vitap. On the stand, the size and versatility of the machine caught my eye Eclipse, another award-winning machine. I was used to large machines of a certain size and shape, and this little machine didn't really suggest being able to span a 2 meter panel. I'm the kind of person who, between walking through the stores at the mall and seeing how a car works, I choose the car. So I took advantage of Adriano's presence and asked him to make a presentation. Find the movie at the end of the article. In the meantime, a few facts about Eclipse.

2013 Las Vegas winner

The car is a star. In 2013 it received AWFS Fair Las Vegas award Visionary New Machine Award. It is the first machine of its kind to combine flexibility with precision. It has a lot going for it, but it's its small size and versatility that are the main attractions. It can hold panels of different sizes, straight or with rounded concave or convex shapes. The diameter of the panels can be between 200 and 2400 mm and the edge height between 13 and 64 mm.

The Eclipse is a semi-automatic machine that can both edge and trim at the same time. There are two working points, one for applying the edge and the other for trimming the edges flush and giving them the desired shape and radius (edging).

To be capped, the panel is placed on the vacuum table of a movable arm that can rotate it, bringing the edge to the capping unit. Here there are 3 working possibilities:

• manual - the operator decides when to cut the edge;
• laser on - the edge is cut automatically when its initial end is detected. If the cut is found to be too early or too late, small adjustments can be made so that the edge is continuous;
• smart laser - the laser will not follow the entire edge but will activate towards the end. For example, on a 2000 mm long edge, the laser will activate at 1800 mm and cut when 2000 mm is reached. This avoids accidental cuts in case the laser is influenced by the presence of an impurity and triggers the cut.

At the demonstration at BIFE the edge was glued with polyurethane adhesive. I understand that 2 years ago the machine was adapted to work with such adhesives. This was necessary because polyurethane adhesives are used more and more in Europe. This makes the bonding very resistant to humidity and outdoor conditions. With a polyurethane adhesive, you can be sure that the edge will not come loose because of steam in the kitchen or damp in the bathroom.

The choice of working parameters is made on a touch-screen display with simple and intuitive controls.

For the edging, you move to the other working point, which allows you to start edging another panel at the same time as leveling and rounding the edge on one panel. The choice of radius and shape is done manually, the settings are very easy to make.

A great car when space is at a premium

The machine is very suitable for workshops that process derivative panels, but also for factories where lack of space is a problem. It's possible to fit panels of large sizes and strange shapes with a machine that can be placed in a corner.

Another positive aspect is that the panels can be made in very different shapes. I think it's a good choice for furniture makers made of chipboard or MDF made to order. Personalized furniture stands out with these atypical, rounded shapes. With Eclipse the panels are easy and quick to fit.

I have to admit that at first glance, without a panel on the movable arm, it's hard to believe it's a cantering machine. The small size and atypical shape don't suggest an industrial machine at all, which made me even more curious to see it in action. Adriano showed us how it works, answered our questions and you can see it in the video below: