Eclipse from Vitap - The small size quilting machine

In the standAccessory Groupat BIFE SIM 2018 I had the opportunity to seePoint K2, foraging, routing and drilling machine awarded at Xylexpo. I had written about it and wanted to see it at work and find out more technical information from Adriano Tanzini, technician at Vitap. On the stand, the size and versatility of the canning machine caught my attention. 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 climb a 2m panel. I'm the kind of guy who, between walking through stores at the mall and seeing how a machine works, chooses the machine. So I took advantage of Adriano's presence and asked him to give a presentation. Find the video at the end of the article. Until then, some information about Eclipse.

Awarded in Las Vegas in 2013

The car is a star. In 2013 it received the 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 of qualities, but the main attraction is its small size and versatility. It can hold panels of different sizes, straight or rounded concave or convex. Panel diameters can be between 200 and 2400 mm and edge heights between 13 and 64 mm.

The Eclipse is a semi-automatic machine that can trim and edge 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 shrouded, the panel is placed on the vacuum table of a mobile arm that can rotate it, bringing the edge to the right of the shrouding unit. Here there are 3 working possibilities:

• manually - the operator decides when to cut the edge;
• laser on - the edge is automatically cut when its initial end is detected. If it is found that the cut is too early or too late, small adjustments can be made so that the edge is continuous;
• smart laser - the laser will not follow the whole 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 it reaches 2000. This avoids accidental cuts if the laser is influenced by the presence of an impurity and triggers the cut.

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

The choice of working parameters is made on a touch screen, and the controls are simple and intuitive.

For edging, the other working point is moved to the other side, which allows the edging of one panel to be levelled and rounded at the same time as the edging of another. The choice of radius and shape is done manually, and the settings are very easy to make.

A very suitable machine when lack of space is a problem

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

Another positive aspect is the colouring of the panels with very different shapes. I think it's a good choice for furniture makers made of chipboard or MDF to order. Customised furniture is distinguished by these rounded, atypical shapes. With Eclipse the panels are easy and quick to install.

I have to admit that at first glance, without a panel on the mobile arm, it's hard to believe it's a cantuit machine. The small size and atypical shape doesn'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: