The VSR – Latest generation

Usable working area

Many machines equipped with multiple modules impose constraints inherent to physical offsets between tools. As a result, it is not always possible to work anywhere on the table with all tools, which complicates operation and limits possibilities.

On the VSR, cutters, blades, creasing wheels, taps, 3D probe, camera, LASER pointer… all operate across the full working area of the machine, with no offset.

Why a 9 kW spindle?

Once again, it is all about versatility…
When machining with small-diameter tools, a relatively high spindle speed is required. Too low a speed would result in slow cutting. The required torque is quite low, so a fast but low-power spindle may be sufficient in this case.
Conversely, operations requiring large-diameter tools (large cutters, counterbore cutters, form cutters, woodworking cutters, etc.) require much lower speeds but significantly higher torque. Some low-power spindles can deliver sufficient torque at low speed and perform such operations.

But these are different types of spindles! The only way to combine these capabilities in a single spindle is for it to be able, on demand, to reach high speed and/or deliver high torque. Maximum power is the product of these two values, which explains why it may appear high.

The VSR spindle is therefore capable of optimally performing completely different operations while only rarely using high power.

Motorization

The AC brushless servo motors equipping our machines are generously sized to fully meet the requirements of milling operations (force and rigidity) as well as tangential cutting operations (high speed and strong accelerations).

Continuous position control via 26-bit encoders ensures outstanding precision.
Depending on the tool used, actual working speeds can reach up to 74,000 mm/min.

Vacuum tracking

The VSR is equipped with a multi-zone vacuum table (12 zones on a VS2030R).
Vacuum is generated by a double-stage turbine. To maximize part holding performance during cutting, each zone is dynamically opened or closed by the software during operation. This management also helps reduce the vacuum table’s electrical consumption.

"Smart Power"

In parallel with zone management, vacuum pressure is continuously monitored by a sensor and the software adjusts the power delivered by the turbine according to actual needs.

For example, this makes it possible to cut 35 cm high Dibond® letters while using only 800 W of suction power!
For this type of work, and given current energy costs, the savings compared to a conventional CNC router can exceed €400 per month!

However, for parts that are difficult to hold at the end of cutting (small parts, very thin materials), the software can automatically engage high power (up to 11 kW), but only during the last millimeters of cutting.

Camera

Printing – front / back cutting

On the front side, the machine scans printed registration marks as well as the sheet corners. Cutting or engraving operations are then performed as required.
After the operator flips the sheet, the sheet corners are scanned again and the back-side operation begins.

Note: Sheet corner scanning can also be used to perform simple front/back operations (without printing). This function can also be used to precisely position machining operations within a sheet.

These functions are virtually essential for producing "hinges" in Hylite®, where alignment between machined faces must be perfect.

The VERSO CNC driver is available in Caldera®

VERSO CAM includes two Illustrator plugins to add registration marks and generate cutting files

Material probing

Some materials have thickness variations across the same sheet. This is particularly the case with cast PMMA, where differences exceeding 1 mm between edges and center are common. A 1 mm deep engraving could therefore pass above the material in some areas and cut more than a millimeter deep in others...

In VERSO CAM, when machining a material affected by such variations AND the job includes non-through operations (grooving, engraving, pockets, etc.), the software proposes a preliminary material probing step before starting the job. If the operator validates this step, the 3D probe performs a precise scan of the sheet, after which the corrected machining process is launched automatically.

Tool magazine

Located at the rear of the VSR, the 24-tool magazine supports ISO 30 tool holders for cutters and drills. It also accommodates VERSO UTM tools (tangential blades, oscillating blades, V-cut tools, creasing wheels and taps).

Numerous sensors secure each step of the process and provide maximum protection against potential operator errors.

Automatic tool probe

Extremely precise, the electronic tool probe is automatically used by the control software. In addition to ensuring accurate machining depths, it can detect potential tool breakage.
It is automatically cleaned by a compressed air jet shortly before measurement to prevent dust or chips from affecting accuracy. All tools (cutters, blades, V-cut tools, taps and creasing wheels) are measured by the tool probe.

Table probing and flatness

The table of a large CNC cutting machine is never perfectly flat over time. Flatness defects can represent slopes of 0.05 to 0.07%. This may seem insignificant, but on a 3-meter table, resulting depth inaccuracies often exceed one millimeter! The spoilboard itself may also have significant flatness defects.

The table probe equipping the VSR allows its geometry to be periodically recorded and compensated for during cutting operations.

Note: thanks to this function, the VSR is one of the very few CNC routers capable of producing daily "hinges" across an entire 1.2 mm Hylite® sheet (0.35 mm engraving on both front and back).

The UTM – a wide range of functions

We designed an extremely versatile module capable of accommodating very different tools. To fully leverage its capabilities, it was designed to use the ISO30 automatic tool changer present on our CNC cutting tables.


Thanks to its powerful and geared axis motor, it performs tangential cutting (blades, V-cut tools and creasing wheels) as well as tapping with perfect accuracy. During these operations, the UTM rotates on itself while remaining locked on its vertical axis for optimal precision.

When loading an oscillating blade, the UTM releases its vertical axis and automatically enters oscillation mode.
Available tool holders:
- Tangential blade
- Oscillating blade
- V-cut blade (30°, 45° or 60°)
- Creasing wheel
- Tapping holder (diameter as required)
By default, our blade tool holders are designed for round-shank blades with a 6 mm diameter, but custom tool holders can be manufactured.

Control board

Like the VERSO CAM CAD/CAM software, the control board is developed and manufactured by VERSO. It is fully dedicated to the functions and accessories integrated into the VS machines.

The powerful ARM Cortex microcontroller combined with the VERSO SPEEDDM firmware allows the VS to operate at high speed with extremely fine resolution.

Motorized extraction brush

Far from being a gimmick, the automatic positioning of the brush offers numerous advantages. It allows cutters and drills to be freely positioned in their holders while ensuring efficient chip extraction. The brush lightly touches the material.

Note: for ultra-sensitive materials, a "Retract" function allows the brush to be positioned a few millimeters above the material during operations.

Sick® safety scanner (option)

Positioned at the machine corner on the console side, this LASER device ensures presence detection along the length and width of the machine.
When installed in a building corner, the perimeter is fully protected. If the machine is installed along a wall, the device must be complemented by a simple barrier at the rear of the machine.

Over 275°, the detection zone is fully configurable, allowing exclusion of potential obstacles (posts, partitions, etc.).
In the event of a perimeter breach, the software immediately triggers a pause.
Resuming or aborting the job is done with a single click on the pause dialog window.

Note: if the scanner is inoperative or absent, or if an obstacle is detected within its perimeter at machine startup, travel speed is automatically limited to 30 m/min.

Accelerations are also reduced to 1 m/s².