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The most common setup for Luna drop saws utilises two horizontal pneumatic clamps.

On most saws a special adaptor nut is used for mounting the clamp holder.

The clamp cylinder holder has been designed by Luna. The Luna clamping system allows you to move the clamp left right and up and down to give you the best possible spot to clamp your extrusions.

On some saws you might have to drill and tap a M10 metric hole to fit the clamp kit.

If you won’t to position the clamp into a curtain position you can easily drill and tap an extra mounting hole.

Some less well designed saws (not sold by Luna) have very thin cast in the area where you might won’t to drill the mounting hole. If there is not enough metal for the thread you can mount the adaptor with a nut from behind. 

The clamps are activated via a pneumatic switch that is usually also used to activated the saw blade lubrication.

If the head of the saw is pulled down the spray mist is activated and the clamps extend to clamp the aluminium extrusion.

If wood is processed the spray mist is not used and usually turned off with a shut off valve.

The air lines to the clamps are usually 6mm. Brunching of from the 4mm supply line. In this configuration you don’t need any speed regulators. The 6mm line is not getting damaged as easily as a 4mm air line in that configuration.

If you want to use an air dust gun, you need to branch of the supply line before the activating valve for the spray mist and clamps. You also need at lest a 6mm air line to get a sufficient airflow.

Clamp kits with two horizontal clamps are usually supplied with a pressure regulator to enable to operator to set a low clamping force in case fragile extrusions like fly screen extrusions are cut.

For some applications in addition to the horizontal clamps also one or two vertical clamps are used. This is specifically useful if you are cutting extrusions that tend to kick up when clamped horizontally. This is not a great problem for straight cuts but it is a major problem for mitre cuts.

Security door extrusions are probably one of the most common extrusions creating this problem.

Using two horizontal clamps will usually solve the problem. That also enables you to move them away if you are cutting other extrusions.

If you are only fabricating security door you can setup your clamps to  lock in the security door extrusion.

I have seen several operators setting up there own clamping system using predominately wood but plastic and aluminium has been used as well. 

Commonly you are using a Luna clamp kit but remove the clamping pad and replace it with piece of flat aluminium on which you the mount your own clamp pad. It is important that you shape your clamp pad so that it clamps below the centre point of the extrusion otherwise it will tend to push the extrusion up. You can also permanently screw a support onto the fence of the saw. 

For some applications clamps are not commonly used eg picture frame making.

Sometimes the extrusion needs to be clamped before the saw is operated. In that case the material clamps can be equipped with a separate hand operated valve.

There is also a choice of using manual clamp kits for some applications or it could be the operator’s choice.

Manual clamp cylinder can be mounted onto a Luna holder but are usually supplied with a horizontal slide and lock.