Abstract
A clamping system comprises a chuck and a pallet for mounting an object on a clamping surface. The chuck comprises a plurality of chuck reference elements in X-, Y- and Z-directions, wherein the pallet comprises a plurality of pallet reference elements in X-, Y- and Z directions, wherein the pallet includes a pallet locking mechanism and the chuck includes a chuck locking mechanism, wherein in the clamping state, the pallet is clamped to the chuck by interacting the pallet locking mechanism with the chuck locking mechanism and the pallet reference elements are aligned with the chuck reference elements in X-, Y- and Z-directions, wherein the clamping system comprises a vacuum ejector configured to generate a vacuum, wherein the vacuum ejector has an ejector inlet for supplying the pressurized air therein and an ejector vacuum opening for providing the vacuum, wherein a suction opening is provided on the clamping surface and configured to be communicatively connected to the ejector vacuum opening for holding the object positioned on the suction opening by the vacuum generated by the vacuum ejector when the pallet is clamped to the chuck. The clamping system further comprises a back valve, which is configured to be positioned between the suction opening and the ejector vacuum opening in the clamping state, wherein the back valve is configured to operate in an open state or in a closed state, wherein in the open state the vacuum generated by the vacuum ejector passes through the back valve to the suction opening and in the closed state the vacuum is maintained between the back valve and the suction opening for keeping the object on the suction opening without communicative connection between the vacuum ejector and the suction opening.