By Team FORG3D
Most vacuum workholding systems are designed around a single setup. One bench. One orientation. One configuration that works — as long as the job comes to you.
SYS-GRP doesn't work that way.
The system was built around a simple premise: the work doesn't stay in one place, and the workholding shouldn't have to either. Every pod, adapter, and accessory in the SYS-GRP ecosystem speaks the same language — which means the configuration changes with the job, not the system. Whether you're routing panels on a dedicated MFT bench, running a guide rail on a portable setup, or breaking down sheet goods on a jobsite, the components adapt. You don't.
Here's how to think through the setup that fits your work.
Start With Deployment Context
The most useful question before selecting pods or accessories is: where is this work actually happening?
SYS-GRP configurations break into three distinct contexts, each with a different starting point:
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Bench-anchored — permanent install in a 20 mm or ¾-inch dog-hole grid; the bench becomes part of the system
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Rail-staged — pods travel with the guide rail; suited for track saw work and surfaces without a dog-hole grid
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Mobile and jobsite — the full kit packs into a Systainer S76 with PodDock fitouts; deploys anywhere
These aren't separate systems. They're different configurations of the same modular ecosystem. A pod that anchors into your bench also stages on a rail. The vacuum source you run at your bench can travel to a jobsite. The Systainer that ships your kit to a customer site is the same one that lives on your shop shelf.
Start with the context where most of your work happens. The system grows from there.
Match the Pod to the Work
BenchGrip Pods: Flexible, Grid-Based Workholding
BenchGrip pods are the core of bench-anchored setups. All three variants — Maximus, Minimus, and Minimus Dual — install into 20 mm or ¾-inch dog holes using the Argos bench driver, and all three are compatible with MFT-style benches, Parf guide systems, and 96 mm on-center layouts.
Maximus provides a larger contact surface, better suited for wider stock. Minimus is the compact form — optimized for longer, thinner material where a smaller footprint matters. Minimus Dual runs two pods in-line for multi-pod configurations without additional fittings.
Choose based on what you're holding. For mixed work, the two sizes cover the range without overlap.
AnchorPod: Infrastructure That Stays Ready
AnchorPod takes a different approach. Rather than staging pods for each job, it installs into a dog hole once and stays.
The design is a patent-pending hybrid: a precision-machined base handles vacuum routing and structural load, while an additively manufactured upper manages sealing and mechanical anchoring. One body. Two functions. Three modes:
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AnchorDog Mode — mechanical friction lock in the dog hole; keeps rails and jigs secure without vacuum
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Gasket Mode — foam gasket seals the workpiece for direct vacuum hold; suited to veneers, laminates, and delicate materials
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Pod Integration Mode — mounts AnchorPod Edition Maximus or Magnus pods above for raised, multi-pod setups
The base stays anchored. The mode shifts with the task. For dedicated bench work, AnchorPod removes setup as a variable entirely: connect vacuum, place the workpiece, work.
FS Rail Pods: Clamp-Free Track Saw Work
FS Rail vacuum pods solve a specific problem: locking a guide rail without traditional clamps.
For track saw setups — particularly on jobsites where the work surface is improvised — reaching underneath a full sheet to position a clamp wastes time and creates frustration. FS Rail pods attach directly to the rail. Connect vacuum, position the rail, and it locks. No clamps in the way. No repositioning mid-cut.
This is where the mobile configuration proves itself. Break down sheet goods at a lumber yard, on an assembly table, or on a portable rig. The rail setup works the same way it does in the shop.
Choose the Right Vacuum Source
The pod configuration matters. So does the vacuum source driving it. SYS-GRP is compatible with three common options, each suited to different deployment scenarios.
Grabo portable vacuum lifter — The most portable option. The SYS-GRP Nexus Baseplate makes it SYS-GRP compatible, cycling on and off to maintain hold. For jobsite deployments where a dedicated pump isn't practical to transport, the Grabo handles the portability problem without adding a separate piece of powered equipment. The new Grabo Brushless cycles less aggressively under load — if your work involves sustained multi-pod setups or longer sessions, the difference shows.
Small dedicated pump — For sustained shop operations, a purpose-built pump running alongside your setup delivers quieter, more consistent vacuum without cycling. This is the cleanest approach for bench-anchored configurations where the pump stays in one place.
VAC-SYS integration — If you already own a Festool VAC-SYS vacuum system, a dedicated adapter routes SYS-GRP pods through that existing source. No second pump required. Your existing investment expands into the system.
The Grabo handles mobility. A dedicated pump handles sustained shop work. VAC-SYS integration handles expansion from what you already own. None of these choices lock you out of the others as the system grows.
Staging, Transport, and the Ready Loop
A workholding system that takes too long to pack or unpack fails the jobsite test before the first cut.
SYS-GRP kits ship in Systainer S76 enclosures with precision PodDock fitouts. Pods, fittings, tubing, and accessories have defined locations. Pack in — pack out. The fitout does the organizing so you don't have to.
Those Systainers stack with standard Tanos-compatible cases, which means SYS-GRP storage integrates with whatever system is already on your truck, in your shop, or on your bench.
A ready loop is the condition where your workholding, deployment staging, and small-parts organization are solved as a single system — so setup doesn't have to be reinvented each time. Systainer packaging is how SYS-GRP achieves that on the road and in the shop.
Building the System Incrementally
The modular design means there's no single correct starting configuration — and no single purchase that locks you in.
Start with the pod that matches your most common task. Add FS Rail pods when clamp-free guide rail work becomes frequent. Layer in AnchorPod when the bench becomes a dedicated workstation and you want vacuum permanently ready. Add a Hub and pneumatic valve circuit when multi-zone control makes sense — zone isolation lets you manage sections of the bench independently without pulling vacuum across the entire surface.
Every piece works with every other piece. The accessories cross over. The Systainers stack. The system compounds as the work demands it.
Start where your dominant work lives. Expand as the system proves itself.
Explore the full SYS-GRP collection and find the configuration that fits your bench, your rails, and your jobsite at forg3d.store/pages/system-overview.
SYS-GRP™ by FORG3D
Your Workflow. Without Limits.
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Meta title: Customizing Your SYS-GRP Vacuum Workholding Setup for Any Jobsite | FORG3D
Meta description: SYS-GRP adapts to your bench, your rails, and your jobsite. Learn how to configure pods, choose a vacuum source, and build a modular workholding system that works anywhere.