Vakuumanlagen

Vakuumanlagen are engineered systems designed to create and maintain a vacuum by evacuating gas from a sealed volume. They are used in processes that require low pressure to reduce convection, prevent contamination, or enable specialized surface interactions. A typical installation includes a vacuum chamber, pumps, piping, valves, gauges, and control systems.

Vacuum levels are described by pressure. Rough vacuum: about 1 to 1000 mbar; high vacuum: 10^-3 to 10^-9 mbar; ultra-high vacuum: below 10^-9 mbar. Units include pascals, millibars, and Torr. The choice depends on the process and gas load.

Pumping technologies include mechanical pumps for rough vacuum (rotary vane, diaphragm), dry pumps for clean environments, turbomolecular and other dynamic pumps for high or ultra-high vacuum, and specialized pumps such as diffusion and ion pumps. Systems may be single- or multi-stage, with valves and baffles to minimize backstreaming. Chamber fittings use flange standards such as KF/ISO-K and gaskets; leak detection uses Pirani, cold-cathode, and ionization gauges.

Operations often include bake-out, controlled venting with inert gas, and regular leak testing. Maintenance focuses on seals, pumps, gauges, and controls.

Applications include semiconductor manufacturing, thin-film coating, materials research, vacuum drying, and analytical instrumentation.

Vacuum technology has evolved from oil-sealed to dry, turbomolecular, and ion pumps, enabling increasingly lower pressures and cleaner processes for modern science and industry.