Vacuum technology is an irreplaceable part of a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. From packaging to freeze-drying numerous forms of manufacturing to particle accelerators you may not realize how often you encounter vacuum systems in your everyday life.
Medical and pharmaceutical industries rely on vacuum technology to keep their tools, rooms and instruments clean and sterile. Vacuum systems can be found in hospitals, clinics and laboratories around the world.
Printing is another industry that uses vacuum systems. This includes running printing presses, drying inks and a number of other important processes. It’s important to understand how vacuum systems work when designing a new project or buying an existing system.
When working in high vacuum, it’s necessary to understand a few basic terms including pumping speed (S), throughput (Q) and conductivity (C). These are the three factors that determine if the system is capable of operating within its intended pressure range.
The first major application of vacuum technology occurred about 1900 with the development of electric light bulbs and other devices that required a higher level of attainable pressure than that available under normal atmospheric conditions. Since that time the underlying technology has continually been refined and the range of obtainable vacuums has increased as well.
A broad range of manufacturing, laboratory and research equipment utilizes the most advanced vacuum solutions to achieve ultra-high vacuum (UHV). The most complex systems are used for particle and plasma physics which studies what the world is made of on the smallest possible scale. These unique environments require an ever-growing range of vacuum solutions from ion pumps to sputter deposition systems and cyclotrons.
