An In-depth Guide to Schlenk Lines and Gas Manifold Systems. How to use schlenk lines, how to setup inert gas lines, vacuum manifold and schlenk line vacuum pump systems. What is a schlenk line? A schlenk line is a type of manifold system that is commonly used in scientific laboratories. The schlenk line consists of…
Roots Blowers (aka Booster Pumps)
A brief look into what a booster pump is and when are they needed Booster pumps (aka Roots blowers or intermediate stage vacuum pumps) fall into the class of dry, gas transfer pumps. As a dry pump, they do not introduce oil or water into the pumped gas stream. Gas transfer is accomplished by mechanically…
Vacuum Pump Maintenance
How to maximize the life of your pump To maximize your investment and produce repeatable high-quality process results, it is mandatory to institute a thorough pump preventative maintenance program. In a pump’s normal operating life, nearly all unexpected vacuum pump failures can be prevented, and when carefully maintained, a vacuum pump will provide years of…
Oil Sealed Rotary Vane Pumps
How to use rotary vane vacuum pumps and their importance to the overall performance of your vacuum process Oil sealed rotary vane pumps (aka rotary vane pumps) are the primary pumps on most vacuum systems used in the heat treatment industry. They are also referred to as a “backing” pump when used in combination with…
Conductance in Vacuum Pumping Systems
The importance of incorporating flow into the design of your vacuum system. What is Conductance and Why Does it Matter? Conductance is the characteristic of a vacuum component or system to readily allow the flow of gas and can be thought of as the inverse of resistance to flow. It must be closely considered when…
Vacuum Pump Buying Guide
A quick summary of the factors to consider when purchasing a vacuum pump How to Select a Vacuum Pump A vacuum pump is used to create a negative pressure (vacuum) within a vessel or system. There are 3 main factors to determine which vacuum pump will work best for your application. Depth of vacuum Material…
Proper Selection and Use of Vacuum Gauges
How to accurately measure (and control) the pressure at each stage of the process being performed. Selecting the correct vacuum gauge or gauges is critical to the success of any process utilizing vacuum. It is important to know how they work and what options are available so that the correct choice can be made. There…
A Layman’s Guide to Understanding The Theory of Gases
The movement of gases is an important and interesting subject but one often dismissed as a topic best left to scientists. However, the operator needs to know something about the basic nature (theory) of gases and in particular how they behave in vacuum. The main difficulty is that too much theory tends to become a…
What is the Purpose of a Vacuum Pump
To successfully process component parts in a vacuum furnace (Fig. 1), we need to create and control the “atmosphere” surrounding the work. In general, applications run in vacuum furnaces can be broken down into five main (5) categories1: Processes that can be done in no other way than in vacuum; Processes that can be done…
An Introduction To Vacuum Pumps
An exploration of various pump types and their uses When designing or operating a vacuum system, it is critical to understand the function of the vacuum pumps. We will review the most common types of vacuum pumps, their principles of operation and where in the system they are used. Pump Categories (by Operating Pressure) Vacuum…