VACUUM SCIENCE BLOG

As applications using vacuum technologies evolve and become ever more precise, the vacuum systems and pumps used have even less margin for error than ever before. In every operation that uses vacuum – particularly where incredibly precise instruments are involved (R&D, mass spectrometry) – the preservation of the vacuum is of the utmost importance.

The reality is that unforeseen problems in a vacuum can be catastrophic for the process, the environment and the operator, and one which can prove tricky is a vacuum leak.

The American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) is the largest society in the world of Mass Spectrometry and its applications. Its Annual Conference is held at varying locations in the USA and Canada with around 6,500 participants, some 3,000 posters and 400 oral presentations alongside a large vendor exhibition. This year's conference was planned in Houston, Texas for May 31 - June 4 but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the conference was shifted from a face-to-face event into an online format.

For business and organisations in the vacuum technology space, COVID-19 has changed the way in which they operate indefinitely – with many experiencing the effects in different ways. It has, without a doubt, been a harsh and challenging year, but signs of recovery are on the horizon as government-imposed lockdowns ease and many of these businesses and organisations resume (in some way) operations. .

In this blog, we explain the functional principle, operational requirements and application uses of Diaphragm Vacuum Pumps.

In our previous blog, we outlined the importance of vacuum technology in a number of medical procedures and treatments. In part three, we discuss how vacuum technology is fundamental for medical analysis through MRI, Mass Spectrometers and Electron Microscopes.

In our previous blog, we outlined the growing uses of vacuum technology in the medical industry including central vacuum systems and x-rays. In part two, we discuss how vacuum technology is fundamental for the development of Tumour Therapy, Proton Therapy and Heavy Ion Therapy.

Vacuum technology plays an important role in a number of health care and life sciences applications. We find vacuum pumps in all major hospitals and in many analytic instruments used in diagnostics and research. This blog will provide an overview of the medical applications that utilise vacuum technology today.

In December 19, 2019 we mentioned that dry screw pumps in food industry application are more often replacing wet pumps. We found a useful link about dry vacuum pumps in food packaging. Please follow https://blog.leybold.com/disrupting-food-packaging. In this blog, Jim Hupp, an experienced technician working in the Midwest USA explains the advantage of dry pumps compared to other pump types in this industry.

Given the situation with COVID-19, many questions are being asked about how vacuum technology (specifically mass spectrometers) can help with health diagnostics and research.

With this in mind, in this short blog we’ll explore how mass spectrometers can be used in the medical field to tackle pandemics like COVID-19.

Oil diffusion pumps have been the workhorse in high-vacuum pumping for many decades and remain the standard for industrial applications like brazing/soldering, E-Beam welding and large-area coating. Their investment costs are relatively low, and they can provide pumping speeds of up to 50.000 l/s. In this blog, we will explain the working principles of oil diffusion pumps, including how to apply and control them in vacuum systems, the typical dos and don'ts, and provide several application examples.