Custom vacuum chamber for an industrial PVD coating system.
The Project
Background & Application
For an industrial coating application, a vacuum chamber was required that featured a small operator hatch, a large service hatch, and a viewing window for process monitoring. Despite their heavy weight, both hatches needed to be easy to open.
Our Solution
G+P Engineering AG handled the concept study, design, engineering, and technical documentation, and coordinated production with a partner supplier. The strength of the chamber, including the welds, was verified using FEM analysis. Thanks to gas springs, the heavy hatches can be opened with minimal effort. Finally, G+P verified the chamber’s airtightness with a helium leak test. The first chamber was followed by additional orders.
Technical Specifications
- Material: Stainless steel 1.4404
- Internal dimensions (L × W × H): 650 × 650 × 273 mm
- Chamber volume: 115 L
- Final pressure: approx. 6.5 × 10⁻⁶ mbar
- Leak rate: <8 × 10⁻⁹ mbar × l/s
- Operator hatch and service hatch with gas spring assistance
- Viewing window for process monitoring
Customer Benefits
- Reliable vacuum conditions, verified by helium leak testing
- Ergonomic operation despite heavy hatches
- Mathematically verified strength of the chamber and welds
- Complete and traceable technical documentation
- A single point of contact from the concept study through to the inspected delivery
