Pfeiffer vacuum pump

We use a Pfeiffer vacuum pump station that combines a backing pump and a turbo pump. The turbo pump can be bolted to the main station, but at the moment we disconnected it to limit the vibrations in the vacuum chamber. When pumping, always check first if the venting valve is closed. Also keep an eye on the pressure, since we've had several incidents where the pressure increased suddenly by a lot, or the pump overheated. If you notice any unexpected behaviour, turn off the pump immediately and wait until the turbo pump has stopped rotating. We sometimes see a strange pressure increase that lasts about 15 minutes at a pressure of 1.6x10-3 mbar. It is unknown what causes this, but this does not seem to be harmful, and you can just keep pumping. Note that this is a SLOW and small increase. In case of quickly rising pressure, turn the pump off!

Pressure sensor

Comparison between our pressure sensor and a calibrated one, for pressures in the low range.

We have a full-range pressure sensor. It has been tested by Martijn van Overbeek to see if the pressure readings are accurate. The sensor works as expected and the readings are accurate.

Comparison between our pressure sensor and a calibrated one, for pressures in the high range.

Files

Operating instructions HiCube Eco station
Operating instructions HiPace 80 turbopump
Operating instructions for pressure sensor (MPT 200)