When it comes to vacuum technology, many people think of "high-profile" fields such as precision instruments, aerospace, and semiconductor manufacturing. But in these complex vacuum systems, there is one seemingly insignificant but crucial component - a high vacuum plate valve. It is like an "invisible guardian" in the system, silently guarding the stability and security of the vacuum environment. Today, let's talk about the big role of this "little role."

I. What is a high vacuum plate valve?

In simple terms, a high vacuum plate valve is a key component in a vacuum system for isolating, cutting off or regulating air flow. It is usually installed at key nodes of vacuum piping and implements the "off / off" state through mechanical or electric control to control the connectivity and isolation of the vacuum area. Although its structure is not complicated, it has to work stably under the harsh environment of ultra-high vacuum (below 10Pa), extreme temperature (from low temperature to hundreds of degrees), strong corrosion or radiation. The requirements for materials, sealing, precision can be called "harsh."

2. Why is it so important?

In a vacuum system, the role of a high vacuum plate valve can be summarized as "three major protection methods":

1. Protecting core equipment: When the system needs maintenance or local repair, the plate valve can quickly cut off the vacuum area to prevent non-vacuum standards from entering core components (such as mass spectrometers, semiconductor wafers) to avoid contamination or damage.

2. Controlling vacuum division: Large vacuum systems are often divided into multiple subregions (such as vacuum cavity, pipe, pump group), and the panel valve can flexibly control the connectivity of each region to achieve "on-demand vacuum extraction," improve system efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

3. Emergency safety: If the system suddenly fails, such as gas leakage or abnormal pressure, the plate valve can be closed in milliseconds, isolating the fault zone, preventing the spread of hazards, and providing a safety barrier for equipment and personnel.

III. The "hard core" of high vacuum valves requires that they can "stay in service" in extreme environments, and it is these "hard core"designs that rely on:

- Material selection: Stainless steel (such as 304, 316), titanium alloys and other high strength materials with low emission rate are usually used to avoid their own release of gases affecting vacuum levels; Special scenarios will also use ceramic, high temperature alloy and other corrosion resistance, high temperature materials.

- Sealing performance: sealing surface precision to the micron level, with metal bellows or O-rings (special materials, such as fluorine rubber), to ensure "zero leakage" when closed.

- The mode of drive: It is divided into manual, pneumatic, electric, etc. The electric valve plate can achieve remote and precise control, and is fast in response, suitable for an automated production line.

- Cleanliness: The surface is polished and cleaned to reduce the adsorption of particulates, meeting the ultra-high cleanliness requirements of semiconductor, biomedical and other industries.

IV. Which fields cannot live without it?

From laboratory to industrial production, high vacuum valves are everywhere:

- Semiconductor manufacturing: In chip lithography and ion injection, controlling the isolation and connectivity of vacuum cavity to ensure the purity of the wafer processing environment.

Aerospace: a test module designed to simulate the vaccum conditions in space. It is used to test the vaccum resistance of satellite-spacecraft components under zonal control.

- New energy resources: In the vacuum coating process of photovoltaic cells and lithium cells, the vacuum path can be adjusted to improve the coating efficiency.

V. What is the key to choosing a plate valve? When purchasing or selecting, these are afew indicators that you must pay attention to:

Vacuum Range: Select the appropriate model according to the vacuum level required for the system (high vacuum / ultra high vacuum).

Pitch size: Match the diameter of the pipe to ensure the smooth flow of the air and avoid excessive pressure reduction.

Working environment: Factors such as temperature, corrosion, radiation, etc. determine the material and the sealing method.

Response speed: The automation system needs to prioritize electric or pneumatic valves to ensure rapid movement.

The next time you see a vacuum device, pay close attention to this "invisible guardian" - it is the ingenuity in these details that makes the realization of high-end technology possible.