Electron microscopes need a turbopump in order to reach the high vacuum of 10-7 torr. Because of the technical principle of the turbopump it requires a low vacuum at the exhaust. Up till now this vacuum is generated by a backing pump (rotary pump) which has to run parallel to the turbopump.
In order to prevent the permanent operation of the backing pump, ELLCIE developed the Smart Vacuum Reservoir. It is a stand alone solution which can be easyly implemented into any electron microscope. By using the switch-on pulse from the rotary backing pump, the controller of the Smart Vacuum Reservoir gets its initial information. A precision vacuum gauge monitors the vacuum level at the turbopump`s exhaust and guarantees always safe process conditions.
By using the inovative Smart Vacuum Reservoir the operation time of the backing pumps can be reduced up to 90%. This results in an energy saving of 90% compared with a conventional vacuumsystem. Further more, the vibrations and the generation of the unhealthy oil mist are reduced by up to 90%. As a positive side effect of this new solution, the lifetime of the backing pump gets a significant extension.