Chamber for Vacuum Extrusion System

vacuum extrusion system chamber
Rear view of the Custom Vacuum Extrusion Chamber
This is a custom acrylic vacuum chamber build for a high volume manufacturer of parts that are fabricated using vacuum extrusion techniques. The challenge was to build a vacuum chamber system which interfaced on 3 sides with various in-house extrusion equipment components in order to create a good vacuum seal. The bottom, the top, and on the rear of the chamber had to interfere with the vacuum extruder assembly. This was accomplished by incorporating a double gasket mechanism on the bottom and top and by incorporating a clamping mechanism on the rear. The top of the chamber interfaced with extrusion cutting equipment. The rear of the chamber interfaced with the vacuum extrusion die. The bottom of the chamber interfaced with the vacuum hopper.

The advantages of using an acrylic vacuum chamber in vacuum extrusion environments is that it allows for full visibility of the product. Additionally, a camera system can be added to the operation enabling fully visual inspection of the interior hence increasing throughput, quality, and safety.

On a personal note, this was a very tricky engineering problem because we were aiming to design a chamber which had to create a vacuum tight fit against three surfaces which were not completely perpendicular to each other due to wear and tear. This was accomplished by using a double gasket aluminum interface plate.

In the end, all went well, and looking back we have nothing but gratitude to this customer for giving us a chance to push ourselves beyond what we were comfortable doing - hence making us better engineers. This was a challenging and fun project; not only were we able solve a problem they were wrestling with for quite some time, we also made friends and connected with people on the other side of this country.

Video of the Extrusion Vacuum Chamber

Did you know that we carry a many more products?

Our clients prefer to work with us because we are Experts in Vacuum Science and Technology. What are you building? Take a look at the links below and discover some of the cool things we make.

Vacuum Bubble Emission ASTM 3078 Leak Testing Systems
Bubble Emission (ASTM 3078) Leak Testing Systems are instruments that are used during the Quality Control process discover and locate leaks or seal integrity failures. Leaks are detected by submerging the specimen into a tank of water, applying a vacuum, and inspecting the submersed specimen for bubble emission. Our Bubble Leak Testing Systems are designed and built to conform to the ASTM D3078 protocol standard.
Viewport Vacuum Feedthroughs
Viewports Vacuum Feedthroughs are windows that enable you to look into the inside of your vacuum chamber. If you are using a metallic vacuum chamber with a metallic lid, you will not be able to view the interior of your vacuum chamber unless you have a viewport. Viewports also enable a different electromagnetic spectrum of light to passthroughs.
Our Work: High Altitude Vacuum Testing of Electrical Connectors and Components
This was an interesting project where one of our customers needed to test wires up to 44 inches long within a high altitude simulation environment. In addition to testing wires, several other electric connectors required altitude testing as well. The altitude requirements were 100,000 feet (30.510 km) which corresponds to 8.36 Torr - a piece of cake when it comes to the vacuum requirements of our chambers.
Related Articles: Bubble Leak Testing using an Acrylic Vacuum Chamber
Bubble Leak Testing or Bubble Emission Testing is a procedure where leaks are visually detected and located through the emission of bubbles while the test specimen is submerged in water. In this article, we will talk about using an acrylic vacuum box as a leak detection device. We are also going to talk about the advantage, disadvantage, and the bubble leak emission test procedures.