Date:
8:30am-4:30pm, Monday-Thursday, May 22-25, 2023, Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel, Albuquerque, NM
Course Objectives
- Understand vacuum fundamentals essential to operating, maintaining, designing, or using vacuum systems.
- Know the working principles and limitations of pumps, gauges, and other vacuum system components.
- Understand the procedures for operating and performing preventive maintenance on vacuum systems, including analyzing and troubleshooting malfunctioning vacuum systems and leak detection.
- Learn the design concepts involved in matching equipment and instrumentation to applications.
Course Description
This extensive four day course provides a working knowledge of vacuum equipment and the technology associated with its use. It includes enough theory to provide a basis for the material covered; however, the major emphasis is on practical applications. The working principles of the pumps and gauges used on vacuum systems are discussed, followed by a description of the characteristics of pumps and gauges in current use. Characteristics required of components such as valves, connecting lines, flanges, and seals that connect pumps to process chambers are described next, especially with regard to the application (i.e., medium-, high-, or ultrahigh vacuum conditions). The materials normally used for vacuum systems are discussed, especially with regard to handling, fabrication, and cleaning procedures. Procedures for system operation, preventive maintenance, and leak detection are covered with emphasis on practical applications. In addition, techniques used to troubleshoot systems operating at less than optimum levels are provided. System design concepts for matching equipment and instrumentation to the intended application are also covered.
Who Should Attend?
Those entering the field of vacuum technology or fields using vacuum technology who need a detailed working knowledge of vacuum equipment and practice will benefit from this comprehensive introduction. Those interested in a review of vacuum basics will also find this course valuable.
Instructors: Allen Riddle, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Ed Arata, Sandia National Laboratories
Allen Riddle is a senior engineer at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with 15 years experience in and around vacuum systems. He serves as the vacuum system manager of 7 unique pumping systems and over 20 vessels at NIF and currently leads the facility design team. Previous experiences include 5 years at Sandia National Laboratory at the Z-facility and running the Thermal Vacuum Lab which conducted multi-week satellite tests and operated several bakeout chambers. Graduated with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2001 from Brigham Young University.
Ed Arata is a Principal Research & Development Engineer in Materials Science at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Working in the Metallurgy & Materials Joining department, he focuses on brazement design and thermal profile development for metal-metal and active brazing in vacuum, hydrogen, and inert atmospheres. He has 8 years of vacuum furnace operation and repair experience and built multiple vacuum chambers for alloying and casting of bulk metallic glasses. Ed holds a Ph.D in Material Science, conferred in 2008 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich.
Course Materials
Course Notes