Vacuum Technology section is a highlight at Hannover
Once again the Hannover Fair more than lived up to its reputation as the world’s leading technology event. The event was opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing this year's Partner Country. Other political VIPs included numerous German government figures, including federal and state ministers, state minister-presidents and local politicians. All of them were in Hannover to talk with exhibitors and get a first-hand look at the latest innovations on show.
There was an upbeat mood in every exhibition hall, accompanied by a tangible willingness to invest. Representatives of all the key industrial sectors were at the show to align themselves in this extremely dynamic environment and firm up their plans for the deployment of new technology and production processes.
The total attendance figures of over 230,000 visitors - up more than 10 percent on the last directly comparable year, 2005 - was an outstanding result. Attendance from Germany was up 12 percent, with the volume of visitors from outside Germany up eight percent. Visitors from abroad represented around 30 percent of total attendance, with the biggest increases in foreign participation coming from the Americas and eastern Europe
Every two years, ComVac joins the Hannover Fair to showcase the entire world market for compressed air and vacuum technology. For 2007, ComVac covered a total area of more than 10,000 square metres, offering direct access to users in all areas of application, and featuring a specially expanded ‘Vacuum Technology’ section showcasing dedicated solutions for semiconductor manufacturing and handling.
Varian showcased a range of vacuum solutions, including a new series of variable speed dry pumps for electron microscopes. The inverter drive on the TriScroll pumps allows adjustment and fine-tuning of the rotational speed to deliver the absolute lowest noise level possible while meeting the vacuum requirements of the instrument. This fine-tuning helps avoid resonant system frequencies and does not significantly change ultimate pressure.
The inverter-driven TriScroll pumps are multi-stage, dry vacuum pumps designed and manufactured by Varian for high reliability and durability. They offer high pumping speed and low ultimate pressure, with the patented TriScroll design delivering consistent performance and low cost of ownership. The long-life lip seals routinely last more than a year before replacement, whilst the pumps eliminate the frequent maintenance requirements of oil-sealed rotary vane pumps, simplifying regulatory and environmental compliance, and eliminating oil disposal costs.
Also new from Varian was the VS Series of leak detectors, which combine the simplicity of two-button operation with advanced expert system intelligence. The state of the art spectrometer and vacuum system design provides powerful capability, enabling a broad range of test methods for specific applications.
Among the new products on show from Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum were the MAG W 300 and MAG W 600 magnetically levitated turbomolecular pumps. Based on a technically mature design platform, these pumps provide high reliability, high efficiency and low vibration, thanks to the five-axis magnetic bearing and drive system.
The robust system performance offers high pumping speeds and compression rates despite the minimised footprint and regardless of the orientation in installation. Optionally the pumps can be delivered with an integrated converter, and from August 2007 the pumps will also be available with a separate converter as a desktop version.
The new pumps are especially suitable for vibration-sensitive applications such as analytical instruments, electron microscopy, thin film deposition or research and development and similar future-shaping applications.
Pfeiffer Vacuum, meanwhile, was showing its own range of magnetically levitated turbopumps, the HiMag series, featuring integrated drive electronics, expanded with the launch of the HiMag 3400. The pumps are characterised by their high pumping speeds, high compression and high gas throughput.
The HiMag pumps have IP54 protection class which means they are protected against dust and water spray from the environment. This makes them especially robust and suitable for industrial applications. In addition to industrial applications, HiMag pumps are also suitable for use in coating processes, research and development and in the semiconductor industry. Since their high backing vacuum compatibility is achieved without a Holweck or Gaede stage, they can also be employed in critical processes with particulate contamination, high gas loads, or corrosive gases.
Pfeiffer Vacuum also used the show to launch a new helium leak detector, which the company claims sets new standards in vacuum leak detection. In addition, the company’s stand featured a host of recently introduced products, including the OnTool Booster high vacuum pump, the XtraDry vacuum pump, the PrismaPlus mass spectrometer and the CMR/CCR capacitive transmitters.
There were a number of new pumps on show on the Dürr Technik stand, including the KV40 series of oil-free piston vacuum pumps which combine high reliability and long service life with a highly compact design. The four models in the range deliver vacuum to 30mbar in two-stage versions, and provide practically constant suction power even after ?thousands of working hours. The long service life has been achieved by using heavy duty bearings.
Among the new products on the Nitto Kohki stand was the DP0102 series of brushless DC motor driven air pumps. Compact, reliable, maintenance free and offering long lifespans, these diaphragm pumps are suitable for air supply and vacuum source duties in applications such as medical equipment and analysers. Attainable vacuum ranges from -267mbar to -507mbar depending on the model, with life expectancies of up to 5000 hours.
Pneumofore may have had a reduced booth surface at this year’s exhibition, but it had a larger range of products on show. The company exhibited several rotary vane air-ends, from the A10 air compressor to the UV50 vacuum pump. Key products included the UV8 BF vacuum pump - a stainless steel version for applications in food and chemical industries. In particular, the BF extension stands for ‘beer filling’, an application where liquid ring pumps are easily replaced with extremely short return of investment durations.
Among the innovations on the Sterling Fluid Systems stand was the SIHI-Dry, a range of dry running vacuum pumps for the chemical, pharmaceutical and other process industries. SIHI-Dry meets the need for a simple, robust and reliable vacuum pump that can handle liquid and solid carry-over as well as rapidly changing operating conditions. The SIHI-Dry is a completely dry running twin-screw pump with standalone capacity ranging from 100 to 1000m3/h. Combining the pump with roots blowers provides much higher capacities.
The drive is integrated within the pump. With its electronically synchronized vertical screw-type spindles, an extremely low noise level coupled with maintenance-free operation is guaranteed. Moreover, the permanent torque-monitoring diagnostics prevent the pump from damage due to process faults.
ILMVAC demonstrated a number of interesting products including the new dry running Spindle Vacuum Pump SPV 140. Employing a new cooling technology, the pump provides a perfect heat balance, allowing for maximum vacuum power and a very compact and lightweight design. The high efficiency of the guided heat transfer system means that the pump needs only air cooling. Oil-free, the SPV 140 offers a pumping speed of 100m3/h and an ultimate pressure of 7x10-2mbar. ILMVAC says the pump is very robust against particles, dust, vapours, liquids and humidity.
Among the many other new products at the Hannover Fair was a range of side channel vacuum pumps from Becker. Air cooled, these single and double stage designs come with a built-in frequency inverter. Meanwhile, ZM Equipment was showing various different vacuum pump technologies from its wide product range, with a focus on improved performance and increased efficiency.
Hannover Fair incorporating ComVac was held in Hannover, Germany, April 16 – 20 2007.
