CUSTOM STAINLESS STEEL VACUUM CHAMBERS

The vacuum chamber is one of the most challenging pieces of process equipment to make. Welds must be completely airtight. Distortion due to high loads can create leak paths around access ports, and material outgassing can affect the process being performed. Experience is essential to avoid problems.   Meyer Tool has the experience needed to avoid these problems with vacuum chambers.

We Deliver Certainty in the Face of Complexity

Meyer Tool builds custom vacuum chambers for a wide range of industries and applications. We design and build PVD vacuum chambers and CVD vacuum chambers for applying functional and decorative coatings.

We also build vacuum chambers for use in National Labs and in the nuclear, semiconductor and engineered diamond industries. Our engineers prioritize low-outgassing vacuum chambers for applications requiring minimal contamination. Regardless of where your vacuum chamber will be used, Meyer Tool ensures your complex specs and design challenges are met using our high-precision, custom approach.
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As a vertically integrated operation, we execute every task involved in building a vacuum chamber. Our deep expertise spans vacuum chamber design, machining, fabrication, welding, cleaning, assembly and inspection. We can machine chamber components to exacting tolerances at the micron level. Our welders are ASME Section IX-certified to produce ultrahigh-vacuum-quality welds for your project, keeping you on time and within budget.

Design Considerations for a Precisely Manufactured Vacuum Chamber

​We have been designing and building custom vacuum chambers since 1969. Precision is essential at every stage, especially in machining and welding, to meet tight tolerances. Our engineers can design a stainless steel vacuum chamber tailored to your specific needs.

Application​

The first step in designing custom vacuum chambers is defining the chamber’s intended purpose. Key considerations include:
  • Level of vacuum required
  • Process to be performed
  • Need for heating or cooling
  • Capacity
  • Requirements for doors, viewing ports and feedthroughs

​Structural Integrity

The structure of a PVD vacuum chamber or CVD vacuum chamber directly affects the component's ability to maintain a vacuum. We ensure seal integrity in our manufacturing process with:
  • High-performance sealing solutions, like metal O-rings, elastomer seals and knife-edge flanges
  • Advanced precision orbital welding that creates seamless joints with no leak paths
  • Ultra-high vacuum (UHV)-grade welding that ensures a structurally sound assembly

Geometry

Vacuum chamber geometry is another critical aspect. A sphere forms the strongest shape and is easy to keep clean inside. However, spheres and hemispheres present manufacturing challenges, especially in larger sizes. For this reason, a custom vacuum chamber is often cylindrical. Meyer Tool can also create custom shapes to incorporate feedthroughs, ports and flanges.

​Surface Treatment

​Surface finish has a big impact on how well the vacuum chamber performs by influencing durability, cleanliness and desorption rate. Meyer Tool uses post-fabrication treatments to improve the chamber, including:
  • Electropolishing to smooth microscopic surface flaws and reduce or eliminate potential contaminant growth sites
  • Chemical passivating to enhance corrosion resistance by removing free iron
  • Assembling in clean rooms and providing UHV cleaning upon request

Material

Material outgassing affects both pump-down time and processing conditions inside the vacuum chamber. Stainless steel for a vacuum chamber is a viable material because it:
  • Yields the lowest outgassing rate
  • Has nonreactive properties
  • Maintains structural integrity and strength under vacuum conditions
  • Resists corrosion
Meyer Tool can use different stainless steel alloys based on your application requirements. The 304 stainless steel offers lower oxidation, making it one of the most common alloys used for vacuum chambers. Though aluminum performs almost as well, moisture absorption when doors open increases pump-down time and reduces throughput.

Precision-Engineered Custom Solutions

For applications where a standard blueprint won't work, Meyer Tool will develop a custom design to meet your unique operational requirements. Whether you need UHV integrity for sensitive research or robust throughput for industrial production, we can tailor virtually any aspect of your outgassing vacuum chamber, including its integration points, internal features and geometry. 
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Our flexible approach to vacuum chamber design means manufacturers can optimize for compatibility, throughput and size constraints, and researchers can meet the most extreme requirements for their prototype. We ensure reliability in our manufacturing process by using computer-aided design modeling and finite element analysis. These tools allow us to design custom stainless steel vacuum chambers for manufacturability, ensuring the success of your project. After we've created your chamber, we'll complete dimensional checks, cleanliness verification and helium leak testing and provide documentation for compliance reporting.

Contact Our Vacuum Chamber Experts Today

The vacuum chamber is the critical piece of equipment in many research activities and high-technology manufacturing processes. If you need a custom vacuum chamber, Meyer Tool's technical specialists can help. Request a quote today, or call us at 708-847-0326 to discuss your requirements.