Ferrotec introduces FerroVac vacuum controller to automate legacy manual-control deposition systems

Ferrotec (USA) Corp, the US subsidiary of materials, component and precision system supplier Ferrotec Holdings Corp of Santa Clara, CA, USA (whose Temescal division of Livermore, CA, USA makes electron-beam evaporative coating systems) has unveiled the FerroVac vacuum controller, an integrated solution to manage vacuum system processes.

The FerroVac controller integrates automated vacuum control with gauge reading functionality. When combined with the Temescal EBC Electron Beam Controller and a Temescal power supply, the FerroVac enables legacy manual-controlled systems to be updated with full system-level, automated control of the vacuum pump and e-beam functions.

Since many precision technologies (both experimental and production manufacturing) start inside a vacuum chamber, managing the chamber environment requires control of the pump and vents as well as the vacuum gauges used to measure the status of the chamber and create a feedback loop. The FerroVac controller integrates this functionality into a modern, programmable device that’s managed through a touch-screen interface.

“For decades, vacuum system operators like our Temescal E-beam system customers have depended upon manual toggle/push buttons to operate valves and classic devices like our Versavac 2/5,” says Imran Amirani, director of sales for Ferrotec’s Temescal division. “With the FerroVac vacuum controller, this classically unsophisticated portion of a vacuum system has been streamlined and automated,” he adds. “When it’s combined with a Temescal EBC Electron Beam Controller and a Temescal power supply, it enables legacy manual-controlled vacuum systems to be automated — it’s like adding an auto-pilot to your vacuum processes.”

The FerroVac vacuum controller was developed on decades of experience with Temescal electron-beam evaporation systems. While the FerroVac controller is suitable for e-beam deposition systems, it’s core utility makes it an effective solution for controlling virtually any vacuum system, regardless of the processes taking place inside the vacuum chamber, says Ferrotec. In addition to streamlining processes and integrating discrete control processes, the FerroVac simplifies system wiring and connectivity, making the physical system hardware easier to manage and maintain.