- Email: [email protected]
Thin films
Vacuum News a range of vacuum handling aids for use in small robotic systems. Charles Austen Pumps Ltd, 100 Rovston Road, Bvfleet, Weybridge, Surrey KT4 7PB. UK
commonly used and complex methods of Superheated Steam, Hot Oil or External Heating; all of which are now considered obsolete and expensive by Faircrest. The new Technology is being supplied to the Chemical, Electronic and Food Technologies. Temperatures range from Ambient to 700-C and Vacuum from Atmospheric to 1 OeB torr. Faircrest Engineering Ltd, 4 Union Road, Croydon. Surrey CR0 2XX. UK
Car
production
uses
dry
leak
detectors
A sensitive helium leak detector made by Edwards High Vacuum (a division of BOC Ltd) plays a central role in a unique automatic installation for dry leak testing of car bodies at Cowley, Oxford. Developed for the Austin Rover Group by BL Technology, the new equipment has been introduced because of deficiencies of the traditional wet method of testing, in which hundreds of gallons of water are sprayed on the car bodies to show up any leaks The Charles Austen delicate
items.
vacuum
It is readily
tweezer
incorporated
is ideal for handling into robotic
small and
handling
devices.
Thin
films
The thin film products department of Leybold-Heraeus GmbH have recently installed the latest sputtering and vapour deposition equipment to handle any type of coating process. Since its formation in 1935 the department have developed a wide range of special processes to meet the needs of industrial and research users. Leybold-Heraeus have specialized in producing broad and narrow band filters, graded and colour temperature conversion filters, transparent conducting and multi-layer anti-reflection coatings. These and other coatings are made to customer requirements. Leybold-Heraeus Ltd. 16 Endeavour Way. Durnsford Road, London SW19 8UH. UK
Each car body is filled with air containing 0.5 I of helium. Then two non-contacting sensors on robot arms move methodically over all the places such as door seals where the air-gas mixture could escape. From these sensors, specially developed by BL Technology, any helium tracer gas passed along tubes to two Edwards helium leak detectors custom-designed for the plant. These sensitive instruments are set to detect particular threshold values of leak rate. Signals indicating these values pass into computer-controlled data analysis and logging equipment. This produces a print-out which includes diagrams of the car body, as seen from different directions. On these diagrams the printer makes red marks showing the exact positions of any helium leaks. Each diagrammatic print-out is taken by an operator and attached to the corresponding car body, which is subsequently rectified according to the information supplied by the automatic leak tester. Further technical details of dry leak testing equipment:
&’ OMS
1000
process
photometer
An instrument designed to check and control evaporation and sputtering processes for single and multi-layer films in a specified spectral range in the ophthalmic and precision optics industry has been introduced. Named the OMS 1000 process photometer, the unit measures the relative value of transmission. The range of measurement is between 400-l 00 nm with a fixed test slide and between 450-l 100 nm with a rotating test slide. The OMS 1000 can also be used to measure reflectance from a fixed test slide if required. The unit is ideally suited for fitment to existing coating plant for better process control. Leybold-Heraeus Ltd. 16 Endeavour Wav, Durnsford Road, London SW1 9 8UH. UK Vacuum
heating
technology
advances
Following demands for improved performance by users of Vacuum Ovens the Research Department of Faircrest Engineering Ltd has developed a method of Internal Electric Heating which overcomes the problem of Corona discharge. This new technology is being used by Faircrest Engineering for all their deliveries of Heated Vacuum Chambers and replaces the
Car manufacturers have experienced problems with the traditional water spray method. Water penetrating into the car can damage the interior trim and, furthermore, not all leaks can be found by this method. Tracing the source of a leak using water can be very difficult and time-consuming, while the rectification of a finished car can give rise to other problems. The dry method of leak testing constitutes a big step forward in automation technology for car manufacture. It is the first time that robots have been used accurately in a manned assembly line which is continuously moving. (The car bodies are positioned to an. accuracy of fl.5 mm for the test). In addition the method has led to the development and patenting, by BL Technology, of a non-contacting sensor which will detect the presence of the helium tracer gas only within its immediate area. This confinement of the tracer yas is achieved by a cylindrical curtain of air projected down onto the car body from an annular slot near the periphery of the sensor. In the Edwards leak detector instrument the presence of helium gas is registered by a mass spectrometer. The principle depends on the fact that if electrically charged atoms of gas (ions) are propelled into a magnetic field their paths are deflected by amountsdepending on their different masses. In this way the helium ions are separated from other ions and are collected to form an electrical output signal. It takes approximately 1 s to make a measurement. In the Cowley installation the output signal-an analogue quantity proportional to leak rate-is fed into the computer equipment where it is converted 439
commonly used and complex methods of Superheated Steam, Hot Oil or External Heating; all of which are now considered obsolete and expensive by Faircrest. The new Technology is being supplied to the Chemical, Electronic and Food Technologies. Temperatures range from Ambient to 700-C and Vacuum from Atmospheric to 1 OeB torr. Faircrest Engineering Ltd, 4 Union Road, Croydon. Surrey CR0 2XX. UK
Car
production
uses
dry
leak
detectors
A sensitive helium leak detector made by Edwards High Vacuum (a division of BOC Ltd) plays a central role in a unique automatic installation for dry leak testing of car bodies at Cowley, Oxford. Developed for the Austin Rover Group by BL Technology, the new equipment has been introduced because of deficiencies of the traditional wet method of testing, in which hundreds of gallons of water are sprayed on the car bodies to show up any leaks The Charles Austen delicate
items.
vacuum
It is readily
tweezer
incorporated
is ideal for handling into robotic
small and
handling
devices.
Thin
films
The thin film products department of Leybold-Heraeus GmbH have recently installed the latest sputtering and vapour deposition equipment to handle any type of coating process. Since its formation in 1935 the department have developed a wide range of special processes to meet the needs of industrial and research users. Leybold-Heraeus have specialized in producing broad and narrow band filters, graded and colour temperature conversion filters, transparent conducting and multi-layer anti-reflection coatings. These and other coatings are made to customer requirements. Leybold-Heraeus Ltd. 16 Endeavour Way. Durnsford Road, London SW19 8UH. UK
Each car body is filled with air containing 0.5 I of helium. Then two non-contacting sensors on robot arms move methodically over all the places such as door seals where the air-gas mixture could escape. From these sensors, specially developed by BL Technology, any helium tracer gas passed along tubes to two Edwards helium leak detectors custom-designed for the plant. These sensitive instruments are set to detect particular threshold values of leak rate. Signals indicating these values pass into computer-controlled data analysis and logging equipment. This produces a print-out which includes diagrams of the car body, as seen from different directions. On these diagrams the printer makes red marks showing the exact positions of any helium leaks. Each diagrammatic print-out is taken by an operator and attached to the corresponding car body, which is subsequently rectified according to the information supplied by the automatic leak tester. Further technical details of dry leak testing equipment:
&’ OMS
1000
process
photometer
An instrument designed to check and control evaporation and sputtering processes for single and multi-layer films in a specified spectral range in the ophthalmic and precision optics industry has been introduced. Named the OMS 1000 process photometer, the unit measures the relative value of transmission. The range of measurement is between 400-l 00 nm with a fixed test slide and between 450-l 100 nm with a rotating test slide. The OMS 1000 can also be used to measure reflectance from a fixed test slide if required. The unit is ideally suited for fitment to existing coating plant for better process control. Leybold-Heraeus Ltd. 16 Endeavour Wav, Durnsford Road, London SW1 9 8UH. UK Vacuum
heating
technology
advances
Following demands for improved performance by users of Vacuum Ovens the Research Department of Faircrest Engineering Ltd has developed a method of Internal Electric Heating which overcomes the problem of Corona discharge. This new technology is being used by Faircrest Engineering for all their deliveries of Heated Vacuum Chambers and replaces the
Car manufacturers have experienced problems with the traditional water spray method. Water penetrating into the car can damage the interior trim and, furthermore, not all leaks can be found by this method. Tracing the source of a leak using water can be very difficult and time-consuming, while the rectification of a finished car can give rise to other problems. The dry method of leak testing constitutes a big step forward in automation technology for car manufacture. It is the first time that robots have been used accurately in a manned assembly line which is continuously moving. (The car bodies are positioned to an. accuracy of fl.5 mm for the test). In addition the method has led to the development and patenting, by BL Technology, of a non-contacting sensor which will detect the presence of the helium tracer gas only within its immediate area. This confinement of the tracer yas is achieved by a cylindrical curtain of air projected down onto the car body from an annular slot near the periphery of the sensor. In the Edwards leak detector instrument the presence of helium gas is registered by a mass spectrometer. The principle depends on the fact that if electrically charged atoms of gas (ions) are propelled into a magnetic field their paths are deflected by amountsdepending on their different masses. In this way the helium ions are separated from other ions and are collected to form an electrical output signal. It takes approximately 1 s to make a measurement. In the Cowley installation the output signal-an analogue quantity proportional to leak rate-is fed into the computer equipment where it is converted 439