Vacuum technologies can be found all across the world in multiple applications in various industries. These devices have attained widespread usage because of their versatility. Vacuum pumps are critical for so many industries that engineers have developed different types of pumps for different use cases. One of the most popular vacuum pump formats is the Scroll Vacuum Pump. You can find in depth explanations over at Agilent on everything about vacuum and scroll pumps. In this application we will talk in brief about the functions and features of a Scroll Pump, the places where it is used as well as the benefits of using a scroll pump.
How do they work?
Scroll vacuum pumps are corrosion resistant, low maintenance, oil free pumps. When compared to Rotary Vane Pumps, they may have a higher upfront cost, but their lifetime operating costs are much lower. Tip seal service interval is typically two to three years
of operation depending on base pressure requirements and customer application. The oil free operation of a scroll pump eliminates oil contamination. Spiral pumps handle steam better than Rotary Vane Pumps pumps and are also very quiet while they work.
The operation of the scroll vacuum pump uses two intertwined scrolls to pump gases. It is a simple but effective design that makes it less prone to mechanical wear-out and failure. One of the scrolls is stationary, while the second one rotates around it, compressing gas in the “pocket” created between the scrolls. . As the scrolls keep operating, they move forward and push the compressed gases towards the outlet. When they reach the exhaust, the compressed gas exits through the outlet outside the pumps, thus creating a vacuum in the given space. With only one moving part and made of high-quality materials, the pump is a low-maintenance machine with a long service life. There are many factors that can end up having a significant effect on the performance of the scroll pump. This includes the size of the pump, the speed at which it operates, the ambient environmental temperature, and the type of gas or vapor that is being pumped out by the machine. An high quality pump will be calibrated to account for these differences and create a vacuum that is upto specifications along the entire pump operative time. In order to make them more adaptable, many vacuum pumps also come fitted with frequency inverters to guarantee a stable performance independently from the main voltage and allowing remote control and monitoring.
Benefits of Scroll Pumps:
Scroll vacuum pumps have several benefits that make them a desirable choice for vacuum operations around the world. These advantages are usually common to most types of vacuum pumps, but the main benefit of a scroll pump is to create low to medium pressure vacuum.
- Scroll pumps are high capacity pumps and allow fast pump-down whenever it is needed.
- These pumps can handle vapor very well as they are dry pumps that don’t use any oil.
- They are able to create a very impressive ultimate pressure.
- Scroll pumps are known for being one of the quietest types of vacuum pumps that make less than 55 decibels of noise. Similarly, the scroll vacuum pumps also vibrate very little, which subsequently makes them silent.
- Due to the dry nature of the pump, there is not a great risk of the vacuum chamber being contaminated by hydrocarbons.
- The design of a scroll pump is lightweight and simple, making them very easy to transport and maintain.
- These scroll pumps can be used before the high and ultra high vacuum pumps so that they can create the ideal pressure that is needed for their operation.
Applications of Scroll Pump:
Scroll Pumps are usually employed in multiple fields for their ease of use and low pressure creation:
- Food: Vacuum packaging is very commonly used for storing perishable food for long periods of time. When food is exposed to atmospheric air, it can get ruined. Vacuum packing protects food from external contamination from germs, spoilage, as well as chemical reactions such as oxidation.
- Packing: Vacuum packing is often used in the warehousing and transport industry to protect items from rusting and spoilage from weather.
- Medicine: Medical uses of scroll pumps are often found in hospital life support systems as well as for sterilisation of medicines and medical equipment.
With so many uses, vacuum pumps have proven to be an excellent invention that has helped so many industries. Scroll pumps, with their lightweight, low noise, low costs, and low cost of maintenance are thus the perfect solution for all applications that require low or medium vacuum.
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