All materials will be provided for the duration. The candidates benefit from  access to many hands on training aids
The course includes a number of ongoing knowledge reviews/quizzes to ensure candidates are learning during the course.

To offer a good understanding to basic vacuum principles, what vacuum is and how it relates to the real world in everyday language. Best practice will be explained and demonstrated to ensure technicians understand how and why it is so important to assemble equipment properly and to keep components clean and damage free.

TThe course extends to cover other vacuum pump designs, including oil free pumping, vapour/diffusion pumps, turbo molecular pumps and capture pumps. Construction and performance will be explained together with comparisons made between the various benefits.

Those with a technical background although no previous vacuum knowledge is assumed. The subject is treated from its foundations and includes discussion on vacuum units; the operation, performance, characteristics and usage of vacuum gauges, vacuum pumps and leak detection equipment.

Initially the course covers simular ground to the  2  day course, but then extend the range of high vacuum equipment discussed to offer a more indepth understanding and concepts of high vacuum.

Vacuum:
What is it, types of gas flow, how it realtes to the real world

Measurement of vacuum:
Why measure vacuum and how to measure the wide pressure ranges offer by vacuum.
A range of gauges principles and types will be covered.
Force, thermal and ionisation gauges will be covered and details of the construction is covered.

Gas Effects
The effects of different gases will be discussed  including effects on thermal gauges will be illustrated

Oil-sealed rotary  pumps:
General principle of operation, construction is covered, the function of the lubrication fliud and the limitations of the design. Techniques are explained to obtain the best performance from the pumps. Variuos accessories are explained and when they should be used.

Contamination Effects
The effects of contamination will be discussed  to illustrate  practical effects of outgassing, water and dry gases.

Pipeline vacuum couplings and valves: The varoius types of seals and coupling are shown and discussed, together with a wide selection of typical valves. KF, NW, Con-flat and ISO to name some covered.

Oil free pumping:
Introduction to dry vacuum pumping, covering roots boosters, claw, diaphram and scroll designs.

Vapour and diffusion pumps: Principles of opeartion and contruction is covered. The types of fluid used and their advantages. How to opeterate a diffusion pumps system and the variuos acssesories available to improve performace.

Diffusion pump operation
How to opetate a pump will be illustrated, showing initial pump roughing, chamber roughing and the control and sequencing of valves to be able to share one rough pump.

Pumpdown effects
To illustrate the effects of variuos lengths and diameters of pipeline and how this significantly effects pump down performance.

Leak Detection explanation of leakage rates, response times, location of leak detectors, real and virtual leaks, methods of detection, (including over pressure, Pirani and helium mass spectrometer), use of calibrated leaks.

Turbomolecular pumps:
Construction, operation and characteristics, pump comparisons.

Turbo pump operation
How to opetate a turbomolecular pump will be illustrated, showing initial chamber pumpdown and the sequencial starting of the turbo pump.

Capture pumps:
Construction, operation and characteristics, pump comparisons. Including Cryo and Ion pumps.

Applications.
Discussion and illustrations of vacuum applications

Question sheet.

Review and discussion of results