The three-stage scroll vacuum pump from Air Squared Inc., Broomfield, Colo. (www.airsquared.com), can produce vacuums up to 5 mTorr (6.5 × 10-6 atm) without a turbopump. That’s about 10 times the vacuum attained by conventional pumps with turbos. And users can add a turbopump if they need higher vacuum levels. The oil-free pump is also compact, measuring 7.5 × 5.9 × 5.7 in., half the size of standard pumps, and weighs 10 lb.
The pump displaces 57 lpm, generates 45 dBA of noise, and requires 150 W to power it. There are only two primary moving parts and there are no inlet or discharge valves that could break, make noise, or cause losses.
Edited by Stephen J. Mraz