Edwards, a supplier of vacuum, abatement and chemical management equipment and services, has released its new iXA series of magnetic bearing turbomolecular vacuum pumps. The iXA pumps exhaust-process gases from physical vapor deposition, etching, chemical vapor deposition or ion implant equipment.
The new iXA family of pumps feature power supply and control modules that can be mounted in various configurations directly on the pump or remotely, eliminating cables and accessory racks while still preserving the flexibility to fit a wide range of equipment, the company says.
"Large, industrial-scale systems can require a large number of pumps," says Naoki Matsuba, president of Edwards Japan." Eliminating accessory racks and all the cables saves space and reduces the complexity of the system. At the same time, the flexibility to mount the power supply below, on the side or remotely allows the pump to meet the space constraints imposed by the equipment."
The first pump in the iXA family is rated at 2200 liters per second – larger sizes are planned for future development, Edwards says. The pump's five-axis magnetic bearing system and new motor and drive system ensure long life and low operating costs, with maintenance intervals as long as five years. Water- and dust-proof (IP54) and temperature management configurations are available. All pumps include RS232/485 (Profibus) serial communication interfaces.
