Application 180

Vacuum Compatible Sensors

Application Summary

Testing and producing products in a vacuum or space simulation environment requires equipment that can operate without contaminating the chamber and interfering with results. This requires low outgassing solutions that generate vapor emissions within strictly controlled parameters. For load and force testing and control, a vacuum compatible/low outgassing sensor is necessary for use in the vacuum environment.

Products in Use

Vacuum Compatible/Low Outgassing LSB200 Miniature S-Beam Jr. Load Cell paired with Instrumentation (USB220, IPM650 Panel Mount Display, IHH500 Handheld Display or IAA Series Strain Gauge Analog Amplifier).

How it Works

In a vacuum environment, outgassing occurs within a material when trapped gasses or material elements boil off or sublimate as pressure falls below normal atmospheric pressures.
In an ideal case these gasses are removed by the chamber as it maintains the vacuum environment. However, the gasses will more often than not react with the vacuum chamber walls and any hardware inside the vacuum chamber.
This causes staining and/or corrosion to the material in the chamber. These stains can occlude camera lenses and CCD elements, affect sensor readings, and damage components, often invalidating any measurements taken in the chamber.
Therefore, it is critical that all components minimize outgassing to protect the integrity of the vacuum environment.
For FUTEK’s low outgassing sensors, materials such as Teflon cabling and wiring and specialized elements are used to minimize outgassing.
In this application, a Vacuum Compatible/Low Outgassing LSB200 Miniature S Beam Load Cell is used to measure applied application force over time of two materials being bonded in a vacuum environment.
The LSB200 is placed inline with clamp holding the two materials together, measuring the force applied.
The LSB200 cable is routed to the outer wall of the chamber into a bulkhead that helps maintain the vacuum environment and allows the signal to safely exit the chamber.
The signal is then amplified via an IAA series Analog Amplifier to be sent to a DAQ, displayed by an IPM650 Panel Mount Display, IHH500 Handheld Display, or logged using USB220 USB Output Module on a PC running SENSIT.