Chamber for Vacuum Extrusion System

vacuum extrusion system chamber
Rear view of the Custom Vacuum Extrusion Chamber
This is a custom acrylic vacuum chamber build for a high volume manufacturer of parts that are fabricated using vacuum extrusion techniques. The challenge was to build a vacuum chamber system which interfaced on 3 sides with various in-house extrusion equipment components in order to create a good vacuum seal. The bottom, the top, and on the rear of the chamber had to interfere with the vacuum extruder assembly. This was accomplished by incorporating a double gasket mechanism on the bottom and top and by incorporating a clamping mechanism on the rear. The top of the chamber interfaced with extrusion cutting equipment. The rear of the chamber interfaced with the vacuum extrusion die. The bottom of the chamber interfaced with the vacuum hopper.

The advantages of using an acrylic vacuum chamber in vacuum extrusion environments is that it allows for full visibility of the product. Additionally, a camera system can be added to the operation enabling fully visual inspection of the interior hence increasing throughput, quality, and safety.

On a personal note, this was a very tricky engineering problem because we were aiming to design a chamber which had to create a vacuum tight fit against three surfaces which were not completely perpendicular to each other due to wear and tear. This was accomplished by using a double gasket aluminum interface plate.

In the end, all went well, and looking back we have nothing but gratitude to this customer for giving us a chance to push ourselves beyond what we were comfortable doing - hence making us better engineers. This was a challenging and fun project; not only were we able solve a problem they were wrestling with for quite some time, we also made friends and connected with people on the other side of this country.

Video of the Extrusion Vacuum Chamber

We have many more resources on our website that you should check out

Our clients prefer to work with us because we are Experts in Custom Fabrication (especially Polymer Fabrication). You should check out some of our other items we carry; click on the links below.

Vacuum Bubble Emission ASTM 3078 Leak Testing Systems
Bubble Emission (ASTM 3078) Leak Testing Systems are instruments that are used during the Quality Control process discover and locate leaks or seal integrity failures. Leaks are detected by submerging the specimen into a tank of water, applying a vacuum, and inspecting the submersed specimen for bubble emission. Our Bubble Leak Testing Systems are designed and built to conform to the ASTM D3078 protocol standard.
Micro-D Vacuum Feedthroughs
Micro D Vacuum Feedthroughs are Micro D connectors rated for vacuum and are generally installed on the vacuum chamber wall. You can then connect from the outside to the inside of your chamber.
Our Work: Submersion Leak Testing of Explosive or Volatile Products
Ever wondered how to leak test packaged volatile products? Do you know that there are countless unstable products out there that have to be leak tested as part of quality control? By volatile we mean products which ignite, explode, shatter, melt, or are hazardous. Keep in mind that hazardous material for whatever reason has be undergo quality control as well.
Related Articles: Seal and Package Integrity Testing of Vacuum Sealed Packages
How do you test the seal of vacuum sealed packages? If you are vacuum sealing your packages, you are faced with a challenge when it comes to seal testing. How do you know that your process is consistently creating a good seal? How can you be sure that the vacuum inside you package will hold for the required amount of time?