Segmented Slit Valve Gate for Replaceable Vacuum Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slit valve gates have seals that are difficult to replace and apply protective coatings to, leading to equipment downtime and increased costs due to their over-molded nature, which affects sealing efficiency and contaminant protection in vacuum processing systems.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece slit valve gate design featuring a base portion, seal portion, and clamp portion, allowing for individual replacement of the seal and application of protective coatings without masking, enhancing sealing capabilities and reducing maintenance costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional over-molded seals are used in slit valve gates, then the gate structure is simple and integrated, but the seals become difficult to replace and apply protective coatings to, leading to equipment downtime and increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The gate is divided into multiple separate components: a gate body, a seal, and a clamp. The seal is retained by the clamp rather than being over-molded to the gate body. This segmentation allows the seal to be easily removed and replaced by detaching the clamp, while the gate body remains intact. The clamp acts as a removable fastening mechanism that secures the seal during operation but can be quickly released for maintenance.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional over-molded seals are used in slit valve gates, then the gate structure is integrated, but applying protective coatings becomes difficult requiring masking, increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the seal from the gate body through the use of a clamp mechanism, the gate body becomes a distinct component that can be coated without masking. The seal and clamp can be handled separately during the coating process, eliminating the need for complex masking procedures that would be required if the seal were over-molded to the gate body.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is extracted from the integrated gate structure and held separately by the clamp. This extraction allows the gate body to be coated independently without the seal present, eliminating masking requirements. The seal can be attached to the coated gate body in a separate step after the coating process is complete.
3Productivity
If seals are difficult to replace in conventional gates, then manufacturing is simpler, but equipment downtime increases due to maintenance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of the gate into removable components (gate body, seal, clamp) enables rapid seal replacement. When seal maintenance is needed, the clamp is detached and the seal is removed or replaced without affecting the gate body or requiring complex disassembly procedures. This significantly reduces equipment downtime compared to conventional integrated designs.
4Reliability
If conventional slit valve gates are used, then the structure is simpler, but sealing efficiency and contaminant protection are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with separate gate body, seal, and clamp components allows for optimized sealing performance. The seal can be made from specialized materials with superior sealing properties, and the clamp provides uniform pressure distribution across the seal. This modular approach enables better sealing efficiency and contaminant protection compared to conventional integrated gates, while the added complexity is minimal and confined to the additional clamp component.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a slit valve gate. The slit valve gate includes a base portion configured to couple to a slit valve actuator. The slit valve gate further includes a seal portion coupled to the base portion. The seal portion is configured to create an airtight seal between the slit valve gate and a sealing surface of a slit valve opening. The slit valve gate further includes a clamp portion coupled to the base portion. The clamp portion retains the seal portion at least partially between the clamp portion and the base portion.