There is ample room for development in the domestic vacuum pump manufacturing industry

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There is great potential for development in the domestic vacuum pump manufacturing industry. Vacuum pumps are products that are widely used in large quantities; although their value per unit may not be high, they are indeed essential basic components that directly affect the performance and quality of vacuum systems as a whole. Vacuum pumps range from high/ultra-high vacuum to rough/low vacuum, and their products can be roughly divided into 14 categories: High/ultra-high vacuum – cryogenic pumps, molecular pumps, sputter ion pumps, titanium sublimation pumps, diffusion pumps. Medium vacuum – dry pumps, two-stage rotary vane pumps, Roots pumps, oil-enhanced pumps, steam jet pumps. Coarse/low vacuum – single-stage rotary vane pumps, slide valve pumps, liquid ring pumps, reciprocating vacuum pumps. The market for vacuum pumps changes dynamically based on user needs. The main driving force behind the growth of this industry comes from the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, as well as the expanding range of applications for dry pumps and molecular pumps. Currently, the annual sales volume in the global vacuum pump market is around $2 billion, with an annual growth rate of around 7%. There are many manufacturers of vacuum pumps in China, and the total annual sales volume of all these vacuum pumps is around 150 million yuan, which is equivalent to the annual sales volume of vacuum pumps produced by the American company Kinney alone. By analyzing the global vacuum pump market, we can see that the markets and application areas for various types of vacuum pumps are constantly changing and developing. China’s vacuum pump manufacturing industry has a long history and a solid foundation. Domestic vacuum pumps have been used in various fields and have proven their effectiveness; some of these pumps are even exported abroad, where they have been recognized by foreign users and received positive feedback. It can be said that China’s vacuum pump manufacturing industry still has great potential for development in both domestic and international markets. 1. Liquid ring pumps: Although they belong to the category of rough vacuum pumps, liquid ring pumps still have a large market in China’s industries such as petroleum, chemicals, power generation, light textiles, papermaking, and pharmaceuticals. Abroad, sales of liquid ring pumps account for 14% of the total vacuum pump market, second only to dry pumps; as a result, companies such as Nash, Seimems, and Kinney are investing in factories or establishing sales networks in China in order to expand their market share there. Since most liquid ring pumps are castings, with low processing requirements and being labor-intensive products, domestic liquid ring pumps have a competitive advantage in terms of pricing. The key is to improve the design, reduce size and weight, enhance efficiency, and lower energy consumption. 2. Sliding vane pumps – Due to their durability and reliability, sliding vane pumps are used as pre-stage pumps in various vacuum furnaces, coating machines, as well as drying and impregnation equipment around the world. However, since these pumps have heavy cast components and require significant processing effort, vacuum equipment manufacturers abroad are looking for partners in China. To enable domestic slide valve pumps to enter the international market, it is necessary to further reduce the oscillation noise of the pumps, eliminate fuel spraying and leakage, and improve the reliability of these pumps for long-term operation. 3. Direct-drive rotary vane pumps: As vacuum technology continues to be utilized in an increasing range of applications, the demand for direct-drive rotary vane pumps is also rising. Due to the large number of such pumps, the substantial workload involved in their processing and installation, as well as the low pricing, some foreign vacuum manufacturers have established specialized factories in China. Domestic small and medium-sized direct-connected vane pumps have met technical requirements, and their prices are much lower than those of foreign pumps; therefore, they still hold a competitive advantage. The key is to address issues such as oil leakage from the shaft seals, as well as the quality problems related to the materials used for the vanes and the vacuum pump oil, in order to ensure that these direct-connected pumps operate stably and reliably at high speeds and high temperatures. Additionally, it is necessary to further improve the ability of domestic direct-connected vane pumps to remove water vapor. 4. Rotary vane pumps: Looking at the production situation of rotary vane pumps abroad, a few major foreign companies such as Leybold, Balzers, Alcatell, Edwards, and ULVAC account for no more than 5% of the global sales volume of rotary vane pumps; together, these five companies account for only 20%. Although the output volume of rotary vane pumps is not large, their prices abroad are much higher than those of domestically produced pumps. At present, almost all large and small high-vacuum and medium-vacuum systems, both domestically and internationally, are equipped with Roots pumps in order to reduce pumping time and improve production efficiency. Therefore, domestic Roots pumps must strive to enter the international market on the basis of securing a foothold in the domestic market. This requires further reduction of the vibration noise associated with these pumps, complete resolution of the issue of oil leakage from the shaft seals, improvement in the visual quality of the pumps, as well as enhancement of the smoothness and cleanliness inside the pumps. Furthermore, it is necessary to take into account that the power frequency in some **regions is 60Hz; it is therefore essential to ensure the reliability of the rotary vane pump when operating at increased speeds for extended periods of time. Currently, gas-cooled rotary vane pumps that discharge directly into the atmosphere are developing rapidly in China, and the technology has now matured. Because this type of pump is equipped with a gas cooler below the exhaust port, and part of the cooled gas returns to the pump chamber through pipes to cool the rotor, thereby balancing the compression heat, it is able to discharge directly into the atmosphere. To meet the requirements of different ultimate vacuum levels, these pumps can be used in series; typically, an air-cooled rotary vane pump that discharges air to the atmosphere is placed ahead of them, allowing the achieved ultimate vacuum to be one order of magnitude higher than that of the preceding pump. Since there is no working medium inside the pump chamber, this type of vacuum pump also falls under the category of dry pumps. At present, this air-cooled, direct-atmosphere discharge rotary vane pump and its units have undergone long-term operation tests in applications such as the petroleum, chemical, plastic, and pesticide industries, as well as in tasks related to the dynamic balancing of turbine rotors and aerospace simulation; therefore, they should be widely promoted and used in China. 5. Molecular pumps: In many technical applications in the field of semiconductors abroad, molecular pumps are used as a replacement for cryogenic pumps; especially in equipment such as sputtering, etching, and LCVD, composite molecular pumps and turbo pumps are used as the main pumps. Since the pumping speed of a molecular pump for water vapor is only one-fourth that of a cryopump of the same diameter, the exhaust time of the molecular pump is longer than that of the cryopump. To increase the pumping speed, foreign countries install a cryogenic cooling plate at -130°C to -150°C on the inlet side of the molecular pump; this type of pump is known as a cryogenic molecular pump. Water vapor is trapped by the cryogenic plate, while other gases are pumped away by the molecular pump. This type of cryogenic molecular pump is used in vacuum coating equipment, which improves both production efficiency and the quality of the coating layers. With the rapid development of China’s semiconductor industry, thin-film industry, and scientific research efforts, molecular pumps should be a key focus for the growth of China’s vacuum pump manufacturing sector. Firstly, a complete series of molecular pumps should be established, from small to large, and various composite molecular pumps, drag pumps, and cryogenic molecular pumps should be researched and developed to meet the needs of different applications. 6. Dry pumps: The increasing number of dry pump manufacturers abroad is driven primarily by the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, chemical industry, and film industry. In Japan, dry vacuum pumps have replaced oil-sealed mechanical pumps in the semiconductor industry; in Europe and the United States, more than 45% of such pumps in the semiconductor sector have been replaced by dry vacuum pumps, **which has improved the performance and quality of the products. To meet the requirements of various application areas and operating conditions, foreign countries offer multi-stage Roots vacuum pumps, multi-stage claw vacuum pumps, screw vacuum pumps, vortex vacuum pumps, reciprocating piston vacuum pumps, as well as turbine oil-free vacuum pumps. The ultimate pressure ranges from 10 Pa to 10-2 Pa, and the pumping speed ranges from 20 m3/h to 500 m3/h. According to statistics, the use of domestic dry pumps is currently limited by a 1% shortfall; all dry pumps used in China’s semiconductor industry are imported from abroad, and their prices are very high. Therefore, China should vigorously research and develop dry pumps, turning them into a new source of economic growth for China’s vacuum industry. Shanghai Shengou Pump Valve Co., Ltd. 021-54148004