Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPTResearch project "UHV.NRW"
From vacuum to ultra-high vacuum in production
Many production processes must be carried out under vacuum conditions in order to prevent contamination, to achieve precise material properties, and to ensure that sensitive reactions proceed in a controlled manner. Creating vacuum conditions is no challenge in modern production, whereas with high vacuum and ultra-high vacuum require significantly more complex technology, special materials, and a deep understanding of the physical processes involved. Even the smallest leaks or residual gases can jeopardize the desired purity and stability.
Products that must be manufactured in high vacuum include microchips, solar cells, CDs, and Blu-ray discs. Ultra-high vacuum, on the other hand, is mostly used in physical research – for example, in sample chambers, particle accelerators, or laser facilities. A current application for ultra-high vacuum is the Einstein Telescope, which is to be built in the coming years.
In the research project "New Ways in Ultra-High Vacuum Technology" (UHV.NRW for short), Fraunhofer IPT is working with its project partners from industry and research to establish an infrastructure for testing new production processes, components, and materials for the manufacture of ultra-high vacuum systems.
Six ideas for development
Vacuum conditions can be created using pump systems. To achieve ultra-high vacuum, scientists use special pumps that remove gas molecules from the system. Achieving an ultra-high vacuum has been a difficult process up to now, involving long pumping times and high energy consumption. The research infrastructure being set up by the consortium in the "UHV.NRW" project focuses on six key areas:
- New materials for the construction of vacuum chambers and tubes
- Coatings for the surfaces of the tubes
- Production processes for vacuum chambers, including laser welding under vacuum conditions
- New pumping designs
- Emergency sealing processes
Fraunhofer IPT selects suitable structural steels and composite materials for the manufacture of the new vacuum chambers, which have lower hydrogen outgassing and, thus, improve the efficiency of the vacuum chambers. The institute is also responsible for manufacturing and testing prototypes for vacuum chambers and tubes. Its aim is to use new composite tubes that are lighter and more cost-effective than conventional tubes.
Application: Space research with the Einstein Telescope
A special application for ultra-high vacuum is the so-called Einstein Telescope. In a European research project in the border triangle of Aachen, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, this telescope will detect and measure gravitational waves from space at unprecedented precision. The aim of the project is to detect extremely weak signals from the early days of the universe – for example, from colliding black holes or neutron stars. The Einstein Telescope will be the largest ultra-high vacuum system ever built by humans. Tubes such as those to be installed in an underground facility for the Einstein Telescope pose a manufacturing challenge because they have to be very large, lightweight, and stable. Fraunhofer IPT has been researching efficient production solutions for manufacturing tubes and pressure vessels from fiber composite materials for many years. Fraunhofer IPT is producing the first prototypes in the "UHV.NRW" research project.
The telescope's builders are using 120 kilometers of vacuum tubes with a diameter of approximately one meter for the main beams. An additional 10 to 20 kilometers of small-diameter vacuum tubes are being used for the secondary beams.
Consortium
- RWTH Aachen University (Physics Department), Aachen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Aachen
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich
- Rhenotherm Kunstoffbeschichtungs GmbH, Kempen
- FEF Forschungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Fügetechnik GmbH, Aachen
- Werkhuizen Hengelhoef Industrial Contracting Aktiengesellschaft, Genk (Belgium)
Funding
The "UHV.NRW – New Ways in Ultra-High Vacuum Technology" research project is funded by the European Union and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the EFRE/JTF Programme NRW 2021–2027.
Funding reference: 34.01.UHV-EFRE-20500049
Project sponsor: Bezirksregierung Köln
Projetct duration: 15/7/2025 to 14/7/2028