The power of the vacuum pump was impeccably demonstrated by its inventor all the way back in 1654. Otto von Guericke, a German scientist and mayor of the city of Magdeburg at the time, used his new invention to prove the power of atmospheric pressure. He accomplished this by pumping out the majority of the air molecules from between two halves of a copper sphere that were joined together with mated sealed rims. Once the vacuum pump had done its job, two teams of 15 horses couldn’t separate the two hemispheres from each other.

The Magdeburg hemispheres experiment — as it came to be known — was a huge success, and the potential of the vacuum pump was firmly established for later mechanical, industrial and commercial applications to follow.

How Vacuum Pumps Work

In essence, all vacuum pumps work in the same manner. A vacuum is created by means of moving the majority of gas molecules or liquids out of one area by means of a difference in pressure from another space. As a result, the area left with fewer molecules will have lower pressure — or a vacuum — while the area with more molecules will subsequently have higher pressure. This is why the Magdeburg hemispheres couldn’t be pulled apart by the tremendous forces exerted on them by the teams of horses. It wasn’t because they were held together by the low pressure of the vacuum inside of them. Instead, the two halves were jammed together by the much higher pressure of the atmosphere surrounding them.

Today, most vacuum pumps work on one of three principles: positive displacement, momentum transfer or entrapment. While both momentum transfer and entrapment pumps are used to create high and ultra-high vacuum conditions, they require a great deal of energy and maintenance and are, therefore, costly to operate.

On the other hand, a large majority of industrial and commercial vacuum pump uses are fulfilled by means of positive displacement pumps, like the rotary screw vacuum pumps made by Kaishan. Using the stable, consistent power of twin spiral screws, or helical screws, to evacuate a sealed chamber and create a vacuum, the needs of everything from the manufacturing of high-precision semiconductors to packaging in the food & beverage industry are met with cost-effective reliability.

In addition, our vacuum pumps serve an integral part of metal processing, glass and stone cutting, printing, plastic injection molding and aviation equipment manufacturing — to name but a few of the modern processes that rely on Kaishan equipment and technology.

Why Choose Kaishan Vacuum Pumps?

At Kaishan Compressors, we’ve been making world-class air compressor and vacuum machinery for over 60 years. In that time, we’ve always held close to our central belief that only through continual improvement and innovation can we be an industry leader. That’s why our vacuum pumps feature low noise, low energy consumption and, above all, low maintenance — reducing your cost of ownership while maximizing the uptime and performance you receive.

Kaishan vacuum pumps are used throughout many industries, including general manufacturing, electronics, chemical, petrochemical, automotive, aerospace, food & beverage and many more.

To learn more about our vacuum pumps and other quality Kaishan products, contact us today.