A vacuum oven has many uses. Electronics companies can use it to cure the coating of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Aerospace labs can utilise it to simulate conditions in outer space. And you can even use it to dry wet electronics. For example, if you have a phone that fell on a sink full of water, you can use a vacuum oven to dry it and prevent extreme water damage, which would be very convenient if you actually have one at home.
For a vacuum oven to fulfil its purposes, it has a combination of two primary and distinct functions. First, it controls the temperature inside it; second, it creates vacuum conditions. These two functions are done by two separate parts: the oven and a pump. And typically, if you buy a vacuum oven, you can expect that you’ll only get the oven, and you’ll need a separate pump.
While it seems that vacuum oven pumps are only dedicated to vacuum ovens, know that you can use them for different purposes. This article will let you know those purposes.
A Disclaimer
At the end of the day, a vacuum oven pump is just another type of pump. However, note that it can be considered one of the most powerful pumps out there, as it can achieve near-vacuum levels. It’s a type of direct drive pump, and this kind of pump is often used in specific applications such as providing vacuums in vacuum ovens, freeze dryers, and centrifugal concentrators.
While you can use a vacuum oven pump in the following processes below, they’re not wholly recommended as these pumps may not meet the required power or may be performed outside the limits of what’s needed.
- Trash Processing
Unbeknownst to many, vacuum pumps are used in many appliances and applications. One of the appliances you can find a vacuum pump in is your typical run-of-the-mill trash compactor.
Whether the trash compactor is for residential or industrial use, it will have a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump’s role in a trash compactor is to suck all the air in the appliance, which in return, significantly helps make a pile of garbage takes up less space.
- Glass Coating
Another specific use for vacuum pumps is glass coating. A pump helps with applying reflective coatings and window tinting by sucking all air between the coating material and glass to ensure a greater bond between the two materials. This also helps prevent air bubbles from forming between the two.
- Product Protection And Packaging
Aside from glass coating, a vacuum pump can also help process other decorative furnishing and products for shipping. For example, you may have already noticed that some of the products you’ve ordered from an online merchant are enveloped in tight plastic seals or packaging. That kind of packaging is achieved through the use of a vacuum pump.
- Sewage And Water Treatment
When you think about vacuum pumps, the first thing that may come to your mind is air. While sucking air is often the number one use case for this kind of appliance, they can also use to suck in water.
With a vacuum pump, you can place a filter between the pump and wastewater or sewage. As the pump sucks in water, the filter can catch all debris and particles, effectively purifying and treating sewage or wastewater.
- Medical Suction
One of the critical roles that vacuum pumps fulfill is used in medical devices that require suctioning. One medical device requiring suctioning is a medical suction or suction unit. Paramedics can use it in emergency cases, surgical procedures, wound care, and ongoing treatment. Respiratory therapists would always use one for their patients most of the time.
In emergency cases where a patient can’t breathe, a medical suction can clear airway blockage by sucking out mucus and other materials that may cause aspiration problems. In surgical procedures and wound care, a suction unit is used to suck in blood and allow doctors and nurses to find wounds or operate with a clearer vision.
- Vacuum Cleaning
And just like with any vacuum pump, you can actually use an oven vacuum pump as a vacuum cleaner. While it may seem like a neat idea, it would be unwise to use it like this. After all, it’s mighty more expensive than your typical vacuum cleaner. Nonetheless, it’s still another use or purpose it can fulfil.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can use a vacuum oven pump in different cases other than providing a vacuum in a vacuum oven. While you can use them outside their intended purposes in some
