Vacuum chuck

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SteveM
Posts: 7763
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:18 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Vacuum chuck

Post by SteveM »

I have the attached gizmo which I believe is a vacuum chuck, based on the grooves in the surface and the air fitting underneath.
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20170527_192458.jpg
It is not rigidly attached to the base - it's sprung at the three points on the underside with the red nuts (which, interestingly, but possibly not by chance, are 30 degrees apart from the pins sticking out from the base). The nuts limit the travel upwards and light springs push upwards at the three points.

The pieces at the top and left of the vacuum disk appear to be fences.

What would this be used for?

If I held something with it, any operations on the work piece would cause it to move, so I can't see how it would be used for machining.

Steve
John Hasler
Posts: 1852
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 4:05 pm
Location: Elmwood, Wisconsin

Re: Vacuum chuck

Post by John Hasler »

It's a wafer chuck for handling semiconductor wafers, probably for use with a prober.
SteveM
Posts: 7763
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:18 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Vacuum chuck

Post by SteveM »

OK. That makes sense.

Steve
10 Wheeler Rob
Posts: 1546
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:44 pm
Location: East Hartford, CT

Re: Vacuum chuck

Post by 10 Wheeler Rob »

We used vacuum fixture plates/chucks for machining thin graphite plates where I worked. Made to fit the blank in production work. Large ones for proto type work, machinist would tape off unused regions to get a good vacuum.
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