Vacuum Valves

Gate (slide) valves give the full bore conductance and are the default for isolating a chamber from a pump. Baffle (angle) valves are compact and cheap for smaller lines and right-angle layouts. Pendulum valves give full bore in a much shorter stack height, which is why coating and LCD systems use them on large apertures.

Elastomer (FKM, FFKM) seals are cheaper, tolerate many more cycles and are fine down to the 10⁻⁹ mbar range. Metal seals reach below 10⁻¹⁰ mbar and survive bakeout above what elastomers tolerate, but the cycle life is far shorter and the actuation force higher. Choose metal only when the pressure or bake temperature actually requires it.

That is what you specify with the actuator: normally closed springs shut on air loss, normally open springs open, double-acting stays where it is. For protecting a pump or chamber, a normally closed actuator or a solenoid that mechanically locks in the closed position is the safe choice.

Far less than the pressure it can seal against. Typical opening differential limits are tens of millibar, while the same valve will hold 1 bar closed. Opening against a large differential slams the plate and cuts seal life — that is why systems equalise pressure through a bypass or a slow-pump line before the main valve opens.

Yes — water-cooled and temperature-controlled versions are standard options across the gate, pendulum and rectangular families. Heating keeps condensable process by-products from depositing on the plate and seat; cooling protects the seal where the process gas is hot. Specify the process temperature and gas when ordering.