The frame and exterior panels served an etching-equipment assembly where interface fit and low outgassing mattered.
The customer’s challenge
Uneven panel gaps and excessive outgassing near the vacuum chamber interfered with assembly and evacuation.
Material and fabrication route
3.0 mm 6061 aluminum; 304 stainless panels.
Process route: Laser cutting → bending → welding → CNC finish machining → anodizing → clean washing → assembly.
Manufacturing changes
Finish-machined interfaces controlled gaps, while low-outgassing finishing and polished vacuum-facing surfaces addressed the process environment.
Engineering analysis
The panel package had both a geometric interface and a process-environment interface. Finish machining addressed fit around the equipment, while surface treatment and cleaning addressed the supplied condition near the vacuum chamber. The recorded outgassing and gap figures answer separate questions. This distinction helps avoid treating a visually well-fitted panel as sufficient evidence of suitability for the surrounding process environment.
Inspection and project results
Panel gaps were uniform at ≤0.2 mm. The project recorded acceptable outgassing and shorter evacuation time without a quantified time claim.
| Project measurement or production detail | Recorded value |
|---|---|
| Panel gap | ≤0.2 mm |
| Outgassing | ≤1 × 10⁻⁶ Pa·m³/s |
| Flatness | ≤0.1 mm/m |
| Cleanliness class | Class 1000 |
These figures describe the project configuration and production scope above. Dimensional, material and production details are identified separately from performance tests. For a new order, the inspection method and acceptance criteria should be agreed against the released drawings.
Planning a similar OEM component
A useful RFQ for this application should make the following interfaces and acceptance requirements clear:
- Chamber-adjacent interface drawings.
- Gap and flatness requirements.
- Surface and outgassing acceptance.
- Cleaning, handling and packing scope.
Include the current drawing revision, mating-component information, quantities and required delivery sequence. Identifying unresolved requirements at quotation stage helps distinguish fabrication work from the equipment-level checks that the project needs.
For related manufacturing support, review our Semiconductor Equipment Enclosures and sheet metal quality capabilities. Use the existing quotation form below to share the drawing package for review.
