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Page 49
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Maintenance
B722-40-880 Issue H
5
Maintenance
5.1
Introduction
Instructions for bearing maintenance and surface cleaning for the DX turbomolecular vacuum pump are described in
the following sections. The inlet screens, inlet strainer and inlet flange seals are available as spares (refer to
). Fit the inlet screen as described in
5.2
Bearing maintenance
When supplied, the pump contains sufficient lubricant to supply the bearings for life. No routine maintenance is
therefore required between bearing replacements. The bearings are not user-serviceable. The bearings will need to
be replaced when they reach the end of their service life. This is typically more than 20,000 hours, but may be less;
this depends on the type of pumping duty for which the pump is to be used.
When the bearings need replacement, Edwards recommends exchanging the pump for a factory-reconditioned
replacement. Alternatively, send the pump to an Edwards Service Centre to have the bearings replaced.
5.3
Rotor life
The fatigue life of EXT Turbomolecular pump rotors is typically 40,000 to 50,000 cycles. As a precautionary measure,
Edwards recommends that pumps are returned for a major service (rotor replacement) after 20,000 cycles of
acceleration to full speed and back to a stop, or after ten years of use, whichever occurs first.
5.4
Clean the external surfaces of the pump
CAUTION
Do not attempt to clean any parts of the pump other than external surfaces. Do not disassemble the pump or
remove the electronics Podule. Use of solvents may damage internal pump components.
If the DX pump is contaminated inside, it may not be possible to achieve the specified ultimate vacuum or pump-
down time may increase. The pump should be returned to an Edwards Service Centre where the pump will be
dismantled and cleaned.
WARNING
The DX pump is not to be serviced by the customer. Pumps requiring servicing should be returned
to Edwards or serviced by a qualified Edwards engineer.
WARNING
Allow the pump rotor to stop, then disconnect the logic interface cable from the power supply
before removing the pump from the vacuum system for maintenance or fault finding procedures.
WARNING
Clean the external surfaces of the pump in a well-ventilated location. When using cleaning
solutions and solvents to clean the pump, observe all precautions specified by the manufacturer.
Avoid inhalation of any particulates that may be present in the pump.
