Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-stage vacuum equipment, preferably a two-stage equipment, whose normal operation requires different pressures to be set, wherein the pressure variation may be achieved by a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire movement of a suitable element. The invention further discloses a method for operating said multi-stage vacuum equipment controlled by a SMA actuator.

Abstract: An electron gun includes a sealed chamber under vacuum. A cathode having an emitting face is placed inside the chamber. An anode forms a sealed window, formed facing the emitting face in one of the walls of the chamber. The anode is capable of allowing electrons emitted by the emitting face to pass through. A biasing apparatus sets up a voltage between the anode and the cathode, capable of accelerating these electrons towards the anode, the electrons thus accelerated forming a beam that passes through the anode. The anode and the emitting face each have a curvature, the curvature of the anode making it capable of resisting a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the chamber and being designed to cooperate with the curvature of the emitting face to focus the electron beam outside the chamber.

Abstract: The protective gas according to the invention for the non-vacuum electron-beam welding of metallic materials, particularly light metals in automotive production, consisting of a cold gas in the form of inexpensive nitrogen or helium, allows cost-effective as well as high-quality processing of the materials.

Abstract: An electron beam irradiation apparatus in a partial vacuum method is structured with a static pressure floating pad 18 connected to a vacuum chamber 14 containing an electron beam column 15 and in a condition that the static pressure floating pad 18 is attached to a subject 1 to be irradiated without contacting, and an electron beam irradiating the subject 1 to be irradiated through an electron beam path 19 of the static pressure floating pad 18, whereby the vacuum chamber and the electron beam column can be maintained in the required degree of vacuum even in a condition that the static pressure floating pad 18 is separated from the subject 1 to be irradiated. A vacuum seal valve 30 including a piston to open and close the electron beam path 19 is provided within the static pressure floating pad 18.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locally raising the temperature of a material in order to facilitate chemical reactions or processes related to growth or removal of the material utilizes an electrode to apply, in the presence of a growth or removal medium, a controlled succession of thermal spikes or shockwaves of varying energy. The scale of the thermal spikes or shockwaves, and the area of the material affected by the resulting energy transfer, is on the order of a few nanometers to several hundred micrometers, and the duration of the thermal spikes or shockwaves ranges from a few picoseconds to several hundred nanoseconds. The growth or removal medium may be a cryogenic liquid, although other growth media, including liquids, solids, gases in critical or non-critical state, and mixtures of liquids and solids, solids and gases, and liquids and gases, may also be employed.