Vacuum Pump Maintenance

General Composites Discussions Equipment Talk
#1

What are the varied techniques for pump maintenance? I just purchased a Yellow Jacket Bullet 7cfm and when talking to the seller it dawned upon me that countless fibers are drawn through the pump through it’s lifetime when used for composites.

In the HVAC field they recommend changing the oil after every pull due to contaminants as well as water. However I would think a composite layup and bag contain a relatively small amount of air/water, enough to worry about anyways. I would think the fibers would cause more harm.

Does anyone use a home made inline filter setup?

How often are your oil changes?

#2

I am not sure how many fibers actually make it to the pump but we have a cartridge style water filter between the resin trap and the pump inlet for protection.

We also change the pump oil every 5 or so infusions, when the pump oil gets cloudy, or when it starts to smell badly of styrene.

#3

Make sure the vacuumpump reaches its operating temperature every week or month or so (depends on pump usage).

Styrene should not be a problem, according to a couple of vacuum pump manufacturers, and I have indeed not encountered any problems at my clients.

Install a simple paper filter on the intake of the vacuumpump. I open them up regularly at my customers, and usually there is some fiber in it. These filters are some 30 euros or so, so why bother making them yourself.

As for your pump: I suggest taking it apart, clean the parts, and reassemble. Make sure you assemble everything as you took it apart, and you should be fine. Refill with new oil, and it should be good to go. Inspect the vanes and the pump housing for unusual scratch marks, and mount seals with a bit of oil to protect them during assembly.

Good luck.

A site I sometimes use is www.vacuumsystemen.com. A bit empty now I noticed, however.

#4

I was reading the manual and Yellow Jacket recommends draining the oil, then turning on the pump for 5-10 seconds, let it drain again, then refill. Anyone ever heard of this or know why they recommend it?

#5

Just to flush the remaining oil from the system, before filling with new (clean) oil.