Vacuum Feedthroughs and Bulkhead Hermetic Solutions

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Why Vacuum Feedthroughs Are Critical

Vacuum feedthroughs are specialized hermetic components that allow electrical power or signals to pass through vacuum or pressure barriers without leakage. Even microscopic leaks can compromise vacuum integrity, contaminate sensitive processes, or disrupt system performance. As a result, vacuum feedthroughs are essential in applications requiring precise environmental control.

High-Vacuum and Bulkhead Designs

Hermetic bulkhead feedthroughs provide multiple electrical pathways through a single flange-mounted interface. This design reduces the number of enclosure penetrations, improving system reliability and simplifying installation. Bulkhead feedthroughs are commonly used in high-vacuum chambers, pressure vessels, and sealed instrumentation housings.

Material Compatibility and Precision Engineering

Vacuum feedthroughs are manufactured using materials such as stainless steel, Kovar, titanium, and high-purity ceramics to ensure compatibility with vacuum environments. These materials exhibit low outgassing, excellent thermal stability, and corrosion resistance. Precision manufacturing and sealing techniques are required to meet stringent leak-rate specifications, often verified through helium leak testing.

Performance in Sensitive Systems

In vacuum systems, performance margins are extremely narrow. Feedthroughs must maintain electrical insulation, mechanical stability, and hermetic integrity under thermal cycling, vibration, and pressure differentials. Poorly designed feedthroughs can lead to system downtime, safety risks, or costly repairs.

Critical Applications

Vacuum feedthroughs are widely used in semiconductor fabrication equipment, aerospace simulation chambers, research laboratories, medical imaging systems, and high-energy physics instrumentation.

Contact Complete Hermetics Today for Your Hermetic Solutions

Complete Hermetics designs and manufactures custom vacuum feedthroughs and hermetic bulkhead feedthroughs, including multi-pin configurations, glass-to-metal and ceramic-to-metal seals, and vacuum-rated assemblies. The company also supplies hermetic connectors, headers, hermetic packages, and battery end seals to support fully integrated systems. With rigorous testing and precision engineering,  Complete Hermetics delivers vacuum solutions customers can depend on.

Vacuum Feedthroughs for High-Integrity Sealed Systems

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Why Vacuum Feedthroughs Are Essential

Vacuum feedthroughs allow electrical, optical, fluid, or mechanical transfer into or out of a sealed vacuum chamber without compromising the chamber’s integrity. They are crucial in semiconductor processing equipment, scientific research instruments, aerospace simulation chambers, and industrial high-temperature vacuum furnaces. Even the slightest leak can affect process quality, research accuracy, or equipment performance—making hermetic sealing absolutely essential.

Design Requirements for High-Vacuum Environments

Vacuum feedthroughs require materials that tolerate thermal expansion, pressure gradients, plasma exposure, outgassing, and radiation. Complete Hermetics engineers each feedthrough using precision glass-to-metal or ceramic-to-metal bonds calibrated to maintain ultra-low leak rates under severe operating conditions. These feedthroughs maintain performance from cryogenic to extreme high-temperature environments.

Configurations & Materials

Vacuum, electric, glass, and ceramic feedthroughs—often used interchangeably—serve the same core purpose: to route electrical current into or out of a hermetic or vacuum system while preventing any gas leakage. Complete Hermetics designs and manufactures custom glass-to-metal and ceramic-to-metal feedthroughs, including multi-pin and bulkhead hermetic feedthroughs that provide multiple electrical paths through a single flange. Available in laser-weld or solder-in styles, these feedthroughs deliver reliable performance in harsh environments. They are widely used in submersible pumps, downhole drilling tools, exploration instruments, implantable medical devices, and cryogenic surgical probes, where stable electrical continuity and long-term hermeticity are mission-critical.

Applications in High-Tech Sectors

Vacuum feedthroughs support:

  • Plasma etching & PVD/CVD semiconductor tools
  • Space environment simulation chambers
  • Ion beam accelerators & laboratory research equipment
  • Industrial furnaces & metallurgical processing
  • Aerospace test stands requiring high vacuum integrity

Testing & Verification

Every feedthrough undergoes low-helium-leak testing, electrical resistance measurement, thermal cycling, and long-duration vacuum compatibility validation. These processes guarantee reliability in systems where contamination or pressure loss cannot be tolerated.

Contact Complete Hermetics Today for Your Hermetic Solutions

Complete Hermetics provides high-performance vacuum feedthroughs and hermetic sealing technologies. From glass-to-metal or ceramic-to-metal configurations, each feedthrough is engineered with exacting precision to meet your application requirements.

Custom Hermetic Feedthroughs

What Are Electrical Feedthroughs For?

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You might not think that there are many components that can be found in X-ray machines, transformers and furnaces. But electrical feedthroughs are commonly used in a wide variety of technologies to help make sure that electricity doesn’t escape and cause malfunctions. It is important to know what these feedthroughs are used for and to appreciate this important piece of technology that keeps so many different technologies running.

The Importance of Vacuums 

Creating a vacuum guarantees that the electricity being transported from one part of a machine to another does not get out. Vacuum feedthroughs effectively make sure that the electricity is distributed safely.

Using Seals

The key to creating a vacuum is the type of seal that is used. Hermetic feedthroughs use glass-to-metal seals and ceramic seals to create this vacuum. When building a new seal, it is extremely important that the materials used are able to withstand intensive use and not break down over time.

This is why many seals are made with glass and ceramics; these materials are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, as well as other wear and tear. Many of these seals are used in technology like furnaces that operate at extreme temperatures. Making sure the seals do not break down easily will make sure the machine runs smoothly.