At Ideal Vacuum, we custom-build each of our
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited turn-key thermal high vacuum test chambers with chiller-cooled platens, they are designed for cost effective easy laboratory use. This basic listing is for an
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited system composed of a two sectional chamber sections with internal dimensions of 5x5x6 ft, having a 150 cubic feet volume, being constructed of 304L stainless-steel, and based on our expandable sectional chamber design with hinged access doors including multiple large ISO ports for easy mounting of feedthroughs, windows, and instrumentation. It includes a full-pullout platen with a Unistat chiller offering 11 kw of cooling and 12 kW of heating power, for precise temperature control between -80 °C to +190 °C, with thermal ramp rates ranging from 2.5 to 5° C/min. Space grade 10 layer MLI covers all chamber walls for uniform sample heating and cooling, and radiative heat transfer insulation between the sample and the chamber walls. This results in faster heating and cooling of the sample, and more uniform temperatures accross the sample. The selected high-vacuum pumping system includes clean-dry vacuum pumps, Leybold DV300 roughing pump with a WSU501 blower, and Three Edwards nEXT1230 turbo high-vacuum pumps, which pull the system down to ultimate pressure of 5x10-7 Torr in less than 2 hours. This preconfigured
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited system for high vacuum research, for example, it is a perfect choice for space simulation testing of long-term effects of spaceflight on stored food, pharmaceuticals, and cargo; for research on exoplanet atmospheres using solar simulation lamps to reproduce the wavelength intensity distribution of different stars, to recreate the pressure, temperature, and gas compositions of exoplanet environments.
Engineered Without Limits – Watch the ExploraVAC Overview
Specifications Highlights:
- High Vacuum with turbo down to 5x10-7 Torr
- 5ft x 5ft x 6ft internal dimensions
- Chamber Lighting
- 16 sample thermocouples
- Thermal platen -80°C to 190°C
- 10 Layer Highvacuum MLI on all chamber walls
- Closed loop thermal control 3°C/min to 5°C/min
- Autoexplor software with DAQ and automated recipe control
The
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited High Vacuum System is a clean, turn-key platform built for advanced physics research, spectroscopy, and national laboratory testing. Based on our modular sectional chamber design, this system delivers ultimate pressures down to 5×10-7 Torr while providing precise, closed-loop thermal control without the need for liquid nitrogen. Two full pull-out thermal platens offer expanded load capacity with controlled heating and cooling from –80 °C to +190 °C, powered by an integrated chiller for unmatched convenience in small laboratory settings. By eliminating LN2 hookups, the system reduces operating overhead and streamlines test planning, making it an ideal choice for researchers who need reliable, repeatable, and cost-effective high vacuum performance.
Our high-vacuum thermal test systems are an ideal platform for researchers studying the long-term effects of spaceflight on stored food, pharmaceuticals, and cargo. During extended missions to Mars or beyond, supplies may be exposed to partial vacuum, radiation, and wide temperature swings. Our system provides a clean, LN2-free environment with controlled thermal platens from –80 °C to +190 °C, enabling precise simulation of storage and outgassing conditions. By recreating high-vacuum exposure on Earth, scientists can assess how packaging, foodstuffs, and critical consumables will degrade, outgas, or contaminate sensitive spacecraft systems over time — helping ensure safety, reliability, and mission readiness.
The system is powered by the
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited Control Platform with
AutoExplor™ software on a side mounted control console, has a conveniently angled front panel full touchscreen interface with manual emergency-off switches, supports controlled ascent and descent in pressure for sensitive components, rapid decompression profiles, altitude flight simulations, and much more. Our
AutoExplor™ software package goes beyond expectations, in fact our customers love how easy it is to use, and they learn to drive the
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited system within minutes. Customers consistently tell us that
AutoExplor™ alone makes our systems worth having. In addition, the side mounted control console has a PLC which manages system functions including pump and valve sequencing for efficient pump down cycles and safety interlocks for preventing equipment damage. Ideal Vacuum has our UL 508A panel shop certification that qualifies us as a industrial control panel manufacturer to design, build, and label panels in compliance with UL safety standards.
Our
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited systems are designed for safety & convenience with standard features including integrated inductive door switch for safety lockouts, external light override switch on control console, LED halo view windows for chamber illumination, and additional welded threaded studs for custom mounting (6 per chamber section).
Optional Added Features: For research in areas of high-energy physics, spectroscopy, exoplanet studies, and high-technology product development:
- Solar simulation lamps to reproduce the wavelength intensity distribution of different stars
- Mass flow control to recreate the pressure, temperature, and gas compositions of exoplanetary environments.
- Plasma diagnostic probes, such as, Langmuir or Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), to detect species and excitation states.
- IR lamps to deliver precise control of thermal flux for controlled degas studies
- Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCMs) to detect and measure outgassing rates
- Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) for in-situ gas analysis
- Custom pull-out shelving with sample holders
With the
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited system for High-Vacuum Thermal Platen systems, you’re not just buying a chamber—you’re deploying a future-proof, fully supported space simulation platform. From research labs to flight-hardware qualification, this system delivers the performance and flexibility that keep programs on schedule. It’s truly the best of the best, built to help you achieve mission success. ExploraVAC Unlimited systems are engineered for both mission-critical environmental simulation and high-performance vacuum processes. Whether you're qualifying flight hardware through altitude and thermal cycling, or running precision-controlled bakeouts, degassing, or thermal processing routines, these systems deliver the flexibility and performance needed to do it all. Unlike bulky, single-piece chambers, the
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited system features a sectional architecture so large systems ship in manageable sections and assemble quickly at your site, reducing freight cost and installation complexity. Each section is engineered for precise alignment and sealed integrity, with front and rear doors, multiple viewports, and broad compatibility with integrated subsystems—so your layout matches your workflow.
Our
ExploraVAC™ Unlimited systems for applications with high-vacuum chiller-cooled thermal platens:
- Surface physics and material science research
- High-resolution spectroscopy experiments
- Thin film and coating studies under controlled thermal conditions
- Optical and semiconductor material testing
- National laboratory research projects requiring ultra-clean environments
- Space Biology & Astrobiology to simulate storage or processing of pharmaceuticals and biological samples in space conditions.
- Simulating long-term vacuum exposure of packaged foods for deep-space missions
- Testing pharmaceutical stability under Mars mission storage conditions
- Studying outgassing from plastics, foams, and container materials in vacuum
- Evaluating contamination risks from cargo during extended vacuum exposure
- Verifying the durability of packaging materials for interplanetary transport
- Outgassing and contamination studies of advanced materials
- Thermal cycling of components without liquid nitrogen support
- General high vacuum testing for R&D laboratories
About Space Simulation:
The conditions felt in space are extreme. Satellites, CubeSats, and spacecraft experience constant high vacuum and large temperatures swings during the day-night cycle as they pass into the suns unfiltered rays and then into the earth’s cold shadow. For example, an object in low earth orbit without temperature regulation mechanisms may reach -170 °C in the night and 123 °C in the day. Due to the high cost of launching an object into space, it is crucial, and often mandatory, to rigorously test all individual components and the entire assembled device before deployment.
Summary & Other Applications Include:
- High Vacuum Chamber with Thermal Platen
- Turn-Key High Vacuum System
- 5x10-7 Torr Vacuum Chamber
- Physics Research Vacuum Chamber
- Spectroscopy High Vacuum System
- Vacuum Chamber with Integrated Chiller
- No LN2 Required Vacuum Chamber
- Thermal Cycling Vacuum System –80 °C to +200 °C
- Pullout Thermal Platen Vacuum Chamber
- National Laboratory Vacuum Test System
