Nexisense Vacuum Gauges: Stable and Accurate Measurement Across All Scenarios, from Microvacuum to Industrial High Pressure

In industries such as semiconductor manufacturing, vacuum metallurgy, medical devices, food preservation, and aerospace, where precise control of pressure or vacuum is required, vacuum gauges are essential instruments that directly impact product quality, production safety, and equipment reliability. The Nexisense vacuum gauge series provides stable measurement performance, wide range coverage, and excellent adaptability to industrial environments, delivering reliable data in high-demand scenarios.

Vacuum Gauges: Principles, Features, and Comprehensive Application Guide

How Does a Vacuum Gauge Measure?

The core function of a vacuum gauge is to convert “negative pressure” or “low positive pressure,” which are difficult for humans to directly perceive, into a readable and controllable electrical signal. The two most mature and widely applied principles in industrial settings are:

1. Diaphragm Principle (Strain Gauge / Piezoresistive)

The most common and robust solution. The central component is a high-elasticity, fatigue-resistant metal or ceramic diaphragm.

Typical internal structure reference for a diaphragm-type vacuum pressure transmitter:

• The measured vacuum/pressure acts on the diaphragm → producing micrometer-level deformation.

• The strain gauge attached to the diaphragm (usually part of a Wheatstone bridge) changes resistance → generating a very small voltage signal.

• The signal is amplified, linearized, and temperature-compensated → converted into standard 4–20 mA, 0–10 V, or digital output.

Advantages: sturdy structure, high overpressure resistance, long-term stability.
Applications: from a few kPa positive pressure to -100 kPa vacuum, and some medium-to-high pressure scenarios.

2. Capacitive Principle

More suitable for extremely low pressure or high vacuum applications. The sensing element is a micro capacitor formed by two plates (or one plate and a fixed electrode).

• Pressure changes alter the spacing between plates or the dielectric constant of the medium → causing tiny capacitance variations → detected by a high-precision capacitance-to-voltage conversion circuit.

Advantages: extremely high sensitivity (able to detect Pa or even mPa-level pressure), low zero-point temperature drift.
Applications: semiconductor process vacuum chambers, vacuum coating, ultra-high vacuum research systems.

Each principle has its focus, and Nexisense provides mature product lines for both, ensuring customers can find the optimal solution whether facing “rough vacuum” or “high vacuum.”

Four Core Competencies of Nexisense Vacuum Gauges

1. Long-term Measurement Stability

Users often worry: “It was accurate when installed, but it drifts after a few months.” Nexisense optimizes materials, processes, and compensation algorithms:

• Diaphragms made of 316L, Hastelloy C-276, or ceramic.

• Fully digital temperature compensation + long-term aging screening.

• Multi-layer circuit shielding + optimized grounding.

Real-world example: a semiconductor wafer factory operated Nexisense products continuously for 18 months with zero-point drift < ±0.15% FS, greatly reducing the need for frequent calibration.

2. Wide Range Coverage: “One Series Covers All”

From -100 to +100 kPa (vacuum packaging, medical suction) to Pa–kPa (vacuum chambers, coating), and some models support -0.1 MPa to +40 MPa (combined vacuum + medium/high pressure). With consistent appearance, interfaces, and protocols, customers only select the range, reducing spare parts management costs.

3. Industrial Durability

• Operating temperature: -40℃ to +85℃ (high-temp versions up to 150℃).

• Protection: IP65–IP68.

• Vibration resistance: 10g (10–2000Hz).

• Industrial-grade electromagnetic compatibility certified.

4. System Integration Friendly

Standard 4–20 mA two-wire output, optional RS485 Modbus RTU or HART, supports digital display and local zero/span adjustment for easier on-site commissioning.

Eight Typical and Critical Application Scenarios

1. Semiconductors and vacuum coating: precise pressure control in PECVD, PVD, and etching machine chambers, affecting film uniformity and yield.

2. Vacuum metallurgy and heat treatment: pressure curve control in vacuum melting and heat treatment furnaces, determining material purity and properties.

3. Medical vacuum systems: central suction, negative-pressure drainage, vacuum blood collection tube production.

4. Food and pharmaceutical vacuum packaging: controlling vacuum in flexible packaging, cans, and freeze-dried products.

5. Research and laboratory: high-vacuum benches, material synthesis reactors, vacuum simulation for physical instruments.

6. Aerospace ground testing: vacuum simulation in engine test benches, pressure control in spacecraft environmental chambers.

7. Cold chain and refrigeration: vacuum pumping in refrigeration units, monitoring negative pressure in cold storage.

8. Chemical reactors and distillation columns: stable pressure control in vacuum distillation and reduced-pressure fractionation processes.

Five Common Selection Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Only looking at the range, ignoring full-scale accuracy and resolution → in high vacuum, pay attention to Pa or mPa resolution.

2. Ignoring medium corrosion → acids, chlorides, or sulfide media require Hastelloy or tantalum coating.

3. Assuming all output signals are equally easy to integrate → for factory upgrades, prioritize 4–20 mA; new smart factories may choose HART or Modbus digital.

4. Not considering temperature effects on zero → for high thermal drift applications, select products with full-range temperature compensation.

5. Random installation → place near measurement point, avoid long impulse lines; in high vacuum, use short, thick piping.

Conclusion

Vacuum measurement may seem simple, but details are critical. Choosing incorrectly can reduce yield, interrupt production, or even cause safety incidents. The Nexisense series focuses not on extreme parameters but on reliable, stable output in the majority of real industrial environments.

It may not be the most expensive, but it is often the one that lets engineers sleep most peacefully at night. If your production line, laboratory, or medical device is facing unstable vacuum, pressure drift, or frequent calibrations, tell us your real operating conditions—appropriate range, material, and output type—and we will help you select the right product the first time, avoiding countless reworks later.