By Dens Milne
Courtesy Daresbury Laboratory
Yesterday I was at the Cockcroft Institute at the Daresbury Laboratory for the 1st Vacuum Symposium UK. This included a one-day technical programme covering a broad range of talks on vacuum science and technology. The event followed the 9th Residual Gas Analyser Users Meeting held the day before, which boasted its own day-long seminar programme organized by the RGA Users Group.
I joined more than100 delegates enjoying presentations on the many and varied applications of vacuum — covering everything from the challenges of pumping the enormous vacuum chamber at the Joint European Torus (JET) fusion experiment to the intricacies of applying coatings in the production of large-area glazing products (that’s windows to you and me).
The event (co-sponsored by the Institute of Physics’ Vacuum Group, the British Vacuum Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council) was free to attend thanks to the support of the 26 hi-tech companies showing their wares at the associated trade exhibition. Attendees could also sign up for two training seminars taking place in parallel to the main talks or peruse the mini poster session at the back of the main auditorium highlighting research work taking place at the University of Liverpool, Nottingham University and Université de Provence. A further international feel was added by keynote speaker Dr Manfred Leisch of Graz University of Technology in Austria, who talked about his surface-science research on stainless steel, one of the most commonly used construction materials for vacuum chambers and components.
It is hoped that this will be just the first in a series of annual symposia. Judging by the reactions of both attendees and exhibitors, it looks set to become the premier event in the UK vacuum calendar.
