1. Entry Ticket Scenario (Activity 1.10 — Pre-Session Submission)

Instructions to Student

Before attending the synchronous session, read the scenario below carefully. Complete the Entry Ticket template with your initial assessment.

You will have approximately 20 minutes. Bring your completed Entry Ticket to the session — it is your preparation for the group diagnostic exercise.

Scenario: "The Monday Morning Rig"

A technician arrives at the workshop on Monday morning. The R1-A training rig was last used on Friday afternoon. The previous technician's shift log says they pumped the chamber down to 2 mbar, isolated it, and turned the pump off before leaving for the weekend.

The following readings are observed:

The chamber was at 2 mbar on Friday at 16:00. It is now Monday at 08:00 — 64 hours later. The chamber gauge now reads 47 mbar.

Entry Ticket Prompts

1. State Call: What state is the R1-A system currently in? Name the state and explain how you determined it from the observations above.
Clue: Think about what combination of valve positions and pump status defines each of the three R1-A system states (VENTED, ROUGHING, ISOLATED).
Guide: Look at R1-V-VENT and R1-V-ISO — both are CLOSED. R1-P-RP is OFF. Compare R1-G-CH (47 mbar) to R1-G-BX (951 mbar). Which state has all valves closed and chamber below atmosphere?

1. Observed Evidence: List every piece of evidence from the table above that informs your assessment. For each item, state what it tells you.
Clue: Go through each row of the observation table systematically. For each component, ask: what does this reading or position tell me about what the system is doing right now?
Guide: Start with R1-G-CH (47 mbar) vs R1-G-BX (951 mbar) — the 904 mbar difference is significant. Then consider what CLOSED valves and an OFF pump mean for gas flow. Is anything moving?

1. UNKNOWN → Evidence Needed: The chamber pressure has risen from 2 mbar to 47 mbar over the weekend. List at least three things you cannot determine from the information given, and for each one, describe what additional observation or test would help resolve it.
Clue: The chamber went from 2 mbar to 47 mbar over 64 hours. What could cause pressure to rise in a sealed chamber? Think about at least three different mechanisms.
Guide: Consider: (a) Could this be a leak? What would the rate tell you? (b) Could surfaces inside the chamber be releasing gas? (c) Could a valve seat be allowing slow gas entry? For each, what test would confirm or rule it out?

1. Initial Escalation Note: Write a brief (3-5 sentence) note to the workshop supervisor summarising: (1) what was observed, (2) what the evidence indicates, and (3) what additional information would help clarify the situation. Use professional language — observations first, then interpretation, then your ask.

2. Entry Ticket — Worked Example (Model Answer)

State Call

The system is in the ISOLATED state. Both valves (R1-V-VENT and R1-V-ISO) are closed, the pump is off, and the chamber pressure (47 mbar) is significantly below atmospheric (951 mbar). The chamber is sealed and holding a partial vacuum — no gas is flowing in or out.

Observed Evidence

UNKNOWN → Evidence Needed

1. Is this a leak or outgassing? The rate of rise is approximately 0.7 mbar/hour. This is slower than a gross leak (which would bring the chamber back to atmospheric within hours) but faster than typical outgassing alone on a clean chamber. Test: Re-pump the chamber to 2 mbar, isolate it, and monitor the rate of rise over 30 minutes. If the rate is consistent and steady, it suggests a slow leak. If it decreases over time, it is more likely outgassing.

1. Was the chamber clean when it was sealed? If the previous user placed samples or materials inside the chamber before isolating, those surfaces could be outgassing significantly over the weekend. Evidence needed: Check the Friday shift log for any notes about chamber contents. Visually inspect the chamber (without opening it yet) if there is a viewport.

1. Are both valve seats sealing properly? A small leak at the isolation valve seat or vent valve seat could allow atmospheric air to seep in slowly. Test: After re-pumping, use a rate-of-rise test with each valve as the suspected leak point. Alternatively, compare the rate of rise with the pump connected (R1-V-ISO open, R1-V-VENT closed) to see if the pump can maintain base pressure — if it can, the leak path is likely through R1-V-VENT rather than R1-V-ISO.

Initial Escalation Note

"Good morning. I've checked the R1-A rig following the weekend shutdown. The shift log from Friday shows the chamber was isolated at 2 mbar at 16:00.

As of this morning (08:00 Monday), the chamber gauge reads 47 mbar — a rise of 45 mbar over approximately 64 hours. Both valves are closed, the pump is off, and the barometric reference reads 951 mbar.

The chamber has not returned to atmosphere, which suggests this is not a gross leak, but the rate of rise (~0.7 mbar/hour) is higher than I would expect from outgassing alone on a clean chamber. I'd like to re-pump the system and run a controlled rate-of-rise test to distinguish between a slow leak and outgassing. Can you confirm whether the chamber had any samples or materials inside when it was sealed on Friday?"

3. Situation Report — Worked Example

SITUATION REPORT — R1-A — 2026-MM-DD

Reporting Technician: [Student Name] System: R1-A Current State Call: ROUGHING

Observed Evidence:

Interpretation: The system is in a normal roughing pump-down.

The pressure is decreasing as expected — fast initially (viscous flow regime with many molecules to remove), slowing as it approaches the rough vacuum range (transition toward molecular flow where fewer molecules remain). The pump sounds normal. No anomalies observed.

Unknowns: I cannot determine the pump's ultimate base pressure from these observations alone — I would need to let the pump-down continue until the pressure stabilises. I also cannot confirm whether the chamber was clean before this pump-down.

Risk Assessment: No immediate risks observed. The pump is running within normal parameters and the pressure is decreasing steadily.

Escalation Note: "R1-A roughing pump-down in progress, started at 09:10 from atmospheric. Pressure dropping normally — currently at 12 mbar after 15 minutes.

No anomalies in pump sound or pressure behaviour. Will continue monitoring until base pressure is reached. No action needed at this time."

4. Evidence Brief — Worked Example

EVIDENCE BRIEF — SC-03 (Isolated Hold) — 2026-MM-DD

Investigator: [Student Name] System: R1-A State Call: ISOLATED — CONFIRMED

Evidence Chain:

1. R1-V-VENT CLOSED + R1-V-ISO CLOSED → chamber is sealed from both atmosphere and pump
2. R1-G-CH reads 5 mbar → chamber is well below atmospheric pressure, confirming a vacuum is being held
3. R1-G-BX reads 950 mbar → local atmosphere confirmed; the 945 mbar difference confirms vacuum
4. R1-P-RP status (on or off) is irrelevant → both valves are closed, so the pump is disconnected from the chamber regardless

Plausibility Check: R1-G-CH (5 mbar) does NOT match R1-G-BX (950 mbar), confirming the chamber is NOT at atmosphere. If the chamber were at atmosphere, these readings would be approximately equal. The 945 mbar difference is consistent with a chamber that was pumped down and then sealed.

Hypotheses:

UNKNOWN → Evidence Needed:

1. What was the base pressure before isolation? If the pump-down achieved 1 mbar and the chamber now reads 5 mbar, there has been a 4 mbar rise. If it was 5 mbar at isolation, there has been no rise. Need: Previous pump-down log or operator record.
2. What is the current rate of rise? A single reading cannot distinguish between a stable hold, outgassing, and a leak. Need: Monitor R1-G-CH every 2 minutes for 10 minutes and plot the trend.
3. When was the chamber last cleaned or opened? Recent chamber access introduces surface contaminants that outgas. Need: Maintenance log or operator confirmation.

Escalation Note: "R1-A is currently isolated at 5 mbar. Without time-series data, it cannot be confirmed whether the chamber is holding steady or experiencing a slow rise.

A 10-minute monitored hold would clarify the chamber's integrity status. No immediate risk — the system is stable and all valves are secured."

5. Sector Lens — Worked Example

SECTOR LENS — General Industrial — M01

Base Scenario: Evidence Brief for SC-03 (Isolated Hold at 5 mbar)

Sector Context: In a general industrial maintenance setting, this vacuum system might be used for degassing, leak testing of sealed components, or simple vacuum drying. The technician is a maintenance operator, not a vacuum specialist — they follow procedures and report findings to an engineer or supervisor.

Sector-Specific Implications: In a general industrial plant, a pressure rise from 5 mbar during an isolated hold might indicate a process issue (contaminated chamber from previous batch, worn valve seats from frequent cycling). The consequence is likely downtime for investigation rather than product loss. The urgency is moderate — the system should be investigated before the next production run but is not an immediate safety concern.

Sector Vocabulary:

• "Process vacuum" — the vacuum level needed for the current job
• "Hold test" — the period where the chamber is isolated to verify integrity (same as rate-of-rise test)
• "PM schedule" — preventive maintenance schedule; valve seat inspection might be overdue
• "Work order" — the formal request to have engineering investigate the pressure rise
• "Lockout/tagout" — safety procedure before any maintenance work on the system

Modified Escalation: "Maintenance report: R1-A hold test showing 5 mbar after isolation. Requesting a monitored 10-minute hold before next production run to verify chamber integrity.

If rate of rise exceeds 1 mbar/min, a work order for valve inspection may be warranted during the next PM window. No production impact at this time — system is secured."

6. Reading List (Activity 1.9)

Required Reading

1. Pfeiffer Vacuum — "Vacuum Technology Know How" (online handbook) - Chapter 1: Fundamentals of vacuum technology (sections on pressure definition, units, ranges) - Chapter 2: Gas laws and kinetic theory (non-mathematical sections on gas behaviour) - Anchor: M01-IND-01.01 through M01-IND-01.05 - Note: Pfeiffer uses 1013 mbar for atmospheric — remember that at Selkirk, local atmospheric is ~950 mbar.

1. Vacuum Technology & Coating Webbook (Angstrom Sciences) - Section on "Vacuum Ranges and Their Applications" - Anchor: M01-IND-01.04 - Why: Good practical overview of what happens in each pressure range.

1. Basic Vacuum Practice (3rd Edition) — Varian - Chapter 1: Introduction to vacuum concepts, pressure ranges, gas behaviour fundamentals - Anchor: M01-IND-01.01 through M01-IND-01.05 - Why: Concise overview with excellent line drawings of vacuum system components, pressure scales, and mean free path concepts. Provides visual references for key Module 1 concepts. Use alongside Pfeiffer for complementary treatment.

Recommended Reading

1. "Introduction to Vacuum Technology" — YouTube playlist (Pfeiffer Vacuum) - Videos: "Parts 01, 02, 05" (per video triage) - Anchor: M01-IND-01.01, M01-IND-02.01 - Why: Visual introduction to vacuum system components.

1. DIN 28401 Schematic Symbol Reference - See: VacTech-Schematic-Symbol-Legend.html in course materials (printable reference sheet) - Anchor: M01-IND-02.02 - Why: You'll need to read schematic symbols fluently from Module 2 onward.

Optional / Deep Dive

1. "A User's Guide to Vacuum Technology" — John F. O'Hanlon - Chapter 1 only (for this module) - Anchor: All M01 competencies - Note: This is a more technical reference. Recommended for engineers; optional for trades cohort.