Vacuum & Blowers

Vacuum systems operate in pressure ranges and tolerances that most industrial technicians never encounter. A compressed air tech works in positive pressure. A vacuum tech works in negative pressure, often measured in millibar or torr, where a small leak can shut down a semiconductor fab line. The candidate pool is smaller, the experience is more specialized, and the industries served (semiconductor, pharmaceutical, food packaging) have strict cleanroom and contamination protocols. We recruit specifically for this because a generalist recruiter won't know to ask about leak-rate testing, pump-down curves, or process gas compatibility.

Both. Blowers and vacuum share rotating equipment fundamentals but serve very different applications. Rotary lobe blowers in wastewater aeration, screw blowers for pneumatic conveying, regenerative blowers in packaging, and turbo blowers for energy-efficient aeration are all roles we fill. The technician profiles are different from vacuum pump technicians, and the sales roles require different application knowledge. We treat blowers as their own lane within this market, not an afterthought.

Edwards, Busch, Leybold, Pfeiffer, Ebara, Kashiyama, Agilent (formerly Varian), and Atlas Copco (which acquired Edwards). On the blower side: Aerzen, Kaeser, Gardner Denver (now Ingersoll Rand), Howden, Tuthill, and Continental. The OEM background matters because each manufacturer has different service protocols, controller interfaces, and rebuild procedures. We screen for specific OEM experience because employers need technicians who can start producing without months of retraining.

American Vacuum Society (AVS) short courses are the industry-recognized training for vacuum technicians and process engineers. SEMI standards matter for anyone working in semiconductor equipment. ISO 3529 terminology matters for technical communication. Beyond formal certifications, practical experience with specific pump types (dry screw, liquid ring, turbomolecular, diffusion) and measurement instruments (RGA, leak detectors, vacuum gauges) is what hiring managers actually test for in interviews.

Semiconductor expansion in the US (CHIPS Act facilities in Arizona, Ohio, Texas, and New York) is driving demand for vacuum technicians and process engineers who understand high-vacuum and ultra-high-vacuum systems. Outside of semiconductor, food packaging, pharmaceutical, and medical device manufacturing all use vacuum systems and face the same aging-workforce challenge as other industrial equipment markets. The candidate pool is small and getting smaller. Experienced vacuum techs are in demand and they know it.