Abstract
The exhaust tubes of high vacuum compatible gas bearing guides should interfere as little as possible with the guide while maintaining a flexible connection and a highly effective exhaustion rate. Within this paper, a novel exhaust system is described that implements these requirements. The major achievement is the realization of a noncontact sealing between two exhaust tubes slidable into one another. This setup is characterized at static and dynamic conditions. The number of seal stages and the clearance height are indentified as major impact factors on the leakage rate of the setup. It is concluded that the investigated approach is very suitable for the guides, allowing for an efficient exhaust and avoiding mechanical disturbing forces.