Book excerpt: Based on the very successful German edition and a seminar held by the German Engineers` Association (VDI) on a regular basis for years now, this English edition has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the latest developments. It supplies in particular the special aspects of vacuum technology, applied vacuum pump types and vacuum engineering in the chemical, pharmaceutical and process industry application-segments. The text includes chapters dedicated to latest European regulations for operating in hazardous zones with vacuum systems, methods for process pressure control and regulation and leak detection. All of the authors work or did work at a selection of the most important German companies involved in vacuum technology, and their expertise is disseminated here for engineers working in vacuum technology, chemical process design, plant operation, and mechanical engineering.