Weird machine at display at the University

[Giganizer300PRO]

So I'm at the University of computers and informatics (or something, it's hard to translate) and in the lobby, there's this weird machine. Looks old and there's a bunch of cables and some tubes and there's also a tape unit or something. There are also gauges on it and they're labelled ''camera pressure'' and something else.

What could this be? It looks really expensive and sciency.

[beach_boy98]

The thing on the right is a magnetic tape storage system. Might not be working though.

[ALwin]

You have a close up of the small white label on the front of the big machine?  It looks similar to a very old spectrometer or some sort of scientific imaging/scanning device.

[EvilLemur]

That right there looks like a very old and probably experimental Electron Microscope 

[Castdeath97]

Ermmm..........ALIEN MACHINE!!!

 

 

 

Okay I have no idea.

[Giganizer300PRO]

Here are some more pictures:

[Sam Harradine]

Ermmm..........ALIEN MACHINE!!!

Okay I have no idea.

still looks better than an Alienware.

[ALwin]

OK it seems the company "American Semiconductor Equipment Technologies" might no longer exist and none of the labels help.  So best bet is to ask someone at the University what it is.  My guess is that it's some sort of tool for testing or analyzing microchips.  Perhaps an x-ray imaging device... who knows.

 

The HP magnetic storage device is easily recognizable.

 

So if someone at the University does know what it is, let us know. I'm curious.

[ALwin]

OK here is what I managed to gather about American Semiconductor Equipment Technologies (ASET):
 
American Semiconductor Equipment Technologies (ASET) was formed in February 1986 to pursue both ongoing and newly developing markets for lithographic systems. The Company was organized by Greg Reyes and Ralph Miller with funding of $3.9 million from four venture capital firms. ASET's product line includes i-line wafer steppers, g-line wafer steppers, substrate steppers, standalone image repeaters and pattern generators, and combination systems.
 
So the machine looks like something that could be part of the manufacturing or design process for semiconductors.
 
Sources:

• Robotics: Designing the Mechanisms for Automated Machinery
• 102723425-05-01-acc.pdf

And if no one at the University knows what the machine is for, try contacting this guy, he seemed to have worked for ASET a while back.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-radzienda-b3335625

[robertstevens1964]

Probably too late but that is a Stepper machine. Predecessor to the now scanners in the Semiconductor Industry. It was used to process Semiconductor wafers. It would put a repeating image on a wafer using a reticle that had a design on it. Basically it is a very expensive camera.

There would normally be an enclosure around it protecting it from dust and vibrations. I worked on this as an operator back in the 80's.