Many applications require vacuum heat treatment, for example vacuum soldering and brazing, vacuum annealing, sintering etc. In general, a laboratory vacuum furnace is suitable for heat treatment in a defined, mostly non-oxidising, atmosphere. Additionally, vacuum furnaces are suitable for atmospheres with defined oxygen concentration different from the air composition (e.g., 100% pure O2). For laboratory vacuum furnaces, the range of available gases is even higher, making them suitable for research and development applications.

The simplest models only require a power supply for the furnace and the vacuum pump. For higher temperatures and more demanding application, various gases, cooling water, compressed air and an exhaust hood need to be available in the lab.

The most important difference is the size. Laboratory vacuum furnaces are compact and designed for the use even in small laboratories. Industrial-scale vacuum furnaces need to be installed in a workshop and are mainly used for a dedicated application, with one or two different programs running for a batch production purpose. Nevertheless, industrial-scale furnaces are flexible, in case the user wants to change or optimize the process.