Vacuum processing today demands shorter process times and higher through-put at lower power consumption. There will be a continually increasing demand for vacuum equipment that secures these competitive benefits. At the same time, end products must meet consistently high quality standards. Choosing an appropriate vacuum valve technology has become markedly more important in meeting the requirements of the end user's application. This presentation focuses on the development of today's most commonly used vacuum valves and provides background on the benefits to be sought from those valves in today's vacuum processing.