Electromagnets

ABOUT THE ADVANCED PHOTON SOURCE

Located at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, the APS produces extremely bright, high-energy X-rays that are used by over 5,000 researchers across the globe every year. For example, researchers in the field of spintronics recently used the APS to study spin current propagation across material interfaces, producing key findings that could ultimately facilitate the creation of smaller, faster computer processors and other electronics. Other areas of research supported by the APS include:

•  Thermoelectrics

•  Microcircuits

•  Nanotechnologies

•  Renewable batteries

•  Drug development and characterization

•  3D laser printing using nanoparticles

Milhous recently assisted with the APS upgrade (APS-U) project aimed at replacing the facility’s existing electron storage ring with a more powerful multi-bend achromat lattice. This massive upgrade will allow the APS to generate X-ray beams that are up to 500 times brighter than those produced by the original APS. Main features of the upgrade include:

•  Incorporation of 1,321 powerful magnets, including 15 different magnet types

•  Magnets assembled into 200 modules

•  Magnet centers aligned within a 30-micron tolerance

This new design will provide higher resolution and broader fields of view to support real-time, atomic-level observation of:

•  High-speed technological and chemical processes

•  Biological processes in living organisms

•  Materials synthesis

MILHOUS COMPANY’S ROLE IN THE PROJECT

In compliance with Argonne’s strict tolerance and quality requirements, Milhous utilized its extensive design experience and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to design and develop winding, stacking, and alignment fixtures utilized by Milhous to manufacture 165 eight-pole fast corrector magnets. These fast corrector magnets are designed to alter the APS electron beam’s trajectory as it orbits the new storage ring at nearly the speed of light. Guiding the beam both vertically and horizontally, these magnets enable much tighter control over the beam’s size compared with the original APS. The improved beam stability is essential for allowing the APS to produce higher-resolution X-ray images that will provide atomic and molecular level visualization of materials and samples with greater precision. With superior quality always in mind, Milhous worked hard to accommodate Argonne’s goal of starting the APS-U installation and commissioning goal of April 2023.

As a global leader in magnetic system design and fabrication, Milhous works with several prestigious international research institutions and various commercial and industrial entities. We assist with everything from concept development to production, providing expert design recommendations and analytical services to ensure high-quality components and systems that are optimized for their application. Depending on the project’s requirements, we provide:

•  Full magnet manufacturing

•  Design assistance and verification

•  CAD drawing

•  SolidWorks 3D modeling

•  Reverse engineering

•  Full mechanical and electrical design

•  Thermal and magnetic field modeling

•  Material analysis

•  Coil winding and magnet assembly

Using advanced software and 3D models, we verify designs for everything from resistive and superconducting industrial electromagnets to electromagnetic coils and electric motor windings. Our facility is equipped with complete CNC machining capabilities, allowing us to manufacture mandrels, molds, and other components with exceptional precision and consistency. We also use HDI 3D scanning, coordinate measurement machines, and windings analyzers to ensure compliance with the strictest quality requirements.