Eight Piece Quadrupole Magnet Adjustable Pole Tips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quadrupole magnets face challenges in achieving precise assembly tolerances due to machining imperfections, leading to large multipole errors and increased costs, as standard machine shop tolerances are insufficient for maintaining the required 10 micron accuracy necessary for consistent beam focusing.
Innovation Solution
A quadrupole magnet design comprising eight distinct pieces, including four pole main bodies and four adjustable pole tips, allows for independent adjustment to achieve precise alignment and assembly tolerances of approximately 10 microns, using standard machine shop capabilities and metal epoxy for secure positioning without high-precision machining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If standard machine shop tolerances (about 50 microns) are used for machining quadrupole magnet poles, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but assembly precision deteriorates (cannot achieve required 10 micron tolerance)
Solution Approach 1:
The quadrupole magnet is divided into eight separate pieces (four pole main bodies and four pole tips) instead of machining each pole as a single monolithic unit. This segmentation allows standard machine shop tolerances to be used for manufacturing individual components, while the assembly process incorporates adjustment mechanisms (shims, positioning features) that enable achieving the required 10 micron assembly precision through cumulative tolerance management and fine-tuning during assembly.
2Reliability
If rigorous machining tolerances are applied to achieve 10 micron precision, then beam focusing accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost and resource expenditure increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the magnet into eight adjustable pieces rather than requiring each monolithic pole to be machined to 10 micron precision, the patent distributes the precision requirement across multiple components and assembly steps. This allows standard machining tolerances to be used for individual parts, significantly reducing manufacturing cost and resource expenditure, while the cumulative assembly process achieves the required beam focusing accuracy through controlled tolerance stacking and adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates adjustment mechanisms (shims, positioning features, removable components) that allow the assembly to be dynamically tuned during the assembly process. This dynamic adjustment capability enables achieving 10 micron precision without requiring every individual component to be manufactured to that tolerance, as misalignments can be corrected through adjustment during assembly rather than relying solely on tight manufacturing tolerances.
3Manufacturing precision
If monolithic pole construction is used, then device complexity is reduced, but alignment precision deteriorates due to stackup of tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides each pole into a main body and a separate tip (eight pieces total), which increases component count but enables precise positioning of the pole tips relative to each other. The segmentation allows independent adjustment and positioning of each tip on the main body, achieving superior pole positioning accuracy that compensates for the increased complexity. The modular design facilitates alignment through adjustment mechanisms that would be impossible with monolithic construction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enables precise assembly of quadrupole magnets with tight tolerances, reducing costs and eliminating the need for expensive machining, while ensuring optimal magnetic field quality and consistent beam focusing without additional tuning.
Implementation Method 1
metal epoxy for secure positioning
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides an alternative to the standard 2-piece or 4-piece quadrupole. For example, an 8-piece and a 10-piece quadrupole are provided whereby the tips of each pole may be adjustable. Also provided is a method for producing a quadrupole using standard machining techniques but which results in a final tolerance accuracy of the resulting construct which is better than that obtained using standard machining techniques.