Advanced Arc Welding Technology Benefits Science and Industry
Argonne National Laboratory developed an Advanced Photon Source (APS) machine to produce X-ray beams 10,000 times brighter than what was previously available. The 7 GeV produces extremely bright X-ray beams to enable scientists to study the inner workings of matter with great precision.
The X-ray beams are generated by accelerating subatomic particles, called positrons, around a circular vacuum chamber, or storage ring. The ring is approximately two-thirds of a mile in circumference.
The challenge was to find the means by which the vacuum chamber storage ring would be constructed. The vacuum chamber storage ring was pumped to, and maintained at, near-absolute vacuum, which demanded the need for stringent weld quality. In addition, the underbed of the weld, the portion through which the beam traveled, was to be uniform in height and almost flat. The storage ring consisted of 200 sections of extruded aluminum alloy and was to be assembled on-site. This ring must maintain an ultra high vacuum of 10-10 torr.
The completed storage ring is comprised of 40 identical segments. Each segment consists of five unique sections, three straight and two curved, joined end-to-end. Overall, the ring requires 2,800 welded joints. The welding process selected had to be adaptable to rigorous in-process control and monitoring. Automated tungsten-inert gas (TIG) welding and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) were chosen.
Drawing from more than six decades of expertise, Sciaky analyzed the project and determined that it could design the welded joints, conduct the process development, and assemble five sections of the storage ring in conformance with Argonne's preconstruction research and development contract from the U.S. Department of Energy. The five sections needed to complete the storage ring contained all types of welded joints.
The joints required that the details were accurately machined on a three-axis, computer-controlled milling machine. A cooperative effort at Sciaky resulted in a practical design that achieved the required fit. In addition, Sciaky produced a vacuum chamber test section to verify the soundness of the preparatory work.
The Advanced Photon Source yields major benefits for U.S. science and industry. The machine can be used to bring about near-term advances in the fields of metals, ceramics, composites, superconductors, polymers, and metallic glasses. Sciaky's Advanced Arc Welding technology helped make this possible.
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