Jason Lerch (AES) (right) consults with Bill Toter (NWM) on the welding processes used for the APS-U.
Your team’s design isn’t for just one component — it’s for 35 critical, 5.5 meter-long, ultra-high vacuum chambers (UHV) that will be integrated throughout the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U). If one weld on one chamber fails, the whole machine and all scheduled research shuts down until another custom part can be manufactured.
That was the design challenge Jason Lerch faced as technical lead for insertion device vacuum systems at APS-U, so he took advantage of a resource unique to Argonne. He consulted with Custom Manufacturing Solutions-Central Shops (CMS‑CS).
”We plan to have all our UHV chambers machined off site so it was critical our drawings were accurate and we had the best amount of information we could get. Since none of us are welding engineers, we met with Bill Toter, Welding Engineer, Sr.,” said Lerch. “He gave us advice on how to best machine the chamber to get the best welds and the best type of weld to use.”
Bran Brajuskovic (PSC) displays one of the pre-production prototypes fabricated by CMS-CS that helped him finalize his designs for the APS-U.
Toter also reviewed Lerch’s water fitting designs for American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code compliance, which delivered the added benefits of simplifying the design, lowering costs, and freeing up Lerch to tackle other tasks.
“In design, there are always options,” noted Bran Brajuskovic, lead mechanical engineer at APS-U. He sees CMS‑CS as essential for fabricating pre-procurement prototypes. “We are often making many things for the first time so there is no knowledge base. We have to rely on our creativity and trying them out to see if our ideas will work.”
Brajuskovic most recently worked with Instrument Maker John Conway and Lead Inspector Kristi Wood on six test samples that helped him finalize his design for the upgrade. “The components were actually changing while John was machining them, so this had to be done in several iterations. He would remove a bit of the material then bring that to Kristi so she could measure. Again machine it. Go measure. Again and again. I could come over anytime and answer questions. This job would not be doable anywhere else.”
Lerch added that CMS‑CS is a hidden resource that more people should use. “I know Central Shops has done this work before, so I leverage that experience to help me simplify my project, remove the guesswork and let my fabricator get right to work.”
CMS‑CS design consultation and prototype fabrication can be arranged through Vector or by calling Bob Swale, department manager, at ext. 2-6526, Doug Carvelli, operations supervisor, at ext. 2-5974, or Bill Toter, at ext. 2-7342.