Speaker
Description
Achieving robotic-assisted string assembly has been a longstanding objective in superconducting cavity production to improve precision, repeatability, and throughput while reducing operator-dependent variability. At Fermilab, robotic systems have been successfully deployed for the installation of individual components on SSR2 cavities inside a cleanroom environment. The single-cavity installations validated the feasibility of robotic techniques and provided confidence to extend automation to the assembly of a full prototype cavity string. Leveraging lessons learned from earlier operations, the robotic system was adapted for the string assembly. This work describes the robotic-assisted assembly process in detail, including alignment strategies for coupler flanges, torque control for bellows connections, and mitigation of particulate generation in cleanroom conditions. Performance metrics of the cryomodule are presented, together with an analysis of improvements needed for robotic assembly. The effort also represents a broader R&D initiative at Fermilab to the long-term goal of scalable SRF cryomodule production.
Funding Agency
US Department of Energy
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