A sizeable inhouse effort is behind the construction of the beamline pipeline in the transfer tunnel and the installation of the monochromator for the extended and upgraded imaging and medical beamline.

Several staff in the mechanical workshop have been busy constructing the largest diameter (up to 600mm) vacuum transfer line in the synchrotron world and installing this in the transfer tunnel for the extended imaging and medical beamline. Staff are also installing the beamline’s new monochromator. These major undertakings demonstrate the impressive range of expertise available in the synchrotron’s engineering team.

Synchrotron technical staff have received assistance from the Australian National University’s Nuclear Physics Department, which has so far sent four staff (Alistair Muirhead, Caleb Gudu, Justin Heighway and John Bockwinkel) with specialist engineering and trade skills to help at relevant stages of the installation work. The Nuclear Physics Department has a pelletron particle accelerator and beamlines that are similar in some respects to the synchrotron’s facilities.

The work is part of a broader effort to share expertise and improve the skills of both groups. Paul Leonard, who leads the synchotron’s mechanical technicians group, and senior mechanical technician Jason Wirthensohn recently visited ANU to present information on their particular areas of expertise and work responsibilities.

Above (L-R): Alan Easdon (AS), Alistair Muirhead (ANU), Paul Leonard (AS), Craig Hodgson (AS), Jason Wirthensohn (AS), Caleb Gudu (ANU), Robert Grubb (AS) and Robert Rostan (AS) in the AS mechanical workshop

Above (L-R): Caleb Gudu (ANU), Jason Wirthensohn (AS), Craig Hodgson (AS), and Alistair Muirhead (ANU) transport a pipe section from the mechanical workshop to the IMBL transport tunnel

Above (L-R): John Bockwinkel (ANU), Jason Wirthensohn (AS) and Jonathan McKinlay (AS) prepare to place the upper half of the monochromator on the lower half