Sep 7 – 11, 2026
Buenos Aires, Argentina
America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires timezone

Upgrade of the Compact Rotary Platform for the KOMPASS Helmholtz Coil System: Integration of a Non-Magnetic Worm Gear for Torque Enhancement

Sep 9, 2026, 2:10 PM
10m
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina

IFIByNE (CONICET-UBA) - Intendente Güiraldes 300 Buenos Aires Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
Poster Presentation Mechanical structures POSTER SESSION

Speaker

Manuel Müller (Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier Leibnitz (FRM II))

Description

For polarization analysis experiments at the cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer KOMPASS, a precisely aligned magnetic field of up to 20 x 10-4 T is required, generated by a specialized Helmholtz coil system. To prevent reflection interference of the neutron beam at the coil segments, a custom-designed, non-magnetic, low-profile rotary platform was developed.

During initial testing of the previous version featuring a direct timing belt drive (1:12 ratio), torque limitations and friction-related blockages were encountered, preventing reliable rotation of the 42 kg payload.

This contribution presents the further development of the drive system to address these limitations. By designing and integrating a specially adapted worm gear (1:20 ratio), the available torque was significantly increased without compromising the strict low-profile height constraints. Additionally, the high gear reduction improves positioning precision. All components were manufactured from non-magnetic materials to eliminate any influence on the magnetic field. The poster outlines the mechanical design, material selection, and test results of the optimized rotary platform.

Key Words

Worm Gear Drive, Turntable, Stepper Motor Drive, Helmholtz Coils

Other sample environment at KOMPASS

Author

Manuel Müller (Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier Leibnitz (FRM II))

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.