Production quality controls and geometric characterization of the IFMIF-RFQ modules via the usage of a Coordinate Measuring Machine

Abstract The RFQ of the IFMIF/EVEDA project (Perez et al., 2015) [1] is a 9.8 m long cavity able to accelerate a 125 mA deuteron beam from the input energy of 50 keV/u to the output energy of 2.5 MeV/u. Such RFQ operates at the frequency of 175 MHz and is composed of 18 mechanical modules approximately 0.55 long each (Pepato et al., 2010) [2] . The RFQ realization involves the I.N.F.N. Sections of Padova, Torino and Bologna, as well as the Legnaro National Laboratories (L.N.L.). The metrological measurements via CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) provided to be a very effective tool both for quality controls along the RFQ production phases and in the reconstruction of the cavity geometric profile for each RFQ module. The scans in the most sensitive regions with respect to RF frequency, such as modulation, tips, base-vane width and vessel height provided the values of the cavity deviations from nominal geometry to be compared with design physic-driven tolerances and with RF measurements. Moreover, the comparison between mechanical and RF measurements suggests a methodology for the geometric reconstruction of the cavity axis and determines the final machining of the end surfaces of each module in view of the coupling with the adjacent ones. In this paper a detailed description of the metrological procedures and tests and of the RFQ along its production and assembly phases will be given and it will be shown that the adopted procedure allowed the attainment of the tuning range specifications for each RFQ module.