Bringing Ideas to Life

By Kristen Eliza Coyne

Machinists in the MagLab's machine shop collaborate closely with scientists to create hundreds of prototypes a year, translating an idea in a researcher's mind into a one-of-a-kind tool enabling unique experiments. Here's a look at one particular component designed and built in 2008.

Part needed:	Continuous rotator for magnet probe
Scientist:	Ju-Hyun Park
Experiment:	The behavior of CeCoIn5 (a superconducting material made up of cerium, cobalt and indium) at extremely low temperatures
Material used:	Beryllium copper
Machines used:	Milling machine and six-axis wire electrical discharge machine (EDM)
Machinists:	Danny McIntosh (milling machine) and Vaughan Williams (EDM)
Project hours:	30

Photo Gallery

Virtual model.

Computer-aided design plans for the rotator.
(Click on photo to see PDF of these plans.)

Nearly completed rotator on the milling machine.

Machinist Danny McIntosh measures the rotator for accuracy.

Completed rotator mounted in the magnet probe.

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