Design and study of a 6 Degree-of-Freedom universal adjustment platform for HL-LHC components

In the accelerator domain, the safe and easy alignment of components located in radioactive areas is a main concern. The position of devices, such as magnets and collimators, has to be adjusted in a fast and ergonomic way to decrease the ionizing dose received by the personnel. Each equipment type has its own unique set of requirements such as the weight, or the desired position accuracy. The two opposite approaches are, on one hand, a simple and time-consuming manual adjustment, using regulating screws and shims, and on the other hand, the use of precise and expensive automatic positioning stages and platforms. In the frame of the High Luminosity LHC project, in order to fulfil the safety and technical requirements of alignment for lightweight components, a standardised system is under development. Its target is to provide an easy, low-cost and fast adjustment capability for several type of components that could be embarked on it. This paper describes the design, the study and the test results of such a universal adjustment solution. The engineering approach, the lessons learned (“know how”), the issues to be addressed and the mechanical components behaviour are presented.