Results of Cabling from Phase IB of the SSC Vendor Qualification Program

Abstract

The Superconducting Technology Department of the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) is directing the Vendor Qualification Program (VQP) to identify vendors of superconducting material to fabricate 6-micron filament conductor for various magnet programs. Eight suppliers are participating in the qualification program: Intermagnetics General Corporation, Inc. (IGC), Teledyne SC (TSC), and Sumitomo Electric Industries (SEI) are fabricating 30-strand inner cable and Oxford Superconducting Technology (OST), Furukawa Electric Co. (FEC), Hitachi Cable, Ltd. (HIT), Alsthom Intermagnetics, s.a. (AISA), and Outokumpu Copper Superconductors (OTU) are fabricating 36-strand outer cable. Phase I of the VQP included two portions: Phase IA, the R&D portion, and Phase IB, a simulated production quantity processed on a single production process. During Phase IB of the VQP, each of the suppliers was to fabricate approximately 3500 kg of finished cable, meeting the appropriate cable specification. This cable is being used to manufacture the prototype magnets in each of the major magnet programs underway within the Magnet Systems Division. In order to meet the needs of the Collider Quadrupole Magnet program, four of the five outer cable vendors were directed to divert approximately 350 kg of finished strand to the fabrication of 30 strand quadrupole cable.