The recently completed superconducting magnet for the space borne Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was designed, modelled and detailed using Solid Edge and supported by Cutting Edge SolutionsThe 2tonne magnet has a 3m diameter and was produced by Oxford based Scientific Magnetics. It is the first, large superconducting magnet to be launched into space, where it will reside on the main truss of the International Space Station from 2010.
The magnet has 14 coils that will generate a central magnetic field of 0.86Tesla, with peak fields of 5.91Tesla. It will be cooled to 1.8K by 2500litres of liquid helium, stored in an aluminium vessel. Scientific Magnetics had to visualise the complex 3D interaction of large aluminium and stainless steel components, which have mechanical and electrical wiring, together with pipe work that varies in cross section along 3D routes passing through large honeycomb composite structures.
The final 3D assembly contained several thousand parts and was almost 2GB in size and had to be supported using 64bit technology and hardware with 32GB of RAM.
Matt Coates, design IT manager at Scientific Magnetics said: "Over the last 10 years we have found Solid Edge to consistently offer software that stays one step ahead of our demanding requirements for AMS."
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