Production techniques for the PALADIN free-electron laser wiggler magnets

An overview is presented of the evolution and implementation of the manufacturing techniques employed in fabricating more than 3000 high-quality, strip-wound, edge-cooled electromagnets for the PALADIN free-electron laser (FEL) experiment at the LLNL Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA). Close attention to tooling, semiautomated techniques, and selective unit grouping provided the means to manufacture these coils, from prototype to last production unit, within an 18-mo time frame. Inexperienced personnel were used in many phases of the fabrication where semiautomated tooling replaced operator skill, and detailed operation descriptions eliminated operator omission. While combining components increased the cost of a part failure, it reduced the number of operations enough to justify the risk.