A technique for epoxy free winding and assembly of COS θ coils for accelerator magnets

Traditional methods of magnet construction (wet winding) use molded coil subassemblies bonded together with epoxy impregnated fiberglass tape. This is a highly labor intensive process involving redundant operations for each of the four coils. The epoxy free winding technique (dry winding) eliminates the epoxy curing steps and also allows all four coils to be wound on a common winding mandrel, thereby reducing winding stations and handling. The tooling required for dry winding is a radical departure from existing technology imposing new mechanical problems. A number of 64 cm long 5 cm aperture SSC Design "B" magnets have been produced at Fermilab utilizing dry winding techniques. Discussed is the specialized tooling created to accomplish dry winding as well as new winding and assembly procedures required. Also discussed are mechanical problems encountered and their solutions. Based on experience gained, dry winding can be a viable, lower- cost alternative to traditional coil fabrication techniques.