This instrument was developed in response to a mission critical request by Sandia National Laboratories ZPinch program to meet the increasingly rigorous anode to cathode wire distribution requirements. (Please see our Success Story “ZPinch Fusion Research Program” for more information on the Z Program.)

The Ultra Precision Industrial Indexer was designed and built to cut high-density micro-slits measuring less than 25 microns wide and azimuthally distributed with greater than .001 degree accuracy for load hardware used in the Z Machine.

This development enables landmark achievement in power levels on the Z Machine with greater frequency control related to wire placement and the subsequent reductions in Raley-Taylor instabilities. This Indexer was originally deployed at TEAM on our Agie Excellence Cut Wire Electronic Discharge Machine. It has provided trouble-free service and unrivaled on-load hardware installed on the Z Machine. The Indexer includes robust industrial components for its Controller (Allen-Bradley Ultra 5000 motion controller with HMI PanelView 300 terminals), a Rotary Indexer and a Laser Displacement Sensor.