Design, manufacturing and tests of a micrometer precision mover for CTF3 quadrupoles

A new remotely controlled moving table has been designed for the quadrupoles of the CTF3 Test Beam Line, as part of the beam based alignment system. This device must provide both vertical and horizontal (transverse to the beam) movements. The specifications request a reproducibility of +/- 5 microns, with a resolution of 1 micron and a stroke of +/- 4 mm. Due to the weight of the magnet, about 50 kg, and the space restrictions, a solution based on small stepping motors with integrated linear spindles has been chosen. The motor responsible of the vertical movement rests on a wedge, with a double purpose: to make the design more compact, and to increase the lifting force for a given motor size. Mechanical switches are used as end-of-movement sensors and home position detectors. The performed tests to check the mover prototype performance are also reported in this paper. Series production of 15 additional units has been already launched.