Screw Jacks

ISIS located in Harwell, Oxfordshire is the world's most successful pulsed spallation neutron source. It is used by scientists to probe the microscopic structure and dynamics of matter by providing controlled beams of neutrons and muons. These experiments encompass a wide variety of sciences including Physics, Materials Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology and Earth Science.

Within the facility Power Jacks screw jacks have been providing a reliable linear actuation mechanism for the target station that permits the neutrons to reach the experimental instruments.

High energy protons from the ISIS accelerator are sent to the target station where neutrons are generated by the “spallation process” and their characteristics are modified to make them usable for the neutron scattering experiments. The neutrons are produced when a 160kW proton beam hits a metal target made from thick tungsten plates. The resulting neutrons are directed into beam channels that surround the target and are the neutrons route to the scattering instruments. In total there are 18 beam channels and each has a shutter mechanism, which is opened if neutrons are required by an experiment. The shutters are made from steel and weight 30Te each and are required to actuate in a vertical plane on an individual basis.