The production of the HL-LHC shielded beam screens entered a new phase. Indeed, the assembly of the tungsten absorbers on the beam screen tubes started in the CERN beam screen facility. It includes the crucial operation of laser welding of the thermal link interface plates on the cryogenic cooling tubes.
For the HL-LHC shielded beam screens, about 50000 laser welds will have to be done by a robot with the highest quality and reliability to avoid any helium leak in the beam vacuum system.
By Cedric Garion.