Magnets

Tender description

Proton Research Beamline Equipment: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is calling for expressions of interest to this Prior Information Notice from suitably qualified companies to partner in supporting and developing the Christie Proton Research Beamline. The ideal partner will have extensive experience in design, manufacture and installation of beamline optical components (quadrupole and dipole magnets and power supplies) and beamline development. The Christie Proton Research Beamline is an extension to the clinical proton therapy facility. The clinical beamline extends into a 4th room, dedicated entirely to proton therapy research. A horizontal beamline will be constructed in this research space in the place of a clinical gantry. The research beamline will operate with protons of energies between 70 MeV and 250 MeV, with a nominal beam current of 2 nA and a maximum beam current of 10 nA. A guiding principle of the design of this research beamline is that it must not interfere with the clinical operation of the facility. An air gap will separate the clinical and research beamline. The research beamline will have 2 end-stations, providing 2 locations for experiments, 1 primarily for technical research, and a 2nd primarily for multidisciplinary research (including radiobiology). A 30-degree dipole magnet will steer beam towards the selected end-station. The research beamline will provide interfaces, beam transport, and beam control between the clinical beamline and 2 beamline end-stations, 1 of which includes an interface to Trust equipment, an experimental scanning nozzle for pencil beam scanning. The vendor is expected to bring several areas of expertise and resource to the contract: — Experience of developing similar beamlines, including mechanical engineering and support systems, and provision of control systems. — Experience of integration and commissioning of magnet systems for particle accelerators. — Experience of integration and commissioning of vacuum systems for particle accelerators. — Experience of integration and commissioning of diagnostic systems for particle accelerators. The vendor may be able to fulfil 1 or several parts of the contract: — Supply of 6-8 quadrupole and a single 30-degree dipole magnet, steering magnets, and associated power supplies and stands. — Supply of support arrangement and girders for the beamline, from the base floor of Christie Research room up to the beamline height, to include a walkway for access. — Supply of vacuum systems to achieve low scatter of the transported protons, and to not interfere with the operation of experiments. The vacuum system shall be suitable for coupling and uncoupling experiments, maintaining beamline vacuum to at least 10-6 mbar (without beam), including vacuum window to isolate research beamline from clinical beamline. — Supply of beamline diagnostic equipment, to include: i. X-Y slits; ii. Faraday cups; iii. Beam profile monitors; iv. Actuators; v. Associated electronics; vi. Supply of a beamline control system, to include a software development interface, enabling tunable optics coupling the beam to experiment; vii. A complete ‘turnkey’ beamline system comprising all of the above. All equipment must be delivered through the gantry room maze, a narrow corridor which provides shielding from radiation generated within the research area. The maze restricts the size and weight of any equipment to be delivered. There may be a need for in situ assembly for large items (e.g. magnet alignment girders). Any equipment weighing over 5 000 kg, or equipment that is too large to be delivered through the ‘maze’, must be delivered before 1.5.2017, using an alternative route into the build. Interested organisations are invited to express their interest in this potential opportunity by contacting the Dr Michael Merchant via email at: michael.merchant@manchester.ac.uk before 17:00 on 24.4.2016. Individual informal discussions will be held with interested parties who express an interest during May 2016. It should be noted that this engagement exercise in no way guarantees that a procurement exercise will be run at a later date. At this stage, the purpose is to gather information and any organisations that participate do so at their own risk and expense. All IP for existing and new functionality developed within the partnership will remain with the Trust. This notice including sketches is available at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/945e982e-4722-4cde-b7c9-949e8d0af7f6