I spent a lot of nights at the ESRF in the last year, dismantling the machine and piloting our external contractor team, and I had a ball. Dismantling is a bit like disassembling a Lego: when you build something you need to be really careful and precise, whilst dismantling is a much more manual and entertaining job.
When I arrived at the ESRF, back in 1991, I collaborated in the design and the manufacturing of the pieces needed to improve the former machine. Today, I am also in charge of supplying the pieces needed for the booster, transfer lines and straight sections, among other elements. With EBS, we have reduced the booster size of 17mm perpendicular of the trajectory. Because I know how long it takes to build these custom-made pieces, I started working on this task four years before the EBS shutdown, testing new components during every short shutdown throughout the years. This anticipation paid off and we managed to put together the new booster in just a few days.
Today EBS is working in full swing but my job is far from finished: we are already looking into modifications to improve the beam even more.
I have always been a machine guy and knew the old machine inside out. I am not there yet with the EBS, but give me a couple of years and I’ll probably know it like the back of my hand!