Bio
Rudolf Thermer is an Instrument Systems Engineer specialized in mechatronic systems, who supports BASIS (BL-2), CNCS (BL-5), HYSPEC (BL-14B), VISION (BL-16B), SEQUOIA (BL-17) and ARCS (BL-18) at SNS.
In 2021 he joined ORNL in the same role, working for the Second Target Station (STS) Instrument Engineering team until the end of 2024. His primary role has been the development of motion system designs such as a standardized heavy and light beam shutter for all instruments, a polarizer / guide tube positioner, oscillating radial collimators, beam attenuators and adjustable beam apertures for the CHESS and PIONEER instruments, a sample positioning stage for BWAVES and a complete end-station for QIKR instruments.
Previously, from 2018 to 2021, Mr. Thermer worked for Komax Group Switzerland, a manufacturer of automated wire processing machinery. As a mechatronic and design engineer, he was involved in the development of several process stations for fully automated systems. As a sub-project manager, he also directed the development of an entire plant with 8 processing stations.
From 2001- 2017, Mr. Thermer worked in various positions at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland.
From 2007 to 2017, in the engineering department, he evolved from a laboratory mechatronics technician to a development and design engineer. Initially, he measured and tested various designs for synchrotron and neutron experiments. In this context, he worked with surveying engineers on the selection of a suitable differential interferometer and the construction of a laminar flow box for the metrology laboratory. Over time, he was also assigned development and design tasks.
He developed, among other devices, sample tables, backlash-free rotary stages for neutron experiments (diffractometer, spectrometer and SANS instruments), a special instrument for precise magnetic field measurement of a superconducting magnet (Mu- to E-gamma particle physics experiment), a parallel kinematic goniometer for the synchrotron light source and an ablation target manipulator for a pulsed laser experiment in UHV.
From 2001 to 2007 he was a mechatronics technician in the spallation neutron source department, where he, among other things, has developed and designed hot cell equipment for the remote disassembly of activated sample containers for the SINQ Target Irradiation Program (STIP). As a hot cell handling specialist, he was also involved in the development of disassembly devices for the Megawatt Pilot Experiment (MEGAPIE) target.
Education
BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences (Physics), Open University UK
Apprenticeship Certificate, Technical Draftsman, Asea Brown Bovery (ABB)