Experience gained with the 3D machining of the W7-X HHF divertor target elements

The high heat flux (HHF) divertor of W7-X consists of 100 target modules assembled from 890 actively water-cooled target elements protected with CFC tiles. The divertor surface will be built up of individually 3D machined target elements with 89 individual element types. To date 300 of the 890 target elements have been 3D machined with a very good accuracy. To achieve this successful result, a prototyping phase has been conducted to qualify the manufacturing route and to define the acceptance criteria with measures taken to minimize the risk of unacceptable damage during the manufacturing. After the 3D-machining, during the incoming inspection, copper infiltration from the interface between the CFC tiles and the CuCrZr heat sink to the plasma facing surface was detected in a small number of elements.