Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Art Custer is a leading innovator in accelerator vacuum technology, specializing in in-situ plasma coating and discharge cleaning for large-scale particle accelerators. His primary research focuses on mitigating electron clouds and resistive heating in beam pipes—critical challenges that limit machine performance and future upgrades. Custer’s major contributions include the development of a robotic plasma magnetron “mole” capable of depositing thick, low-secondary-electron-yield (SEY) copper coatings inside long, small-diameter vacuum tubes, directly addressing performance bottlenecks at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. His pioneering work on in-situ coating techniques has been documented in multiple highly specialized papers (each garnering 2–4 citations), reflecting their targeted impact on the accelerator physics community. Notably, Custer’s devices enable the suppression of electron clouds and reduction of ohmic heating in superconducting magnets—achievements that are essential for maintaining RHIC’s operational stability and enabling future high-luminosity upgrades. His research bridges robotics, plasma physics, and surface engineering, offering practical solutions for next-generation particle accelerators.