Sheet Metal Forming
Arc Welding
Vacuum Brazing and Heat Treatments
Forming brings together modern equipment and skilled hands, ensuring both repeatability and flexibility in the production of complex, high-performance parts.
Arc welding covers TIG, MIG/MAG, and Plasma processes for a wide range of materials. Our welders deliver high-quality assemblies in the workshop and under demanding on-site conditions. Expertise in UHV, cryogenics, and complex environments makes these capabilities unique.
Vacuum brazing and heat treatment ensure precise, clean, and reliable processing of advanced materials. Uniform heating under vacuum allows accurate assembly of complex parts, while dedicated heat treatments adjust material properties, relieve stresses, and enhance performance. Together, these capabilities support the fabrication of demanding components for today’s and tomorrow’s scientific instruments.
Electron Beam Welding
Laser Beam Welding, Cutting and Additive Manufacturing
Welding Engineering & Quality Support
As part of CERN’s advanced joining capabilities, electron-beam welding is selected for applications demanding exceptional precision with minimal distortion, consistent high quality, ultra-clean environments, and the ability to work with exotic or reactive materials. Their penetration depth can be finely controlled, ranging from as little as 0.1 mm to several tens of millimetres, making them suitable for both delicate and large-scale assemblies.
Laser beam technologies combine precision and versatility, covering welding, cutting, additive manufacturing and engraving. From delicate prototypes to large accelerator components such as beam screens, these processes benefit from automation and dedicated Class 4 workshops capable of handling very large parts, ensuring flexibility, reliability and accuracy for high-energy physics applications.
The Welding Engineering team acts as CERN’s main reference point for welding know-how, addressing both technical and normative aspects. Drawing on expertise in materials, processes, standards, and CERN’s specific requirements, the team supports design and procurement activities, helps prepare specifications for subcontracted work, and provides technical advice. It also manages welding documentation, qualifies welders on site, and contributes to research and development efforts to improve joining techniques.
Bending on press brakes
Beyond straight folds, our press brakes enable incremental bending to create tubes and curved profiles. With a polymer-based tool, we can achieve delicate shaping without damaging the material.
Precision Tube & Cone Rolling
From straight cylinders to tapered cones, our rolling machines shape sheets into geometries with tight tolerances, ready for welding or assembly.
Deep Drawing for Complex Shapes
In deep drawing, sheets are reshaped through extensive plastic flow, where mastering material deformation and stress distribution ensures precise geometry and consistent thickness.
Pipe bending
From millimetre-scale stainless steel capillaries to large aluminium busbars, bending covers the full range of accelerator needs.
Fine sizing
The final geometry is achieved through the expertise of sheet metal technicians, who fine-tune and verify each shape with practiced skill.
Precision Extrusion for RF and UHV
The extrusion of tubes into complex junctions allows full penetration welds and accurate geometry, tailored to the stringent requirements of high-frequency and ultra-high vacuum systems.
Hot metal gas forming of Aluminium Bellows
Using hot nitrogen gas, aluminium tubes are expanded into corrugated bellows with fine wall thickness and UHV-tight performance.
Arc Welding:
Glovebox welding for Superconducting Radio Frequency
Arc welding titanium components inside a glovebox to prevent oxidation and ensure ultra-clean, high-quality joints.
Automatic Welding of Large Pressure Equipment
Automatic welding of metre-scale components, ensuring precision and consistency for large accelerator structures
Precision Welding of Targets for High Energy Physics
TIG welding of cooling circuits and target components, built to withstand demanding beamline environments.
TIG Welding of Thin-Wall Aluminium for Demanding Vacuum Applications
Joining delicate aluminium chambers with flawless welds, meeting the extreme demands of UHV applications.
Welding Operations on Accelerator Magnets
Welding complex magnet assemblies, where limited accessibility and demanding requirements call for precision and expertise.
