HyPERiON visit to Bruker

On July 10th, members of HyPERiON visited Bruker in Wissembourg, France, thanks to the initiative of Vlad Batilida, speaker of the IRTG. At the Wissembourg site, Bruker specializes in the production of horizontal bore magnets for preclinical imaging, as well as imaging gradient assemblies and electronics for spectrometer consoles. The participants split into two groups and were given individual tours of the facilities, with ample opportunity to discuss details.

Bruker employs two different techniques to produce gradient assemblies. For some applications, coils are wound by hand, while for others, coils are laser cut from sheets of metal in a two-step process. Each coil is then encased in a layer of resin to minimize motion during acquisition, as the switching magnetic fields can exert tremendous forces.

The groups also toured the facilities for producing and charging superconducting magnets. Different materials are used to produce magnets of varying field strengths, necessitating changes in the production process. Interestingly, copper and gold are used as insulators in superconducting magnets. This allows for the charge to dissipate safely if the magnet quenches and loses superconductivity. To reduce cryogen boil-off and energy consumption, the magnet tank is surrounded by a vacuum vessel, which includes a thermal radiation shield.

In Bruker’s RF workshop, the assembly of a broadband amplifier was demonstrated. This amplifier consists of multiple modules, each optimized for a different band. To ensure reliability, the electronics undergo an artificial aging process to identify and replace faulty components before delivery. The final stop for Group 1 was the production hall of the Fourier 80, a fully integrated benchtop spectrometer based on a Halbach array of permanent magnets. After taking our group photo, select HyPERiON members were treated to a tour of the DNP facilities.

At the end of the day, most participants reconvened at Wissembourg main station and enjoyed an entertaining train ride back to Karlsruhe on this sunny afternoon.

We thnak the team at Bruker for their hospitality and this great opportunity.