About Us

"You can only make as well as you can measure", Joseph Whitworth 1803-87

The Superconducting Magnet Test Facility (TF) section is a part of the Magnets, Superconductors and Cryogenics (MSC) group within the Technology (TE) department at CERN.

Our mandate is to test superconducting magnets and other components at cryogenic temperatures. We qualify and accept devices such as the main dipole magnets, protection diodes and superconducting current leads for installation in the LHC. We also participate in the research and development of magnets and other devices by testing them outside normal operation conditions, to find how they work and quantify their performance.

We work at the SM18 test facility at CERN. Here, we can test magnets, diodes, current leads and instrumentation at temperatures between 1.9 and 80 K, in liquid or gaseous helium or liquid nitrogen, at pressures up to 4 bar and with currents up to 30 kA.

If you are interested on testing your equipment at SM18, please look for more information in the Transnational Access page. If you are interested in a guided tour of SM18, please see more in the Visit Us page.