Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, and Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies (BEST), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bruker Corp., announce that they have entered into a joint technology development agreement to advance state-of-the-art niobium-based superconductors. These include those in magnetic resonance imaging magnets for the medical industry, and preclinical MRI magnets in the life-science tools industry.
Built on a 30-year collaboration between the two companies, this agreement further extends their combined expertise to develop higher-performance niobium-based alloys and apply these alloys in improved and more efficient superconductors. These are expected to enable MRI magnets with higher performance and lower total cost of ownership. The resulting products are expected to have applications in medical imaging, scientific instrumentation, particle physics research, and large-scale fusion experiments to produce energy.
The advanced manufacturing and metrology processes, as well as the highly differentiated new superconductors planned under this agreement, will deliver higher performance, ultimately aiming to give healthcare providers better diagnostics to improve lives. At the same time, the fully integrated supply chain will allow for process innovation to even further increase efficiency, quality, and supply chain security for demanding customers.
ATI, a global leader in refractory metal production and manufacturer of specialty alloys, materials, and components, brings more than 50 years of experience as a leading manufacturer of niobium-titanium and other specialty alloys for medical and high-energy physics applications.
“ATI has long led the industry with its technical expertise and differentiated manufacturing capability for niobium-based alloys for superconductors,” said Lee Weber, President of ATI Specialty Alloys and Components. “This new agreement expands our collaboration, so we may create the specialty materials that will propel the industry.”
Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies (BEST) is a leading manufacturer of highest-performance superconducting wire products with a product portfolio that includes high-quality niobium-based superconductors. With more than 50 years of experience in the field of superconducting wire, BEST offers a unique and broad superconductor technology spectrum, and a highly automated superconductor factory with the most advanced and integrated metrology capabilities.
BEST recently closed on the acquisition of Oxford Instruments Superconducting Wire LLC (OST), based in Carteret, New Jersey. Bruker will integrate the product and service portfolio of the newly named Bruker-OST into its global platform in the near future.
