|
New
Release -- Superconductor Week does not edit or endorse the following
news release:
European Advanced Superconductors Acquires Powder-in-Tube HTS technology from
SMI
Hanau,
Germany, December 14: On December 1st of this year, European
Advanced Superconductors GmbH & Co. KG (EAS)
in Hanau, Germany, acquired the Powder in Tube (PIT) Technology used for the
manufacturing of high current superconductors from ShapeMetal Innovation (SMI)
in Enschede, Netherlands.
Superconducting metals conduct electricity without resistance below a certain
temperature, an effect which was discovered 1911 in the Netherlands by Heike
Kamerling Onnes, a Professor of physics at the University of Leiden. Since then,
superconducting technology has become a multibillion dollar industry worldwide,
with state-of-the-art clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and analytical
instrumentation being unthinkable without superconductivity.
Research
into advanced superconductors, which can carry very high electrical currents
virtually without losses, allowing more compact devices and the generation of
stronger magnetic fields, is a highly competitive area today. EAS is one of the
leading providers of such materials world wide and has closely collaborated with
SMI in the development of advanced PIT technology since 2003.
Several
important milestones have been achieved in that time, including the production
of conductors with over 3000 meters in one single length and achieving critical
current densities of up to 2500 A/mm2 in high magnetic fields. A
highly demanding order by the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) has
been carried out, necessary for the qualification for the International
Thermo-Nuclear Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache, France. For this prestigious and
large superconductivity project the contract was recently signed by over 10
Nations, including Japan, Russia, China, the US and the EU.
EAS now
intends to market, sell and further develop the PIT-technology. “Our
collaboration with SMI over the last few years has produced outstanding results.
The PIT-conductor fits perfectly well into our product portfolio and we see very
strong interest in the market in this technology for some very demanding
applications”, states Dr. Burkhard Prause, Managing Director at EAS.
Following
the successful collaboration and sale, Jan Lindenhovius, former Managing
Director and Head of Development at SMI will now join EAS to provide his
expertise in the production and future development of this technology.
Return
to industry news releases |
