70 years of CERN: Vacuum technology from Pfeiffer Vacuum has enabled groundbreaking experiments since the beginning
09-09-2024
The European Nuclear Research Organization CERN celebrates its 70th anniversary. Pfeiffer Vacuum was also among the well-wishers at the official ceremony on September 3 in Berlin. The company, which is part of the global Busch Group, has been a close partner of the research institution since it was established and has made a significant contribution with its vacuum solutions to CERN's groundbreaking discoveries.
Vacuum technology makes groundbreaking insights possible
Reliable, high-performance vacuum technology has been the basis of the experiments and development projects at CERN from the very beginning. In 1958, Pfeiffer Vacuum revolutionized the research institution’s experiments by inventing the first turbomolecular pump. This innovation made it possible to generate the oil-free ultra-high vacuum required in the first large particle accelerators. Since then, vacuum solutions from Pfeiffer Vacuum have paved the way for CERN’s groundbreaking findings and are also employed in the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
The experiments performed there have significantly advanced human knowledge in recent decades: In addition to understanding the universe at the subatomic level, the World Wide Web is also a result of research at CERN.
Research at the limits of technology
At the ceremony in Berlin, Sami Busch, co-owner and co-CEO of the Busch Group, and Andreas Schopphoff, Head of Market Segment R&D at Pfeiffer Vacuum, had the opportunity to reflect on the exceptional achievements of the scientists at CERN. Sami Busch said, "For the 70th anniversary of CERN, we want to express our utmost respect to the research teams. Their experiments push the boundaries of our knowledge and are based on the most sophisticated technology of our time. We are proud that our vacuum solutions have been part of these successes since the beginning."
Thanks to the partnership between CERN and Pfeiffer Vacuum, solutions for the most complex vacuum technology challenges are found together. Andreas Schopphoff explained, "Due to the uniqueness of the experiments, new, tailor-made product developments are always necessary, which our experts design in close cooperation with the scientists. One of our first turbopumps was delivered to CERN, and Pfeiffer Vacuum will continue to develop state-of-the-art vacuum technologies to meet the research facility’s demanding requests and advance its scientific discoveries!"
Sami Busch (right) and Andreas Schopphoff (left) expressed their utmost respect for 70 years of groundbreaking research to CERN scientists at the ceremony on September 3.
