Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) made from pure copper using additive manufacturing

The CERN-coordinated I.FAST project, together with industry partner TRUMPF, managed to build a full Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) from pure copper using additive manufacturing. This technique would allow to save both material consumption and manufacturing time. Additive manufacturing (AM) is the industrial production name for 3D printing, a computer controlled process that creates three dimensional objects by depositing materials, usually in layers. Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology (I.FAST) aims to enhance innovation in the particle accelerator community, mapping out and facilitating the development of breakthrough technologies common to multiple accelerator platforms. Particle accelerators currently face critical challenges related to the size and performance of future facilities for fundamental research, to the increasing demands coming from accelerators for applied science, and to the growing applications in medicine and industry.