CERN’s toughest demands drive innovation
BUMAX
For nearly three decades, Swedish fastener manufacturer BUMAX has supplied high-performance stainless steel fasteners to CERN, where components must perform reliably under some of the harshest operating conditions in the world. The collaboration has not only supported one of the world’s most advanced scientific facilities, but has also strengthened BUMAX’s products, quality processes and competitiveness across global industries.
“Meeting CERN’s performance demands pushes us to raise our own game, and everything we learn from it benefits every customer, not just a single project.”
Meeting CERN’s highest standards
Inside CERN’s particle accelerators, every component must perform flawlessly. Fasteners used in the Large Hadron Collider must withstand temperatures ranging from almost absolute zero to around 300°C during bake-out procedures. They must also be non-magnetic, highly corrosion-resistant and suitable for ultra-high-vacuum environments.
To meet these demanding requirements, CERN selected BUMAX 109, the company’s highest-strength austenitic stainless steel fastener. Today, BUMAX supplies these specialised fasteners for critical applications in the Large Hadron Collider, where there is no margin for failure.
Innovation through collaboration
Working with CERN has been more than supplying components. Close collaboration between engineers at CERN and BUMAX has led to continuous product development, including new solutions such as specialised silver coatings to reduce galling in demanding applications. Innovations originally developed to meet CERN’s requirements are now available to customers in other industries.
Knowledge that creates value beyond Big Science
The collaboration with CERN has helped BUMAX further strengthen its expertise in testing, quality assurance, traceability and materials engineering. By developing products capable of performing under the extreme conditions found in particle accelerators, the company has also enhanced its offering to customers in sectors such as energy, offshore, process industries and advanced manufacturing.
BUMAX has been a supplier to CERN since the mid-1990s and has become a trusted partner for one of the world’s most demanding research environments. The collaboration demonstrates how working with Big Science facilities challenges Swedish companies to innovate, develop new capabilities and create solutions that generate value far beyond the original application.
For Swedish industry, it is a clear example of how participation in Big Science projects can strengthen international competitiveness while contributing to world-leading research.
Last edited 2026