Manufacturing the European Superconducting TF Winding Packs for the ITER

The magnetic field, necessary for the plasma confinement in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), Cadarache, France, is provided by the 18 Toroidal Field Coils (TFC). In each coil, this magnetic field is produced by circulating a current of 68 kA through 4.5 km of Nb3Sn cable-in-conduit superconductor, which is assembled into a mechanical structure capable of withstanding the huge Lorentz forces produced. The Fusion for Energy, the European Domestic Agency for the ITER, is responsible for the supply of 10 TFC. This article gives an overview of the manufacturing and test processes applied during the series production of all sub- and final assemblies, as well as the production status. Special emphasis will be put on some particular characteristics of the Nb3Sn superconductor and other problems faced during manufacturing and strategies applied to overcome them.