STFC is responsible for delivering 20 high-beta 650 MHz cavities for the PIP-II project, with industry partners now producing series cavities. Both pre-series cavities have set world records in performance and cleanliness, meeting the project’s stringent requirement for field emission-free operation, accelerating gradient, and Quality factor. Achieving this milestone required an industrialization of advanced processing techniques, including cold electropolishing and nitrogen doping, and a major effort to optimize cleanroom operations at the vendor’s facility. We will present the journey from prototyping to industrial production, highlighting the technology transfer, cleanroom upgrades, and QA/QC procedures that enabled these record-breaking results. Early performance data from the first series cavities will also be shared, demonstrating progress toward full-scale production.

A novel vertical test facility (VTF) has been in operation at the UKRI-STFC Daresbury Laboratory since 2019. This VTF tests jacketed SRF cavities in a horizontal configuration at 2 K. Originally designed and operated for 704 MHz high-beta cavities for ESS, the facility has now been upgraded and expanded to test 650 MHz high-beta cavities for PIP-II, including fast cooldown capability (>20 K/min) for magnetic flux expulsion. This paper reports on the new design, commissioning, and operation of the facility.