In this paper, a new type of reciprocating magnetic refrigerator working with high remanence permanent magnets as the source of the magnetic field is presented. The simulated and measured magnetic field at the machine air gap is about 1.45 T. Initially, gadolinium metal (Gd) was used as the magnetocaloric refrigerant. Its magnetocaloric performances and its quality were checked experimentally in a developed test bench. To attain high values of temperature difference between the hot and the cold sources (temperature span), a new design of the Active Magnetic Refrigeration (AMR) cycle was implemented. However, in order to reduce the energy consumption and then increase the thermodynamic performances of the magnetic system, a special configuration of the magnetocaloric materials is developed. The numerical results of the applied magnetic forces on the new configuration are given and analysed. The developed machine is designed to produce a cooling power between 80 and 100 W with a temperature span larger than 20 K. The obtained results demonstrate that magnetic cooling is a promising alternative to replace traditional systems. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.