ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS
AND INDUSTRIAL
AUTOMATION

AtomIntelMash LLC developed and manufactured:

• grip for robot with replaceable tools;
• television camera for robot grip, for robot remote online automatic control.
• special sockets for welding, cutting and helium inspection of casks tightness;
• rotary table for casks providing welding current up to 300 A;
• sealed gate for container supply to repackaging chamber;
• body of “hot” radium repackaging chamber with all penetrations, sealed doors and countertop.

Equipment has been shipped to the Customer. Read more in the “Safety of Nuclear Technologies and the Environment” magazine article (No. 3–4, 2013). In November 2016, MCC FSUE specialists started repackaging and moving the drugs.

The robotic complex made it possible to repack all drugs of the State Radium Fund and thus increase the safety of their storage. Warranty storage period of State Radium Fund drugs is 50 years.

This technology includes filling a ceramic model mold with molten metal, then separating the ceramic mold from the casting and cutting the cast part from gating system. The castings quality depends firstly on ceramic model molds manufacturing quality, the molds quality itself depends on many parameters, which are often contradictory, for example: mechanical strength of the ceramic mold before and after hardening, and at the same time easy removal after pouring and cooling; porous and at the same time a clean contact surface of the alloy with the mold. However, non-compliance or deviation of any parameter leads to reduced accuracy of the casting or even to rejects.

In order to monitor the stability and controllability of process parameters during the ceramic model molds manufacturing, AtomIntelMash LLC has developed a line of robotic complexes “RoKoT” AMVR-1.01.00-00.00.00.00.000 to automate processes of manufacturing shell casting molds by investment casting.

Robotization and automation of ceramic molds production process, implemented in RoKoT complexes, allows:

• to increase stability and repeatability of processes of applying ceramic shell layers to the model mold by applying slurry and filling material by a robot;
• to improve quality of casing layers application due to slurry temperature monitoring, as well as maintenance of strictly specified temperature and humidity in the premise, where the casing is applied;
• to achieve high quality and stability of ceramic mold layers drying due to using a conveyor drying system designed specially for drying of complex geometry ceramic molds with deep inner cavities of complex shape. High system parameters are achieved by special individual system of molds blowing, temperature and humidity maintenance in drying area in a wide range and at the same time with high accuracy, constant drying parameters monitoring by the automated control system of the complex;
• to work with large and heavy molds by using a robot to move the molds and eliminating manual operations while moving them;
• to monitor and “fine-tune” the process by recording the complex operation parameters in the automated system database.

This complex has already been implemented for Proton-PM.

development, manufacture and commissioning of a robotic complex allowing to carry out all installation operations remotely and in an automated mode. KUKA KR 600 industrial robot from the robotic complex was equipped with a special grip and a machine vision television camera. A special grip should reliably hold barrels up to 300 kg without deforming their body and machine vision should ensure accurate positioning of brick in the MPC (metal protective) container when stacking bricks in it. Also, machine vision should provide remote and operational measurement of the height of barrels and compressed bricks. A rack was arranged inside the installation box for intermediate accumulation of bricks, which allowed the robot to optimize MPC filling by height when stacking bricks in it. Video is available at Radon

Thanks to robotization of the pressing complex, it was possible to minimize the direct interaction of personnel with radioactive waste and reduce the volume of RW subject to final disposal.

In order to do this, AL is equipped with various analytical instruments and process facilities, which are organized into process areas.

Instruments and equipment are placed inside boxes ensuring personnel radiation protection and special environment (inert atmosphere, rarefaction, etc.) inside, as well as personnel work with samples.

All of this (boxes themselves, boxed devices, operation parameters and environment control system) together make up a single full- functional product “AL FRM Boxes Complex”.

Using the lifting platform, the AGV installs/removes the NPC (non-return protective) container from the rack and moves the container along the set route between the process areas. The AGV movement can be controlled by an airborne automatic route tracking system, induction system or on the basis of machine vision. The AGV has a zero turning radius (pivot turn), as well as the ability to move in an arbitrary direction without turning the platform. The AGV operations are controlled automatically from the ACS upper level located in the operator’s room. Local control is provided.

The AGV solved the problem of remote and automatic movement of ten-ton RW containers in a limited space due to the highly maneuverable design - zero turning radius.

including a radiation protection box, a remote-controlled system for automated loading, unloading and moving of samples, systems for collecting information on the process and a video surveillance system.