For most industries in which robotics have been or are expected to be applied, such as automotive, materials handling and metal (versatile industries and therefore predestined for automated robotic solutions) the incentives to automate relate directly to maintaining competitive advantage, with an emphasis on product throughput and quality output. But for some industries, the attraction of adopting automated robotics is their ability to operate in hazardous environments, thereby removing the potential risks that humans might be exposed to. Consider the nuclear industry.
‘Early nuclear plants were designed for a life of only 30 years, though with refurbishment, some have proved capable of continuing well beyond this. Newer plants are designed for a 40 to 60 year operating life. At the end of the life of any power plant, it needs to be decommissioned, cleaned up and demolished so that the site is made available for other uses’. – www.world-nuclear.org
The current nuclear provision is estimated at some £164bn, over the next 120 years as the NDA (nuclear decommissioning authority) undertake the decommissioning of 17 of the UK’s older nuclear sites. Much of this cost is associated with labour. Contractors and engineers, or HWW (hazardous waste workers) who are involved in complex and complicated decommissioning activities are (rightly) unable to remain in contaminated areas for long periods of time. So the length of time it shall take for a particular manual task or activity involving radioactive waste to be completed is lengthened, and costly.
With this in mind, legislation and expenditure considerations are impacting upon how businesses are tackling the effective management of their hazardous waste and are driving the adoption of automated waste management, incorporating robotics. Process efficiency, in addition to the elimination of manual intervention are, taking into account the deadlines to which the UK government are working towards, key drivers in the adoption of automated robotics solutions within nuclear decommissioning applications.
Automated systems, incorporating KUKA robots, are in use in some of the largest decommissioning facilities around the world, and in the UK. The robots to which we refer are readily available and are being utilised within environments such as car production lines and in foundries. In short, KUKA robots can be adapted to any industry and undertake almost any task. As more nuclear facilities are being decommissioned than opened, decommissioning continues to become a major task. Harnessing the potential of automated robotics for innovative use in decommissioning, simply put, makes the job of cleaning up nuclear sites easier and safer.
As one of the world’s leading suppliers of automated production and assembly solutions, KUKA can call upon years of experience. We know how to design robotics systems for the nuclear environment that meet the special challenges that present themselves within the hostile extremities of nuclear decommissioning. We specialise in a number of different applications for the nuclear decommissioning industry, for example: handling and sorting of waste products, size reduction, box encapsulation, lidding and swabbing and general housekeeping operations. From standalone robotics cells designed to work independently, to remote operations utilising joystick control and collaborative robotic cells designed to work alongside humans. All play a vital part in reducing the exposure of personnel to ionizing radiation.
Environmental remediation is also necessary for sites that have been in use for activities such as nuclear research, uranium milling, milling and processing of natural occurring radioactive materials. In such hazardous environments, KUKA robots could be deployed to again ensure human workers’ safety. There was once a time that robotics presented us with both societal and ethical challenges surrounding emerging robotic technologies, primarily concerns regards the elimination of manual handling in favour of automated applications that could deliver greater volumes of product throughput. Though as we have already touched upon, the necessity to implement automated robotics within the nuclear sector is, and shall continue to be a viable resource, to mitigate against the impact upon humans.
As an example, in collaboration with the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), KUKA evaluated robot technology and its potential for use in the Sellafield Box Encapsulation Plant, was explored, in-depth, on behalf of the NDA (nuclear decommissioning authority). The result? The trials demonstrated that using KUKA robots is indeed a viable option, when handling legacy MBG (Miscellaneous Beta Gamma) waste, manipulating and processing into a suitable solidified product for safe storage.
KUKA is the preferred automated systems supplier within nuclear decommissioning and is currently involved in many major clean-up projects. Its base at Halesowen in the Black Country is KUKA’s global nuclear decommissioning centre of excellence.
Read more about the legacy box encapsulation project by following the link below
Sellafield Legacy MBGW at the Box Encapsulation Plant – RWM
For more information regards the use of KUKA robotics within nuclear decommissioning, please contact John Dilworth, Nuclear Projects and Sales – KUKA on 0121 585 0888 or email John at john.dilworth@kuka-systems.co.uk
