4 Axis Milling Station for Active Cells Remote Handling Facility.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is a non departmental government body. UKAEA is managing the delivery of the Active Cells remote handling facility as part of the UK contribution to the European Spallation Source (ESS) in Sweden.

The purpose of the facility is to process and store spent radiologically activated target station components. Work on handling processes and in-cell equipment/facilities are progressing towards the detailed design phase.

For individual processes and items of equipment, options need to be identified, assessed against the requirements, and developed towards a suitable design ready for manufacture. This market enquiry relates to the 4-Axis Milling Station that will be situated inside the Process Cell (PC).

The Milling Station will allow for the recovery and subsequent processing of containers of exotic materials that are contained within 2 of the activated components. The Milling Station will be operated remotely without local manual intervention.

The use of fluids in the for coolant and in any hydraulic actuation or clamping will not be allowed, although lubrication in gearboxes, etc. is permissible. The first component is a sealed 6 000 kg, 2 500 mm diameter stainless steel disk that contains 36 stainless steel cassettes each containing a set of tungsten bricks.

Each cassette weighs approximately 100 kg and is designed to be removed radially once the rim of the disk has been machined off. The second component is a 3 500 kg steel block approximately 620 mm high, 1 200 mm wide and 1 350 mm long.

This block consists of a base plate and 2 top sections that are sealed over the top of a 150 kg container of beryllium by a set of stitch welds. The beryllium container can be removed when the stitch welds have been machined off.

Optional additional scope would include a robotic handling system that can support cut sections and lift the material containers free of the main components once freed. The solution will require design, manufacture and installation into the Active Cells facility.

This PIN has been published to enable market research to commence to assess the reaction of the market to the requirement and to review available technologies. UKAEA will conduct a dialogue with the marketplace and this may result in a call for competition based on the scope of the requirement developed through the dialogue.