Remote handling crane system for use in small argon compartment hot-cell

In this paper, we describe the design of a novel crane system for use in a small argon hot-cell where only a mechanical master-slave manipulator (MSM) within the limitation is available for the maintenance of the crane. To get a practically achievable solution for the design problem, we devised a remote actuation mechanism in which the electrical parts of the crane are separated from the mechanical parts and installed inside the workspace of the MSM for remote maintenance. Even though the design concept does not provide a thoroughly sufficient solution because the mechanical parts are placed out of the MSM´s workspace, the durability of the mechanical parts can be easily increased if they have a high safety margin. Therefore, the concept may be one of best solutions for our special crane system. In addition, we developed a servo-control system based on absolute positioning technology; therefore, it is possible for us to perform the given tasks more safely through an automatic operation.