Use of robotic equipment in a Canadian Used Nuclear Fuel Packing Plant

The methodology and processes used to select and design robotic equipment for use in a Canadian Used (Nuclear) Fuel Packing Plant (UFPP) are presented. The application of these methods is illustrated using, as an example, the selection and design of equipment for a Laser Welding Cell. The analysis indicates that both robots and manipulators are expected to be used in the Canadian UFPP. The described conceptual designs illustrate how nuclear safety considerations may influence the plant layout and configuration as well as robot/manipulator selection. The UFPP design will incorporate redundancy of all equipment to allow expedient recovery from any postulated upset conditions. Overall, the evaluation suggests that robot usage will have a significant positive impact on nuclear safety, quality, productivity and reliability.