Transfer of technology in maintenance tools

For maximum reliability of maintenance operations, FRAMATOME has aimed to improve the accessibility of highly irradiated and contaminated reactor coolant system equipment by the active promotion of an automation and robotization strategy. A number of robot designs have been developed providing replacement of operators inside the steam generator channel head, smooth handling of heavy or cumbersome objects in this zone, easy marking of steam generator tubes and increased speed of repetitive channel head operations: maintenance spider, theta-theta prime robotic service arm, R-theta robotic service arm, remote manipulator arm. Two operations are described: channel head folding cover plate and, operation of the torquing machine for head cover plate