Development of the Design Concept for Dismantling the Irradiated Specimen Block of TEM in IMEF

Since 1999 total seventeen(17) irradiated noninstrumented and instrumented capsules, irradiated at HANARO, were cut and dismantled for specimen classification including specimen block of TEM. Up to date, any kinds of problems were not occurred during cut and dismantling process. Especially to dismantle the specimen block of TEM, some equipment, such a specimen holder pressing machine, an air tweezers, a metal tool with a pointed end, a pair of G-HDE master slave manipulators and etc., are used in M5a hot cell of IMEF. In spite of difficulties as well as inefficiencies while dismantling the specimen block of TEM, it was succeeded without meeting a serious problem until now. But it required many days and man-power for dismantling. To have a better techniques and technologies for dismantling the specimen block of TEM, an advanced design concept was reflected and developed. This concept is described herein, from a sliding door to a plugging door, and representative results of the test results are presented