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PROTOTYPE SYSTEM FOR REMOTE LASER CUTTING OF RADIOACTIVE STRUCTURES.

Objective

THE ADVANTAGE OF CUTTING BY LASER BEAM CONSISTS MAINLY IN VERY SMALL INDUCED CUTTING FORCES AND IN PRODUCING ONLY SMALL AMOUNTS OF CUTTING WASTE. THE PRINCIPAL AIM OF THE PRESENT RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PROTOTYPICAL LASER CUTTING DEVICE FOR METAL STRUCTURES, WHICH MAY BE CONTAMINATED OR ACTIVATED. THE SYSTEM WILL BE DESIGNED FOR REMOTE OPERATION.
AN EXISTING 3-5 KW INDUSTRIAL LASER WILL BE ADAPTED FOR TRANSPORTABILITY AND TIGHTNESS IN NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENT. THE LASER TRANSPORT SYSTEM WILL CONSIST IN AN ARTICULATED ARM FOR TRANSMITTING THE LASER BEAM TO A REMOTE CUTTING LOCATION. THE ARM, OPERATING WITH 5 DEGREES OF FREEDOM IN A POLAR COORDINATES SYSTEM, WILL BE CAPABLE OF ENTERING AN ACTIVE AREA THROUGH AN ORIFICE OF A DIAMETER OF ONLY 250 MM. EACH ARTICULATION WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRICAL D.C. MOTOR ENABLING POSITIONING BY REMOTE COMMAND. THE ACTUAL TRAJECTORY OF THE CUTTING HEAD WILL BE DEFINED BY PRACTICAL TESTING.
FOR COMMISSIONING OF THE DEVELOPED PROTOTYPE, A SERIES OF CUTTING TESTS ON TYPICAL, BUT NON-RADIOACTIVE STRUCTURES AS HOT CELLS, PIPEWORK, WASTE CONTAINERS ETC. WILL BE EXECUTED, INCLUDING MEASUREMENTS OF GENERATED AEROSOLS AND SLAG.

IN A SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT CONCLUDED IN 1988, THE INITIAL WORK PROGRAMME WAS EXTENDED TO AUTOMATIC CUTTING TRAJECTORY TEACHING AS DEFINED IN WORKING PACKAGE B.4.
The design, development and manufacture of a power laser cutting tool remotely operated, adapted to the dismantling of nuclear installations, are described.

The technological choices adopted for the conception of the laser robot ROLD are presented, as well as the coupling to a power laser in a real but not radioactive environment. A series of tests on sample cutting performances are presented. The system proved capable of cutting various materials satisfactorily, in a nonradioactive environment.

The development of an automatic cutting trajectory teching system was attempted. A 3-dimensional laser camera, assisted by a proximity sensor, used optical triangulation to create a picture of the cutting scene which would have been used for the trajectory calculation. The trials have not yet been successful, but the results are presented.
B.1. DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND FUNCTIONAL TESTING OF A ROBOT ARM INCLUDING REMOTE CONTROL AND COMMAND, AND TESTS ON THE HANDLING OF THE ARISING LASER CUTTING WASTE.
B.2. ADAPTATION AND COUPLING OF THE ROBOT ARM TO AN AVAILABLE LASER CUTTING DEVICE.
B.3. COMMISSIONING AND DEMONSTRATION TESTS OF THE COMPLETE FACILITY, INCLUDING LASER CUTTING OF VARIOUS NON-RADIOACTIVE STAINLESS STEEL COMPONENTS WITH HANDLING OF THE ARISING CUTTING WASTE.
B.4. DEVELOPMENT, CONTRUCTION AND TESTING OF A PROCEDURE FOR AUTOMATIC TEACHING OF CUTTING TRAJECTORIES FOR THE ROLD ROBOT BY APPLYING CAD PROCEDURES BASED ON A 3D LASER CAMERA AND A LASER BBEAM SENSOR ON THE TORCH.

Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Coordinator

Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA)
EU contribution
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Address
Centre d'Études de Saclay
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
France

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