The cell has also slashed the time it takes to dismantle and repack radioactive skips from months to minutes, whilst eliminating human involvement in this hazardous operation.

Background: a major pond cleanup operation

Cleaning and decommissioning First Generation Magnox Storage Ponds (FGMSP) has become a major part of Sellafield’s ongoing nuclear cleanup efforts. To facilitate this, the skips that are stored in the ponds need to be removed. However, the limited availability of storage space for the skips once they have been extracted presents a challenge. With a track record in building turnkey automation, laser and robotics solutions for the nuclear industry, Cyan Tec was called upon to devise a solution for a localised size reduction process that would minimise the storage footprint of the removed skips.

“Our idea was to cut up the skips so they would occupy less space – in this way, three skips could effectively be reduced to one,” explained Tony Jones, Managing Director of Cyan Tec.

Previously, this type of work had always been performed manually, on the mistaken assumption that it was not possible to automate such a task. Operators wearing hazmat suits would use angle grinders to cut storage containers into pieces, but to limit exposure to radiation, they could only work for very short intervals. This meant that it would have taken approximately one month to break down each skip.

Fraught with challenges

Automating this operation was no easy task, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cell needed to fit into a very small area and, once operational, be completely autonomous, requiring no human intervention. Secondly, whilst the skips were all welded fabrications, their dimensions and their construction varied, and Cyan Tec had no visibility on the range of these dimensional differences. And thirdly, because of the considerations around safety and radioactivity, there were limited opportunities for commissioning and testing the system prior to installation.

Cyan Tec designed and installed a full turnkey laser cutting and handling system to operate autonomously within a nuclear bunker. The entire cell is operated remotely, from a control room 100 metres away.

The system was built at Cyan Tec’s Leicester facility and then installed at Sellafield and tested on non-radioactive skips before being put into action on contaminated skips under the supervision of project partner TKE Nuclear.

At the heart of the system are two six-axis FANUC robots: a compact ARC Mate 120iC for cutting, and a heavy duty M-900iB/360 equipped with two interchangeable end-effectors: a scanning head and an electromagnet for handling the panels. When in scanning mode, the M-900iB builds a 3D image of the skip within the machine’s control system. MeshLab software compares the scanned skip with a reference skip, enabling the control system to adjust the parameters of the ARC Mate 120iC robot (equipped with a laser cutting head) and determine the optimum cutting pattern.

The robots were selected above all else for their world-renowned reliability, which has been proven in accelerated life tests and is underpinned by an eight-year zero maintenance promise.

“The cell had to be 100% reliable, as there was no opportunity for going in and fixing it if anything went wrong. That was why we chose technology that had already been proven in demanding industries. FANUC’s robots have a strong track record of working in demanding automotive plants with very high uptime figures, and demonstrate the highest reliability of any robot manufacturer,” said Tony.

FANUC’s robots also aligned with Cyan Tec’s strategy of using commercially available technology wherever possible, as this was a test case for a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) project in an industry where an expensive bespoke approach has traditionally been the norm.

Results: from one month to one hour

The robotic cell was originally designed to size-reduce 50 skips of nuclear waste. It was so successful that it has since been used to process further skips of waste in a fraction of the time and with none of the health and safety implications of a manual operation.

“This system has revolutionised the handling and size reduction of skips and demonstrated that a COTS approach can work in the nuclear industry,” said Tony.

“It is incredible to think that by automating this task, we have been able to reduce the time it takes to cut down and repack a skip of waste from approximately one month to just 60 minutes. FANUC’s technology has been pivotal in achieving this outcome and our confidence in the solution we have delivered is rooted in our confidence in FANUC’s reliability and support.”

Visit the FANUC website for more information

See all stories for FANUC

In a first-of-its-kind autonomous application designed and delivered by integrator Cyan Tec, the skip sorting and laser cutting cell has reduced the amount of space needed to store radioactive waste to a third of its original footprint. The cell has also slashed the time it takes to dismantle and repack radioactive skips from months to minutes, whilst eliminating the need for human involvement in this hazardous operation.

A major pond cleanup operation

First Generation Magnox Storage Ponds (FGMSP) – used to store and cool spent fuel from Magnox reactors before reprocessing – are now being decommissioned due to aging infrastructure and contamination. Over time, many of these ponds have become highly radioactive due to accumulated sludge, fuel debris and corrosion. Cleaning and decommissioning these ponds has therefore become a major part of Sellafield’s ongoing nuclear cleanup efforts.

To facilitate the cleaning and repair of these ponds, the skips that are stored in them need to be removed. However, the limited availability of storage space for the skips once they have been extracted presents a challenge. With a track record in building turnkey automation, laser and robotics solutions for the nuclear industry, Cyan Tec was called upon to devise a solution for a localised size reduction process that would minimise the storage footprint of the removed skips.

“The problem they faced was what to do with the skips once they had been removed from the ponds and emptied of their contents. The skips were no longer needed but because they were contaminated, they were required to be stored securely, and there is limited storage for this kind of waste. Our idea was to cut up the skips so they would occupy less space – in this way, three skips could effectively be reduced to one,” explained Tony Jones, Managing Director of Cyan Tec.

Previously, this type of work had always been performed manually, on the mistaken assumption that it was not possible to automate such a task. Operators wearing hazmat suits would use angle grinders to cut storage containers into pieces, but to limit exposure to radiation, they could only work for very short intervals. This meant that it would have taken approximately one month to break down each skip.

Fraught with challenges

However, automating this operation was no easy task, for a number of reasons. Firstly, the cell needed to fit into a very small and defined area and, once operational, be completely autonomous, requiring no human intervention. This called for an extremely compact and reliable solution.

Secondly, the skips were all slightly different; whilst they were all welded fabrications, their dimensions and their construction varied, and Cyan Tec had no visibility on the range of these dimensional differences. Some of the skips had also suffered physical damage as a result of impact, poor handling or corrosion. “Variability is always a challenge for an automated system that uses set cutting and handling routines,” noted Tony.

And thirdly, because of the considerations around safety and radioactivity, there were limited opportunities for commissioning and testing the system prior to installation.

A safe, efficient and space-saving solution

Cyan Tec designed and installed a full turnkey laser cutting and handling system to operate autonomously within a nuclear bunker. The system was designed and built at Cyan Tec’s Leicester facility and then installed at Sellafield and tested on non-radioactive skips before being put into action on contaminated skips under the supervision of project partner TKE Nuclear.

At the heart of the system are two six-axis FANUC robots: a compact ARC Mate 120iC for cutting, and a heavy duty M-900iB/360 for handling the panels. They were selected above all else for their world-renowned reliability, which has been proven in accelerated life tests and comes with an eight-year zero maintenance promise.

“The cell had to be 100% reliable, as there was no opportunity for going in and fixing it if anything went wrong. That was why we chose technology that had already been proven in demanding industries. FANUC’s robots are a great example of this; they have a strong track record of working in demanding automotive plants with very high uptime figures, and demonstrate the highest reliability of any robot manufacturer,” said Tony.

FANUC’s robots also aligned with Cyan Tec’s strategy of using commercially available technology wherever possible, as this was a test case for a COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) project in an industry where an expensive bespoke approach has traditionally been the norm.

“There has always been this belief that robots used in the nuclear industry need special encoders in order to reliably provide positional feedback in the face of interference. We were ready to install external encoders onto these machines but in the end, we didn’t need to – the FANUC robots proved to be very robust in this environment,” said Tony.

The process explained

On entering the cell, the skip is transferred onto a servo-driven rotating table and presented to the system. The M-900iB picks up a scanning head and builds a 3D image of the skip within the machine’s control system. MeshLab software compares the scanned skip with a reference skip, enabling the control system to adjust the parameters of the ARC Mate 120iC robot (equipped with a laser cutting head) and determine the optimum cutting pattern.

The camera also records the exact position of the output skip – important for accurate loading. The ARC Mate 120iC cuts the skip into pieces, leaving the structure intact for as long as possible to minimise the volume of debris in the atmosphere.

Next, the M-900iB robot places the scanning head in the tool changer and picks up an electromagnet instead. It then proceeds to remove each panel individually and pack them into the output skip. As the last panel (the base plate) tends to be coated with debris, it is hoovered before being placed in the skip.

This is the process for low level waste; a gamma camera in the cell checks the level of radiation on each plate prior to loading and if it detects a medium or high level, the robot transfers the panel onto a ‘toast rack’ for disposal via a different method.

The entire cell is operated remotely, from a control room 100 metres away from the bunker.

According to Cyan Tec, the M-900iB’s combination of reach, payload and compact dimensions was vital to the success of this installation.

“We needed a robot that could reach all the way to both skips and was physically strong enough, but we didn’t want a big robot because the entire build had to fit within a guard system for damage limitation in the event of a fault with the laser. With its 360kg payload capacity and 2,655mm reach, the FANUC M-900 provided the large work envelope we needed,” said Tony.

Results: from one month to one hour

The robotic cell was originally designed to size-reduce 50 skips of nuclear waste. It was so successful that it has since been used to process further skips of waste in a fraction of the time and with none of the health and safety implications of a manual operation.

“This system has revolutionised the handling and size reduction of skips and demonstrated that a COTS approach can work in the nuclear industry,” said Tony.

“It is incredible to think that by automating this task, we have been able to reduce the time it takes to cut down and repack a skip of waste from approximately one month to just 60 minutes. The efficiencies this brings are huge, but what really makes this project stand out is its health and safety impact as it eliminates exposure as a risk factor altogether.

“FANUC’s technology has been pivotal in achieving this outcome and our confidence in the solution we have delivered is rooted in our confidence in FANUC’s reliability and support.”

Visit the FANUC website for more information

See all stories for FANUC

Launched at the Harnessing Robotics and AI for Challenging Environments (HRAICE) event at Energus in Workington, this cluster will bring organisations with a shared vision together to elevate Cumbria as a globally recognised centre of excellence in the field of robotics engineering.

The Cumbria Robotics Cluster aims to deliver substantial social and economic benefits to Cumbria by fostering growth in the robotics sector through collaborative innovation and knowledge-sharing. Members and collaborators include Sellafield, Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and both large and small supply chain companies.

The cluster is set to play a crucial role in developing advanced robotics technologies and skills that address industrial challenges, particularly in the nuclear industry and other harsh environments.

Gary McKeating, Managing Director of iSH, said: “The formation of the Cumbria Robotics Cluster is a strategic step towards consolidating Cumbria’s position as a leader in high-tech engineering solutions. By linking together the expertise of our region’s top firms, we are not only aiming to tackle some of the most pressing industrial challenges through robotics but also to spark inclusive economic growth and attract further investment into our community.”

The HRAICE event was an opportunity for iSH to start gathering data for the cluster to build on. All delegates were asked to fill out a survey which provided a baseline of the current robotics capability in the area. This baseline was used as part of an iSH facilitated workshop at the event to start to map out where Cumbria capability sits within the broader national and international robotics scene.

Kirsty Hewitson, Director of RAICo, added: “This cluster represents a significant opportunity for synergy and innovation amongst Cumbria’s robotics experts and industries. Through this collaborative effort, we are set to map out and expand the capabilities of robotics in the region, driving forward our joint goals of technological advancement and capacity building.”

The cluster is not a commercial bidding entity but a cooperative network that encourages its members to collaborate and engage commercially as they see fit. It will also operate sub-groups focusing on specific areas of interest, providing a platform for in-depth exploration and solution development. Regular events for knowledge sharing and networking will support these efforts, fostering a collaborative environment that is conducive to innovation.

Members of the Cumbria Robotics Cluster will benefit from access to shared knowledge and opportunities to work together on projects, both nationally and internationally and to collaborate with existing robotics clusters. The cluster will continue to welcome new members who are based or work in Cumbria and who are eager to contribute to and benefit from its collective initiatives.

As it moves forward, the Cumbria Robotics Cluster will also focus on identifying growth targets, and showcasing regional strengths both in the UK and internationally.

The collaboration between Fuzzy Logic, Visionic and Framatome began when they were working on RIMA (Robotics for Inspection and Maintenance), a European Union project that aims to establish a network of digital innovation hubs and industrial associations to support the development of robotics.

To be deployed efficiently, today’s NDT technologies require a controlled, laboratory-like environment, which is precisely what is difficult to achieve in field conditions. This same challenge is what Framatome Intercontrôle is confronted with when inspecting components in the primary circuits of nuclear power plants (CNPE), especially in the case of specific welds such as tappings at the junction points between primary and secondary piping systems.

In order to overcome these challenges, Framatome Intercontrôle uses industrial robots in an innovative way to solve many NDT problems. Ultrasonic detection performed by a robot characterizes the internal volumetric defects of the weld to detect possible cracks. Currently, these inspections are prepared in advance on site and require a 3D scan of the weld and measurement of the environment, each weld and environment being geometrically unique. A roboticist then calculates the robot trajectory for the future inspection.

At the time of inspection, if the environment is different from the initial measurements or does not correspond exactly to the archived scan, it is no longer possible to directly adapt the prepared trajectory; the measurements and trajectory calculations must be adjusted again. However, the nuclear environment is complex and subject to very restrictive safety regulations. Each intervention is therefore costly in terms of human resources, especially since the threshold for radiation exposure of personnel is 12 millisieverts per year, which increases the cost of repairs when they become necessary.

Yannick Caulier, Expert I, VTI level III, COFFMET level II at Framatome Intercontrôle; said: “Preparing the inspections is a complex, time consuming and costly task, because the environment is not easy to model. That is why we were looking for a software package that would allow us to easily redefine trajectories so that we could adapt our inspections to the conditions in each nuclear site.”

Current industrial robots and programming tools are not designed for unstructured field environments. Moreover, using and programming them requires a high level of expertise. To overcome these constraints, Fuzzy Logic and Visionic have developed the PRIMUS platform.

The PRIMUS Software and Hardware platform allows NDT service providers to respond to infrastructure inspection requests quickly and efficiently. It works simply, the first step is to model the environment as it is at the time of the inspection. Any additional elements that could potentially hinder the trajectory are then integrated into this modelling step, the simulation of the process before the on-site inspection is then complete. In the second step, a robot is placed next to the welded areas of the pipes. The inspection probe must be moved with great precision, this requires the use of a robot to achieve accurate positioning and orientation.

Using software developed by Fuzzy Logic, operators can set up the robot quickly, without needing to position it with great accuracy on the pipe. The 3D sensors integrated on the robot allow the robot to be quickly and easily realigned to its real environment. Trajectories can be determined in seconds with a few mouse clicks. The combination of the complex trajectory calculated by the Fuzzy Studio and the 3D scan of the weld structure by Visionic generates the inspection path adapted to the real surface. The last step consists in the inspection of the weld by ultrasound.

This method has never been used for NDT before, and the results obtained are much more accurate thanks to the control of the probe positioning, with prior adjustment based on a 3D scan of the surface.

Visionic supplies the robots and their optical system. Fuzzy Logic provides the enhanced agile programming environment, allowing programming to be done by non-roboticists and eliminating many of the setup steps. Framatome Intercontrôle contributes both the know-how and a robotic NDT weld inspection test bench for developing, testing and validating the PRIMUS solution in an operational environment.

Thanks to the PRIMUS system, Framatome Intercontrôle’s inspection time has gone from two weeks to one day. In addition, PRIMUS increases the efficiency, quality and safety of non-destructive testing while decreasing operator radiation exposure. Aided by the cooperation and support of the partners in the RIMA network, the PRIMUS system was developed, deployed and tested in a record time of 14 months, bringing industrial robotics to the forefront of nuclear infrastructure inspection.

Yannick Caulier said: “The no-code, ergonomic and versatile software, usable on all PRIMUS robots, offers us greater accessibility than ever before. We can place the robot where we want it and generate its trajectory in a few clicks. This is one of the aspects that attracted us the most.”

A successful collaboration

Ryan Lober, CEO and co-founder of Fuzzy Logic, said: “Framatome, like many other industrial corporations, is pushing the limits of what we think we can do with industrial robots. However, expert-level tools are a limiting factor. By offering a solution that is accessible to non-experts, we are paving the way for using robots in these applications, which were once thought impossible.”

Xavier Savin added: “This specific application for Framatome, which solves a particular problem, can be transposed wherever material integrity inspections are carried out by ultrasound on surfaces whose geometry is not fully predictable. Our solution can be extended to robotic applications where a different trajectory definition is important. The more variability there is in the trajectories, the more meaningful the solution will be.”

Yannick Caulier explains that the software developed for this application can be adapted for inspections of other weld types. “It is planned to develop the prototype further, with new features and fluidity in the inspection chain.”

RIMA, a bold move

The collaboration between Framatome, Fuzzy Logic and Visionic was formed in the fall of 2019, via the RIMA consortium. Framatome had a requirement that was atypical in the field of robotics. It needed a robotic solution that could be used by non-experts. The challenge was to design a software platform to define the robot trajectories in order to adapt the inspections of pipe welding in a nuclear site. Visionic and Fuzzy Logic jointly responded, convinced of the unprecedented technological potential of their solution.

RIMA subsidized the R&D costs for the Visionic and Fuzzy Logic consortium up to €300,000.

“RIMA financed a technology that never existed before, in response to an atypical need. RIMA’s bold move has paid off because in 14 months, our PRIMUS solution, developed by a start-up and an innovative SME, has demonstrated the significance of its impact in a sector that is considered very demanding,” said Ryan Lober, pleased with the success.

Xavier Savin explained: “We were aware of the commercial potential behind our technical solution. There are real opportunities for Primus on the international market.

“All 56 nuclear reactors in France will have to undergo major refurbishment, to enable them to continue production after 40 years of operation. Replacing piping in a nuclear plant is costly and complex. Our solution, which characterises the defects and whose gives reliable results, makes it possible to decide on the most appropriate maintenance steps after inspection. Our solution offers the potential for considerable economic benefits. This potential can be multiplied by the number of power plants in operation in Europe and worldwide.”

Visit the Fuzzy Logic Robotics website for more information

See all stories for Fuzzy Logic Robotics

However, such complex tasks as remote-controlled gripping or cutting of unknown objects with the help of joysticks and video surveillance cameras are difficult to control and sometimes even impossible.

To simplify this process, the National Centre for Nuclear Robotics led by Extreme Robotics Lab at the University of Birmingham in the UK is researching automated handling options for nuclear waste. The robot assistance system developed there enables “shared” control to perform complex manipulation tasks by means of haptic feedback and vision information provided by Ensenso 3D camera. The operator, who is always present in the loop can retain control over the robot’s automated actions, in case of system failures.

Manual control of robotic arms, though, is anything but trivial, and failed attempts can be as dramatic when handling radioactive waste. To avoid damage with serious consequences for humans and the environment, the robot must be able to detect the radioactive objects in the scene extremely accurately and act with precision.

The operator literally has it in his hands, it is up to him to identify the correct gripping positions. At the same time, he must correctly assess the inverse kinematics (backward transformation) and correctly determine the joint angles of the robot’s arm elements in order to position it correctly and avoid collisions. The assistance system developed by the British researchers simplifies and speeds up this task immensely: with a standard industrial robot equipped with a parallel jaw gripper and an Ensenso N35 3D camera.

The system autonomously scans unknown waste objects and creates a 3D model of them in the form of a point cloud. This is extremely precise because Ensenso 3D cameras work according to the principle of spatial vision (stereo vision), which is modelled on human vision. Two cameras view the object from different positions. Although the image content of both camera images appear identical, they show differences in the position of the objects viewed. Since the distance and viewing angle of the cameras as well as the focal length of the optics are known, the Ensenso software can determine the 3D coordination of the object point for each individual image pixel. In this case, the scene is captured using different scanning positions of the camera and combined to get a complete 3D surface from all viewing angles. Ensenso’s calibration routines help transform the individual point clouds into a global coordinate system, which improves the complete virtual image. The resulting point cloud thus contains all the spatial object information needed to communicate the correct gripping or cutting position to the robot.

With the help of the software, the Enseno 3D camera takes over the perception and evaluation of the depth information for the operator, whose cognitive load is considerably reduced as a result. The assistance system combines the haptic features of the object to be gripped with a special gripping algorithm.

“The scene cloud is used by our system to automatically generate several stable gripping positions. Since the point clouds captured by the 3D camera are high-resolution and dense, it is possible to generate very precise gripping positions for each object in the scene. Based on this, our ‘hypothesis ranking algorithm’ determines the next object to pick up, based on the robot’s current position,” explains Dr Naresh Marturi, senior research scientist at the National Centre for Nuclear Robotics.

The determined path guidance enables the robot to navigate smoothly and evenly along a desired path to the target gripping position. Like a navigation system, the system supports the operator in guiding the robot arm to the safe grasp, if necessary, also past other unknown and dangerous objects. The system calculates a safe corridor for this and helps the operator not to leave the corridor through haptic feedback.

The system maps the operator’s natural hand movements exactly and reliably in real time to the corresponding movements of the robot. The operator thus always retains manual control and is able to take over in the event of component failure. He can simply turnoff AI and move back to human intelligence by turning off the ‘force feedback mode’. In accordance with the principle of shared control between man and machine, the system thus remains under control at all times – essential in an environment with the highest level of danger.

“For all our autonomous grasp planning, remote control and visual object tracking tasks, we use Ensenso N35 model 3D cameras with blue LEDs (465nm) mounted on the end effector of the robots along with other tools,” says Dr Naresh Marturi. Most of the systems from the Extreme Robotic Lab have so far been equipped with a single 3D camera. “However, recently to speed-up the process of 3D model building we have upgraded our systems to use additional three scene mounted Ensenso 3D cameras along with the one on-board the robot.”

The Ensenso N series is predestined for this task. It was specially designed for use in harsh environmental conditions. Thanks to its compact design, the N series is equally suitable for the space-saving stationary or mobile use on a robot arm for the 3D detection of moving and static objects. Even in difficult lighting conditions, the integrated projector projects a high-contrast texture onto the object to be imaged by means of a pattern mask with a random dot pattern, thus supplementing the structures that are not or only weakly present on its surface.

The aluminium housing of the N30 models ensures optimal heat dissipation of the electronic components and thus stable light output even under extreme ambient conditions. This ensures the consistently high quality and robustness of the 3D data. Even in difficult lighting conditions, the integrated projector projects a high-contrast texture onto the object to be imaged by means of a pattern mask with a random dot pattern, thus supplementing the structures that are not or only weakly present on its surface.

Cameras of the Ensenso N camera family are easy to set up and operate via the Ensenso SDK. It offers GPU-based image processing for even faster 3D data processing and enables the output of a single 3D point cloud of all cameras used in multi-camera operation, which is required in this case, as well as the live composition of the 3D point clouds from multiple viewing directions. For the assistance system, the researchers have developed their own software in C++ to process the 3D point clouds captured by the cameras.

“Our software uses the Ensenso SDK (multi-threaded) and its calibration routines to overlay texture on the high-resolution point clouds and then transform these textured point clouds into a world coordinate system,” explains Dr Naresh Marturi. “Ensenso SDK is fairly easy to integrate with our C++ software. It offers a variety of straightforward functions and methods to capture and handle point clouds as well as camera images. Moreover, with CUDA support, the SDK routines enable us to register multiple high-resolution point clouds to generate high-quality scene clouds in global frame. This is very much important for us, especially to generate precise grasp hypothesis.”

Researchers at the Extreme Robotic Lab in Birmingham are currently developing an extension of the method to allow the use of a multi-fingered hand instead of a parallel jaw gripper. This should increase flexibility and reliability when gripping complex objects. In future, the operator will also be able to feel the forces to which the fingers of the remote-controlled robot are exposed when gripping an object. Fully autonomous gripping methods are also being developed, in which the robot arm is controlled by an AI and guided by an automatic vision system. The team is also working on visualisation tools to improve human-robot collaboration to control remote robots via a ‘shared control’ system.

This is a promising approach for the safety and health of all of us: the handling of hazardous objects such as nuclear waste is ultimately a matter of concern to us all. By reliably capturing the relevant object information, Ensenso 3D cameras are making an important contribution to this globally prevalent task of increasing urgency.

Visit the IDS website for more information

See all stories for IDS

The collaboration between Fuzzy Logic, Visionic and Framatome began when they were working on RIMA (Robotics for Inspection and Maintenance), a European Union project that aims to establish a network of digital innovation hubs and industrial associations to support the development of robotics.

To be deployed efficiently, today’s NDT technologies require a controlled, laboratory-like environment, which is precisely what is difficult to achieve in field conditions. This same challenge is what Framatome Intercontrôle is confronted with when inspecting components in the primary circuits of nuclear power plants (CNPE), especially in the case of specific welds such as tappings at the junction points between primary and secondary piping systems.

In order to overcome these challenges, Framatome Intercontrôle uses industrial robots in an innovative way to solve many NDT problems. Ultrasonic detection performed by a robot characterises the internal volumetric defects of the weld to detect possible cracks. Currently, these inspections are prepared in advance on site and require a 3D scan of the weld and measurement of the environment, each weld and environment being geometrically unique. A roboticist then calculates the robot trajectory for the future inspection.

At the time of inspection, if the environment is different from the initial measurements or does not correspond exactly to the archived scan, it is no longer possible to directly adapt the prepared trajectory; the measurements and trajectory calculations must be adjusted again. However, the nuclear environment is complex and subject to very restrictive safety regulations. Each intervention is therefore costly in terms of human resources, especially since the threshold for radiation exposure of personnel is 12 millisieverts per year, which increases the cost of repairs when they become necessary.

Yannick Caulier of Framatome Intercontrôle comments: “Preparing the inspections is a complex, time consuming and costly task, because the environment is not easy to model. That is why we were looking for a software package that would allow us to easily redefine trajectories so that we could adapt our inspections to the conditions in each nuclear site.”

Current industrial robots and programming tools are not designed for unstructured field environments. Moreover, using and programming them requires a high level of expertise. To overcome these constraints, Fuzzy Logic and Visionic have developed the PRIMUS platform.

Primus, a unique software platform

The PRIMUS Software and Hardware platform allows NDT service providers to respond to infrastructure inspection requests quickly and efficiently. It works simply, the first step is to model the environment as it is at the time of the inspection. Any additional elements that could potentially hinder the trajectory are then integrated into this modelling step, the simulation of the process before the on-site inspection is then complete. In the second step, a robot is placed next to the welded areas of the pipes.

The inspection probe must be moved with great precision, this requires the use of a robot to achieve accurate positioning and orientation. Using software developed by Fuzzy Logic, operators can set up the robot quickly, without needing to position it with great accuracy on the pipe. The 3D sensors integrated on the robot allow the robot to be quickly and easily realigned to its real environment. Trajectories can be determined in seconds with a few mouse clicks.

The combination of the complex trajectory calculated by the Fuzzy Studio  and the 3D scan of the weld structure by Visionic generates the inspection path adapted to the real surface. The last step consists in the inspection of the weld by ultrasound.

This method has never been used for NDT before, and the results obtained are much more accurate thanks to the control of the probe positioning, with prior adjustment based on a 3D scan of the surface.

Visionic supplies the robots and their optical system. Fuzzy Logic provides the enhanced agile programming environment, allowing programming to be done by non-roboticists and eliminating many of the setup steps.

Framatome Intercontrôle contributes both the know-how and a robotic NDT weld inspection test bench for developing, testing and validating the PRIMUS solution in an operational environment.

Thanks to the PRIMUS system, Framatome Intercontrôle’s inspection time has gone from two weeks to one day. In addition, PRIMUS increases the efficiency, quality and safety of non-destructive testing while decreasing operator radiation exposure. Aided by the cooperation and support of the partners in the RIMA network, the PRIMUS system was developed, deployed and tested in a record time of 14 months, bringing industrial robotics to the forefront of nuclear infrastructure inspection.

Yannick Caulier states: “The no-code, ergonomic and versatile software, usable on all PRIMUS robots, offers us greater accessibility than ever before. We can place the robot where we want it and generate its trajectory in a few clicks. This is one of the aspects that attracted us the most.”

A successful collaboration

Ryan Lober, CEO and co-founder of Fuzzy Logic, says: “Framatome, like many other industrial corporations, are pushing the limits of what we think we can do with industrial robots. However, expert-level tools are a limiting factor. By offering a solution that is accessible to non-experts, we are paving the way for using robots in these applications, which were once thought impossible.”

Xavier Savin adds: “This specific application for Framatome, which solves a particular problem, can be transposed wherever material integrity inspections are carried out by ultrasound on surfaces whose geometry is not fully predictable. Our solution can be extended to robotic applications where a different trajectory definition is important. The more variability there is in the trajectories, the more meaningful the solution will be.”

Yannick Caulier explains that the software developed for this application can be adapted for inspections of other weld types. “It is planned to develop the prototype further, with new features and fluidity in the inspection chain.”

Visit the Fuzzy Logic Robotics website for more information

See all stories for Fuzzy Logic Robotics

A manipulator arm is used to grasp and move materials without direct human contact. Typically a manipulator is an arm-like device with a number of degrees of freedom. They are used to deal with radioactive or bio-hazardous materials, in places that are inaccessible, or for applications such as surgery and in space. In this instance, JFN had identified an opportunity to develop and supply an easy-to-service and durable manipulator arm that assists in the management of nuclear waste stored at various sites throughout the UK.

Moog’s engineering knowledge, control software and servo controller technology ensured the manipulator arm could deliver a 6-axis solution with accurate motion. The arm delivers 100kg lifting capability throughout its reach of 2.3m and accesses radioactive waste through a standard 270mm diameter port. It comes with three operating modes with options for ‘taught paths’ and ‘collision avoidance’. It employs reliable industrial components including resolvers, actuators, servo valves and sensors that are integrated and driven by a sophisticated software controller.

The Moog control system is comprised two MSC II servo controllers, three MSC I servo controllers, two MSD servo drives and motion control software. The system enables shoulder joint rotation of ±130º, shoulder pitch ±90º, elbow pitch of ±130º, wrist rotate ±130º, wrist pitch ±130º, continuous tool rotate and end effector grip width of 0-150mm. All key Moog motion control components are located outside the radiated area.

Matthew Journee, JFN operations manager, comments: “We designed ModuMan around conventional hydraulic actuators coupled with proven industrial instrumentation and control elements to ensure robustness. To ensure maximum maintainability, we also decided to locate vital control elements outside the operating cell. The successful collaboration with Moog helped us to deliver the required product performance. The first ModuMan 100 has been shipped to the end user to commence evaluation and trials at a UK nuclear test facility.”

Moog applications engineer Andrew Smith adds: “We are pleased that our engineers and motion control products successfully assisted James Fisher Nuclear in the product development of the ModuMan 100 manipulator. Clearly two specialities came together. James Fisher Nuclear’s specialty in engineering, manufacturing and technical services for applications within challenging environments or with high integrity requirements and Moog’s specialty in designing and building reliable motion control products proven in extreme environments such as wind energy, oil and gas exploration and steam turbines.”

Visit the Moog website for further information.