Rosatom using collaborative robot welder for experimental design work
Experimental design work with laser welding of steel retaining rings carried out using a collaborative robot has begun at the Central Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering in St Petersburg.
The steel retaining rings, which have a diameter of about 8 centimetres and a thickness of 3 millimetres, hold the graphite bearing elements in the main circulation pumps in position.
Stanislav Skvortsov, Technical Director of the Mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory at TsKBM, said: "The ring has a complex geometry, it is very thin. Currently, welding of such rings at TsKBM (Central Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering) is performed without automation of the process. Even highly qualified welders find it difficult to carry out this work - it is difficult to ensure stable quality along the entire length of the weld, the slightest movement of the hand can lead to the appearance of defects. Mastering robotic laser welding allows us to obtain a consistently high quality weld that does not require subsequent processing."
A collaborative robot can work together with a person to create or manufacture products, helped, for instance, by having sensors which can control the force of their movement and allow manual control.
TsKBM, part of the Machine-Building division of Rosatom, is the developer and manufacturer of main circulation pumps for VVER reactors "as well as a wide range of remotely controlled equipment for working with radioactive materials, and offers new technological solutions in various fields of industry. In October 2023, the company opened a laboratory to develop competencies and reference solutions for the implementation of promising projects using robotics, mechatronics and machine vision".
The intention is that after conducting the experimental design work, if the samples meet quality standards, the bureau will aim to adopt the use of robot laser welding technology.
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