Task:
For disposal in nuclear power plants, it is necessary to melt the radioactive waste with glass and pour it into molds. These molds are handled in an unmanned system. To make matters worse, the temperature of the bottles is around 600 °C.
A gripper must be developed to handle these molds.
Solution:
The gripping system was designed in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center (KFK) as follows:
- Modular system; covers all requirements
- Combination of up to three functions possible
- Actuation without auxiliary power
- Simple, robust construction
- No wearing parts
- No lubricants required
- Insensitive to radiation (stainless steel version)
- Good decontaminability
- Can be used at elevated temperatures
- Good centering for all diameters thanks to wide openings and low centre of gravity
- Long switching distances, therefore no unnoticed switching possible
- Mechanical locking of the gripper arms until switching
