Mould Gripper for Interim Storage of Radioactive Waste

Task:

For the disposal from nuclear power stations, it is necessary to seal the nuclear waste with glass and cast it in moulds. The handling of those moulds occurs in a manless system. This is aggravated by the fact that the temperature in the bottles is approx. 600 C.
For the handling of such moulds a gripper is to be engineered.

Solution:

In cooperation with the KFK (Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, i.e. Nuclear Research Centre at Karlsruhe) the gripper system was made as follows:

  • modular system which covers all required applications
  • combination of up to three functions possible
  • operation without auxiliary energy
  • simple, rugged design
  • no wear parts
  • no lubricants required
  • insensitive to radiation (high-grade-steel construction)
  • good decontamination properties
  • can be used at increased temperatures
  • good centering with all diameters, due to wide openings and low center of gravity
  • long actuation travels, so actuation cannot go unnoticed
  • mechanical interlock of the gripper arms until actuation