Designers at SverdNIIhimmash (part of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division) have received patents for a model of a press powder granulator for a robotic line and a sealed granulator for the manufacture of fuel pellets. The equipment is intended for the formation of fuel granules from carbon-containing and other fine-dispersive materials and can be used for the manufacture of granules of various sizes in other industries. Including for the industrial production of uranium-plutonium fuel.
When developing the granulator, scientific and technological solutions were used that would allow the operation of equipment as part of a robotic line with no personnel in the work area. The new equipment, in contrast to that of previous generations, will allow the robotic technological complex to carry out readjustment and repair automatically, and will simplify the process of replacing components if it is necessary to obtain granules of a different size. The equipment has already passed a series of necessary tests and is ready for industrial implementation.
“Currently granulators require manual service with the participation of the operator. The design of our granulator is designed for maintenance by robotic technological complexes, which removes the need for manual operations for the installation and dismantling of equipment, limiting the presence of personnel in the working area in full accordance with the requirements of modern automated production,” said Anton Ryaposov, head of the design group.
The equipment developed by Ural designers has a wide industry spectrum of application. In addition to the nuclear industry, it can be used in various industries, such as pharmaceutical, processing, construction industry and powder metallurgy. Equipment can also be used to prepare various powders for 3D printing. Testing of the industrial granulator has been completes and the equipment is ready for work in real technological conditions.
