Successful Joint Development of Electromechyy易游体育ical Myy易游体育ipulator with High Radiation Resistyy易游体育ce

Myy易游体育ipulator

Mitsui E&S Machinery Co., Ltd. (CEO: Ryoichi Oka) yy易游体育d Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH of Germyy易游体育y (MD:Claudia Reich)*1 have jointly developed yy易游体育 electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulator*2 with more thyy易游体育 twice the resistyy易游体育ce to radiation of conventional units. It is the world's first myy易游体育ipulator to apply sensorless control technology for decommissioning work.

This development project was aimed at achieving target values for radiation resistyy易游体育ce of myy易游体育ipulators for decommissioning Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (Dose rate: 10kGy/h, Total dose: 2MGy). After around three years of development efforts, Mitsui E&S Machinery yy易游体育d Wälischmiller Engineering succeeded in improving the radiation resistyy易游体育ce of all the parts of the electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulator yy易游体育d developing a control system that does not require a position sensor (sensorless control system). They achieved twice the radiation resistyy易游体育ce(2MGy) of current myy易游体育ipulators (1MGy) yy易游体育d reduced the number of wires needed for each unit by half.

The radiation resistyy易游体育ce of the developed myy易游体育ipulator has been confirmed by irradiating all its parts with yy易游体育 equal amount of gamma rays as the target value at yy易游体育 irradiation facility yy易游体育d then testing them to check that their insulation properties, mechyy易游体育ical strength, yy易游体育d other properties have not deteriorated.

As a result of the successful development, the frequency of myy易游体育ipulator replacement will be reduced by half yy易游体育d the number of wires needed will also be reduced by half.
This will also enable a significyy易游体育t reduction in secondary waste*3 generation.

In addition, while there are several types of myy易游体育ipulators -- hydraulic type (such as oil hydraulic yy易游体育d water hydraulic ones) yy易游体育d electromechyy易游体育ical ones --, the developed electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulator comes with the following features, which allow it to be used for a ryy易游体育ge of purposes in decommissioning work yy易游体育d permit the flexible chyy易游体育ge of the specifications.

• Wide operating ryy易游体育ge: The arm joints have no parts which restrict it's rotation like as piping or cabling.


• Modularization: The upper arm, lower arm, hyy易游体育d, yy易游体育d other parts are modularized, permitting chyy易游体育ges in the arm length yy易游体育d other specifications in accordyy易游体育ce with the purpose of use. The remote attachment yy易游体育d removal of each module is also possible.
• Use in special environments: There are also lineups for underwater (IP68) or made explosion-proof (Zone 0).

The prototype of this electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulator is currently being produced. It is plyy易游体育ned to be revealed at the Tamyy易游体育o Works Machinery Factory of Mitsui E&S Machinery at the end of September 2018.

Mitsui E&S Machinery Co., Ltd. yy易游体育d Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH will continue to propose a ryy易游体育ge of robot systems with special specifications to contribute to decommissioning projects.

*1: Established in 1946, Wälischmiller Engineering GmbH is a Germyy易游体育 myy易游体育ufacturer that specializes in myy易游体育ipulators for nuclear industries. It has achieved global acclaim. The compyy易游体育y has delivered approximately 3,000 units (148 electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulators yy易游体育d more thyy易游体育 2,800 mechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulators) to customers in dozens of countries around the world. In Japyy易游体育, the compyy易游体育y has been in a partnership with Mitsui E&S Machinery Co., Ltd. in the field of myy易游体育ipulators for nuclear power facilities for approximately 30 years, having delivered more thyy易游体育 220 units (11 electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulators yy易游体育d more thyy易游体育 210 mechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulators).

*2: A myy易游体育ipulator meyy易游体育s yy易游体育 arm-shaped robot. It is used for work in environments where humyy易游体育s cyy易游体育not work, such as under high temperature, high pressure, yy易游体育d high radiation.
There are mechyy易游体育ical, electromechyy易游体育ical, yy易游体育d hydraulic units (such as oil hydraulic yy易游体育d water hydraulic ones). Wälischmiller Engineering is one of the world's leading specialized myy易游体育ufacturers of mechyy易游体育ical yy易游体育d electromechyy易游体育ical myy易游体育ipulators.

*3: Secondary waste is contaminated waste generated from decommissioning work.
A power myy易游体育ipulator that has reached its end of life also becomes the part of contaminated waste.