Robot Deployed Laser Ablation System For Surface Cleaning

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo®) programme is a collaboration between UKAEA, UKNDA, Sellafield and Manchester University and includes an initial 3-year programme of technology development. The programme is focussed on delivering and proving underlying robotics and artificial intelligence technologies that are required for effective decommissioning, as well as providing deployment opportunities to have maximum operational impact. Using robotics and AI in hazardous nuclear decommissioning environments will provide the step-change in capabilities needed to move towards a cheaper, faster, and less hazardous set of next generation decommissioning activities. Decontamination is one of the RAICo programme’s main themes and it is aiming at developing tools for fission decommissioning and fusion engineering applications. RAICo are investigating the use of laser ablation / cleaning systems which can be deployed on collaborative robots for the cleaning of small parts and components of differing geometries. In support of this likely future requirement, this PIN is being issued to understand the current market capability to deliver a robotic deployed laser cleaning system for the cleaning of small metallic parts and components of differing size and shapes. The system is envisaged to be an integrated system that could be, capable of combining a collaborative robot (e.g. UR-10e) deploying a cleaning laser system and linking that with a second collaborative robot (e.g. UR-10e) that can hold, manoeuvre and place objects inside an enclosure. This PIN will result in UKAEA being able to create a specification for this requirement and may issue a competitive tender to the market in early 2024.