An industrial robot welder has been introduced at Rosatom. PHOTO

On December 26, 2024, it became known that specialists from the Central Engineering Design Bureau (TsKBM) of Rosatom began testing a collaborative robot for laser welding in the mechatronics and robotics laboratory in St. Petersburg.

According to Rosatom, the robot is designed to weld steel retaining rings with a diameter of 8 cm and a thickness of 0.3 mm, which hold the graphite elements of the bearings in the main circulation pumps.

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Фото: aem-group.ru

Stanislav Skvortsov, technical head of the mechatronics and robotics laboratory at TsKBM, emphasizes that due to the complex geometry and small thickness of the rings, even highly qualified welders find it difficult to ensure stable weld quality along the entire length.

For laser welding, a special stand has been created in the laboratory, including a robotic manipulator, equipment for fixing parts and a laser installation. Upon completion of the tests and study of the samples, the technology will be introduced into production.

The collaborative robot is equipped with sensors that control the force of movement, which ensures safe work near a person and the ability to manually control, unlike traditional industrial robots.

The Laboratory of Mechatronics and Robotics, opened in October 2023, was created to develop competencies and develop reference solutions in the field of robotics, mechatronics and machine vision.

CKBM is the leading enterprise of Rosatom for the development and production of main circulation pumps for VVER reactors, the design of sealed, cantilever, feed and emergency pumps for nuclear power plants.

The introduction of robotic technologies is aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of production processes in the nuclear industry, contributing to the development of domestic engineering and strengthening the technological sovereignty of Russia.^[1]

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