Design costs are a significant element of the total cost of a one off part. It is therefore important to use systems that are efficient concentrate the designer’s time on quality. The design software used is the Unigraphics Ideas system that is also used by major manufacturers such as Ford and Nissan Motor manufacturers. This software allows good visualisation of components, efficient translation into detail drawings and provides simulation/analysis capability for mechanisms and structure. An example of visualisation and detail design is shown below:
Mechanism Design
The mechanism simulation and analysis package allows mechanisms to be driven to see that there are no geometrical clashes and also allows inputs of pressure, force, and speed etc and the outputs can be selected for any part of the mechanism. In the illustration below the input hydraulic pressure in the cylinder and the output is shoulder torque. This example is a modification for a Schilling Rig mate to allow 180 degree shoulder motion in place of approximately 100 degrees for the standard unit. The modification was done for the B212 project at Sellafield.
The time for this analysis is minutes whereas manual calculations would take many hours.
Structural Analysis
Component parts can be taken directly from the solid modelling phase for finite element analysis. The analysis package allows for direct loading onto geometrical features so that iterative runs with changes in geometry do not incur time in re-applying loads and constraints. Also there are powerful contact analysis features that allow many parts in an assembly to be analysed in one run. An example of that is shown below where there are three pins in the shoulder component, one for pivoting, one for the ram connection and the third for transferring the shoulder torque into the main arm segment.
Control System Analysis
The analysis of control systems is undertaken using Matlab software that has been designed to give many standard controls system functional elements. The functional blocks can be assembled and run showing the effect of system inputs and outputs with stability margins reported. The graphical interface allows for the easy interpretation of results.
The software allows for the actual hardware system responses to be monitored and analysed so that the real equipment performance can be compared against predictions and true stability margins can be recorded.
Typical outputs are shown in the illustrations below.
Software Design
The design and documentation of software has been done to NF69/3 and RMS has experience in the application of CONCISE. The software prepared to this specification has been used for equipment used in the Vitrification Plants Lines 1, 2 & 3 and also for decommissioning projects.
SCADA software has been written to provide the operator interface for the equipment provided for the B212 Caesium Plant Decommissioning Project. A picture of the B212 control room is shown below where there are two SCADA touch screens. They control the decontamination booth and the tool change carousel.
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