As recent as supporting Siempelkamp Nuclear Services Inc in the design and fabrication of segmentation equipment for the Zion D&D project, we have worked on several nuclear reactor decommissioning projects.

Our heavy involvement in the "dry" decommissioning of NASA's Plum Brook nuclear reactor in Sandusky, Ohio spanned 4 years. From concept tool design to actual on-site field support, we are proud to have been a part of this unique project.

Not only was Plum Brook a nut-and-bolt removal of the reactor internals, but it is done without any water shielding. Conditions inside the reactor dictated a "No Arc - No Spark" dismantling of the reactor and it's internals. Our staff developed a segmentation and packaging plan that worked with the very strict ALARA plan this type of decommissioning approach dictated.

Other decommissioning projects have used more common under water dismantling of the reactors. Connecticut Yankee (CY) and San Onofre (SONGS-1) utilized Abrasive Water Jet cutting for much of the work. We designed several of the Mechanical Discharge Machining (MDM) tools successfully used for these projects. We also designed the MDM equipment used in testing for the decommissioning of Fort St. Vrain.

During the Three Mile Island recovery (TMI-2 Recovery), three of our designers conceived virtually all of the equipment used to remove the Lower Core Support Assembly (LCSA) from the damaged reactor vessel.

When designing our tooling and equipment we think about the waste class of the components we will be cutting. We understand the problems that can develop when GTCC (greater than class C) waste is cut and the debris is allowed to mix with lower class waste. Packaging efficiency will also drive where a component is cut.

Below are links to cut sheets for recent machines and equipment we have supplied: