Vinçotte presents floatarm at the Kiwa Swedish Nuclear Conference

The Kiwa Swedish Conference on Nuclear Power 2023 is the premier annual event for the Swedish nuclear power industry and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

This two-day conference provides an exceptional platform for networking and knowledge exchange, focusing on pioneering developments in nuclear power technology, ensuring the long-term safe operation of nuclear power plants and exploring advances in materials science, load analysis, dynamics, thermal hydraulics, structural integrity, test methodologies, quality assurance and safety assessments.

The floatarm in action #

Vinçotte, member of the Kiwa Group, recently achieved excellent results with the floatarm, an articulated arm robot for multifunctional NDT inspections. The floatarm was deployed at Belgoprocess, a Belgian company responsible for processing, conditioning and storing radioactive waste.

Capable of operating in a radiation environment, the floatarm can be used for inspections of hard-to-reach areas in nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities. The robot can be equipped with a wide range of NDT equipment.

At Belgoprocess, the floatarm was deployed to inspect the condition of bunkered storage tanks at their wastewater treatment plant. The robot was able to fully inspect the storage tanks, including hard-to-reach areas. The inspection results were very satisfactory.

Martijn Cuyx, Innovation Manager at Vinçotte, will present the Belgoprocess case study at the Kiwa Swedish Conference on Nuclear Power 2023. Cuyx will also answer questions on what Vinçotte has learned about robotic inspections of such infrastructures.