Faced with the challenge of deploying a mechanical arm through a narrow penetration into a cell at Sellafield's MSSS facility, Rovtech devised a solution built on a preliminary design by Sellafield’s Innovation team. Their design utilized carbon fibre tubes, combined with mechanical tilt and rotate functions, ensuring precise movements in all directions. This collaboration between Rovtech and Sellafield Ltd has resulted in a tool that not only meets the client's specifications but is also robust enough for rigorous nuclear environments.

The Sellafield LINC project sought a robotic arm capable of navigating a 150mm diameter, 1.2m long penetration into a cell within the MSSS facility. This arm needed to reach a distance of 3m, handle a 10Kg payload, and have a movement range of 360 degrees in X, Y, and Z directions.

Rovtech's answer to this challenge was a design that capitalized on square section carbon fibre tubes with integrated polyethylene bearing surfaces. These components, combined with the mechanical tilt and rotate functions, ensured the arm's flexibility and precision in operations. As a result of this collaboration, the prototype system is now gearing up for trials and training, with discussions in progress to expand its use to other sites, such as Dounreay.