Speakers
Description
Maintenance in hostile environments where human access is limited or prohibited requires remotely operated systems capable of delivering high precision, reliability, and minimal setup time to ensure safe and efficient operation. Tekniker addresses these challenges through its Remote Handling specialization line, developing systems able to perform accurate mechanical tasks within highly constrained spaces, under radiation or in other demanding conditions.
Within this framework, Tekniker has developed the RC160T, a remotely operable clamp intended to minimise human intervention in vacuum installations. The device is built from bronze and stainless-steel components to avoid material activation, is compatible with CF and ISO-K flanges, eliminating the need for modifications existing vacuum lines. The clamping force has been characterised through integrated strain gauges, enabling correlation between torque and effective sealing load. Leak-rate performance, measured according to UNE-EN ISO 20485** using the LT tracer-gas method, achieves values below 1e-12 mbar·l/s. The RC160T operates with a single-axis actuation that can be used manually with a pole or remotely by a robotic system. The clamp has been validated using both conventional CF gaskets and diamond-edge profile gaskets on ISO K flanges. This results in reliable, and tool-friendly solution that enhances system availability while reducing human exposure, maintenance time, and the operational footprint of vacuum-system.
Footnotes
CF (ConFlat): Standard type of ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) flange using a knife-edge seal.
ISO-K: Vacuum flange standardised under ISO 1609.
**UNE-EN ISO 20485: International standard defining methodologies for determining leak rates using tracer-gas techniques.
| Paper status | No proceeding expected for this contribution. |
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