Complex nuclear tasks often require specialized tooling that can operate with precision in environments where access, radiation, space, and time are significant constraints. ATS Nuclear Energy Solutions combines nuclear expertise, automation, robotics, and engineering to design, build, test, and deploy custom automated tooling that helps customers execute critical work more safely, efficiently, and predictably.
The Challenges We Address with Automated Tooling
Understanding where nuclear projects often slow down or carry hidden risk.
Safety & Personnel Exposure
Minimize personnel interaction with hazardous, radiological, or difficult-to-access environments through remote and automated tooling that enables critical tasks to be performed from a safe distance.
Schedule & Critical Path
Complex tooling activities can have a direct impact on project schedules and outage duration. Automation creates more predictable, repeatable processes that help reduce task time and keep critical path activities moving.
Cost & Resource Constraints
Specialized nuclear work requires significant resources and highly skilled personnel. In conjunction with skilled trades, automated tooling can reduce manual intervention, improve productivity, and make more effective use of skilled teams to be deployed in other areas.
Precision & Repeatability
Nuclear applications often demand extremely precise and consistent execution. Automated tooling delivers controlled, repeatable movements and processes that reduce variability and improve quality.
Challenging Environments
Radiation, underwater environments, confined spaces, and difficult-to-access components can make conventional tooling challenging to use. ATS develops purpose-built automated solutions engineered to perform reliably in these environments.
First-of-a-Kind Challenges
When no existing solution meets the requirements, new tooling must be designed, tested, and proven. ATS works collaboratively with customers to develop, prototype, simulate, and validate custom solutions before deployment in high impact areas.
Our Solutions
Approaches designed to reduce risk and improve execution at each stage.
Custom Automated Tooling
Design and build purpose-specific automated tooling for complex nuclear applications where standard equipment cannot meet the technical or operational requirements.
Remote & Robotic Tooling
Enable operators to perform complex tasks remotely using robotic systems, manipulators, and automated tooling that reduce personnel exposure while maintaining precision and control.
Underwater Tooling
Develop specialized tooling for underwater inspection, maintenance, segmentation, and component handling in challenging nuclear environments.
Reactor Component Tooling
Engineer automated systems for the removal, installation, inspection, and handling of critical reactor components during refurbishment and maintenance activities.
Key Benefits
The advantages of partnering with ATS Nuclear Energy Solutions.
Improve Safety
Reduce personnel exposure and manual intervention by moving complex or hazardous tasks into automated and remotely operated systems.
Accelerate Project Delivery
Increase productivity and create more predictable processes to help shorten critical path activities, reduce task times, and keep projects on schedule.
Reduce Project Risk
Validate tooling through engineering, simulation, prototyping, mock-ups, and testing before deployment, reducing uncertainty in the field.
Increase Precision & Repeatability
Standardize complex processes and improve execution consistency through controlled, automated movements and workflows.
Optimize Skilled Resources
Use automation to handle repetitive and precision-critical tasks, allowing highly skilled nuclear professionals to focus on activities that require their expertise.
Improve Lifecycle Performance
Design tooling with reliability, maintainability, and long-term performance in mind to maximize value throughout the project and operating lifecycle.
Applications
Automated tooling can be engineered for a wide range of nuclear applications, including:
Refurbishment
Automate complex reactor component removal, installation, inspection, and maintenance activities to support shorter, more predictable outages.
Decommissioning & Waste Management
Support safe dismantling and waste processing and storage through automated segmentation, cutting, handling, and characterization of radioactive components.
Operations & Maintenance
Improve the efficiency and repeatability of inspection, maintenance, and material handling activities throughout the operating lifecycle.
SMR & New Build
Develop first-of-a-kind tooling, automated processes, and manufacturing systems to support the construction, assembly, commissioning, and future deployment of advanced reactors.
Fuel Fabrication
Automate material handling, assembly, inspection, and manufacturing processes within controlled environments, including hot cells and glove boxes.
Underwater & Remote Applications
Enable complex work in environments that are inaccessible or unsuitable for direct human intervention through remotely operated and underwater tooling.
Have a Complex Nuclear Task to Automate?
Whether you’re solving a first-of-a-kind challenge or looking to improve an established process, ATS can help design, test, and deploy the right automated tooling solution.