AUTOMATIC LINE FOR FABRICATING CASES OF FUEL ELEMENTS OF NUCLEAR REACTOR Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC G21C21/02 

FIELD: power industry.

SUBSTANCE: automatic line is equipped with mechanism of inter-operational cassette unloading installed before facility for cutting-off and with mechanism of inter-operational cassette loading arranged after weighting facility. The mechanisms of unloading and loading the inter-operational cassette are equipped with devices of vertical step motion at a value equal to a step of flanges of the inter-operational cassette whereon tubes or cases are arranged in the cassette. The automatic line is equipped with an installation of cases laser labelling; the installation consists of a case storage with a facility for lengthwise supply of cases to a labelling position; also the installation consists of a precision laser labelling complex arranged coaxially to the facility for lengthwise supply and of a bar-code scanner. The facility for cutting-off and a facility for external and internal chamfering are equipped with mechanisms of precision feed of the case into the mechanisms of cutting-off and chambering. A welding module is made in form of an installation for contact-butt-seam welding additionally containing a facility for inert gas blowing through a welding chamber. Devices of transfer from a mechanism to mechanism are arranged on the installations and are made in form of a stepped conveyor rack with several parallel rows of racks installed perpendicular to axes of line mechanisms; also distance between neighbour racks prevents deformation of tubes and cases. Racks have coaxial through all racks cuts to receive tubes and cases.

EFFECT: fabricating fuel elements of various length on one line without mechanisms resetting.