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Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), a Fluor-led company with Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, including the Savannah River National Laboratory, located near Aiken, South Carolina. 

The Savannah River Site was constructed during the early 1950s to produce the basic materials used in the fabrication of nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239, in support of our nation's defense programs. However, since the close of the Cold War, the nuclear reactors at the Savannah River Site have been shut down, and efforts are now focused on removing and cleaning up nuclear and hazardous waste.  

Machining in nuclear environments 

Since approximately 2003, extensive cleanup and closure work has been completed at the Savannah River Site by SRNS. To date, over 280 buildings, covering more than 2.5 million square feet, have been demolished, and SRNS is preparing to demolish an additional 5 buildings in the second half of 2021.  

In addition, SRNS oversees waste management and disposition of certain radioactive waste and management of nuclear fuels and materials. Therefore, SRNS must adhere to highly stringent safety protocols and utilize specialty equipment that protect personnel from hazardous exposure.  

Tri Tool develops a solution 

In April 2021, SRNS awarded Tri Tool a contract to develop an articulated remote-controlled roller cutting system that can be used within a glovebox. The machine allows for the safe opening of stainless steel canisters within a controlled, hazardous air environment. The remote-controlled system means the operator does not have to be in the space with the machine, providing for better ergonomics, higher productivity, and safer working conditions.  

Tri Tool designed the articulated remote-controlled roller cutting system in collaboration with SRNS engineers and stakeholders. The Tri Tool engineering team took an existing solution—the 576 AC SeverMaster®—and customized it to adhere to SRNS’ specific project requirements.  

The solution is designed for use in a glove box and performs remote chipless canister opening.   

Other unique features include a pivoting base stand, laser pointer for cut location reference and 

a burnishing module to push the burr out of the way to allow removal of the inner can. 

Turn to MissionBuilt™ Solutions 

Tri Tool is proud of our record of consistently providing the industry's finest design, engineering, and manufacturing support. Over the years, we have produced countless variations of our standard equipment. Machinery can be modified, special accessories developed, or completely new machinery built. 

MissionBuilt™ Solutions can extend the cutting range of standard tools, automate operations, enable difficult tolerances to be met or enable the machines to perform unusual cuts. Special clamping fixtures can be produced that allow machinery to securely hold specific fittings or tubing assemblies, and specialized tool bits can be designed to produce complex final end preparation results.  

Machines can be built from special materials or modified to operate via remote control in order to perform work in hazardous or otherwise inaccessible situations, such as the Savannah River Site. 

Learn more about Tri Tool’s MissionBuilt™ solutions here. 
 

About Tri Tool 

Tri Tool is a global leader in the design and manufacture of custom MissionBuilt™ engineered solutions and high-performance PurposeBuilt™ precision machine tools for major industrial markets, including aerospace, government and defense, life sciences, power generation, oil and gas, and semiconductor. For over 49 years, we have partnered with the world’s top companies, providing state-of-the-art equipment, Field Services, and Rental Programs that increase productivity, optimize costs, and accelerate delivery. Unconventional innovation with extreme agility and proven results—that’s our thing, solving your toughest challenges, anywhere, in record time.