En-Vac Robotic Wall Scabbler. Innovative Technology Summary Report

S&T Accomplishment Report · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/779489· OSTI ID:779489

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL)demonstrated an En-Vac Robotic Wall Scabbler from Japan to remove contaminated paint and concrete up to five times faster than workers using a hand-held scabbling/grinding tool. The Robotic Wall Scabbler uses abrasive steel grit to blast metal and concrete surfaces and it moves along the wall and adheres to the surface using vacuum suction. The Robotic Wall Scabbling unit includes the robot, grit recycling unit, debris filtration system, vacuum system, and remote control station. It scabbles concrete at depths up to 1/8-inch per pass. The demonstration was conducted on the walls of the Decontamination Shop of Test Area North which is contaminated with polychlorobiphenyls, lead, and radionuclides. Besides production rate, other benefits of the robotic wall scabbler include reduced radiation dose to workers and no airborne contamination.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science and Technology (OST) (EM-50) (US)
• OSTI ID: 779489
• Report Number(s): DOE/EM-0578; OST/TMS ID 2321; OST/TMS ID 2321
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
ABRASIVES
AIRBORNE CONTAMINATION
CONCRETE SURFACES
CONCRETES
CONTAMINATION
DECONTAMINATION
FILTRATION
PRODUCTION
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RECYCLING
REDUCED RADIATION
REMOTE CONTROL
REMOVE CONTAMINATED PAINT
ROBOT
STEELS
VACUUM SUCTION
VACUUM SYSTEMS
WORKERS