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To find out more information about Nuclear Lifting 2022 and to register, visit the event website.
Please can you briefly explain your current role and involvement in Nuclear Lifting?
Stu Robson (SR): As Technical Sales Engineer at SCX, I am responsible for developing fit for purpose handling solutions for the nuclear industry (among others). Working alongside our mechanical engineering and EC&I teams, our aim is to design the right solution to meet the needs of the application as early as possible in the process, something that is often crucial to meet project delivery timescales.
What is the number one challenge facing lifting engineers working in nuclear environments at the moment?
SR: Finding the right balance between nuclear safety and operational efficiency. It’s important to approach problems with pragmatism, to achieve ALARP solutions, and with respect to a Safety Case. In our experience, a balanced design is the most desirable outcome: Nuclear Safety can drive up complexity in design, leading to operational & maintenance issues/risks. Nuclear Safety doesn’t necessarily have to mean complexity.
Where do you see there being significant developments in lifting technologies over the next 5 years?
SR: While the transition over to new crane standards represents a hurdle for the lifting industry as a whole (both in terms of specifying and designing), we believe that the correct application of the new standards will allow for a much more targeted approach to conservatism in design (more where it’s required and less where it’s not) and ultimately lead to a more accurate and hence efficient process throughout and more optimised solutions resulting in an overall reduction in whole life cost and environmental impact without an adverse effect on nuclear safety. The nuclear sector – quite rightly – has relied on analogue components in the design of safety circuits, and we don’t envisage that changing soon. Material science has also advanced greatly, with composites, additive manufacturing and welding techniques creating new options for fabrication in certain scenarios, and we continue to follow developments with interest. However, the familiarity with steel and its characteristics is unlikely to change much soon either.
What can engineers expect from your presentation at the event?
SR: Our topic aims to cover the transition over to the BS EN 13001 suite of crane standards and what we’ve learned so far with regards to the impact this is having on us (the crane designer and supplier) as well as the expected impact on customers when it comes to specifying and reviewing/approving/accepting designs within the nuclear industry in particular. SCX has invested heavily in educating our engineers, as well as designing new internal processes and tools to support the design process – all of which will help to accelerate the inevitable learning curve on the customer side.
What are you most looking forward to by attending and presenting at Nuclear Lifting 2022?
SR: Hopefully this opportunity will allow us, as a key supplier to the nuclear lifting industry, to highlight where this is having a real world impact on the delivery of nuclear lifting projects both with regards to cost and timescales, not just from our perspective, but our customers too. This is also an opportunity for SCX to understand more about the challenges on the customer side, and from others across industry, to see where we can help.
Why is it important for engineers to join this event?
SR: The impact this transition will have (and is having) will likely affect all stakeholders throughout the nuclear lifting and handling industry, from suppliers, to Tier 2 delivery companies, nuclear site operators and licensees right through to the industry regulators. It’s important for all to understand the potential impact this could have across the industry, and to share best practice among everyone involved.