Case Study

Pile Fuel Cladding Silo (PFCS) shield doors

Hyde Group Nuclear provided manufacturing services in support of the production of six nuclear doors mounted in the external face of the PFCS silo at Sellafield.

The vertically operated doors slide within a cassette system that seals to provide nuclear containment, whilst also providing safe, controlled access for waste retrieval operations.

The project required the close interaction of Hyde Group Nuclear’s management team with the Babcock Marine manufacturing team to coordinate the interfaces between the fabrication process, sub assembly and machining.

Hyde Group Nuclear’s work involved the machining of over 800 individual parts, many of which were designated Quality Grade 1. Parts ranged from small components, such as the roller mechanisms, to large locking pins and lifting blocks, right up to the door slab and cassette casing.

The machining required the use of a wide range of machine tools, ranging from a large 7 axis Asquith to a smaller 3 axis DNM 750. The range of machine tools Hyde Group Nuclear was able make available meant it could be flexible and accommodate changes in the project schedule - at one stage the Group had thirty-two different CNC machines in operation at three different manufacturing facilities.