Special Tool Design

PCI has tooling design engineering and Fabrication capabilities currently comprised of a full-time staff that includes Mechanical, Electrical and Machine Designers. Their broad-based set of knowledge and skills enables PCI to produce sound, cost effective solutions to conventional machining and welding projects as well as address those that require a unique, technology driven response. Having engineering an fabrication capabilities in one building make PCI’s response time to emergent issues very fast earning PCI the reputation for “First in the Field.”

PCI has developed measurement and delivery systems including (multi-axis) manipulators, feed tables, tracks, masts and bridges to deploy welding, cutting, machining, vision and NDE technologies. Design of equipment control systems range from simple manual electric, hydraulic or pneumatic to sophisticated automated computerized numeric controls, joined with PC-based real time data acquisition and feedback systems.

The characteristics of the PCI Engineering Group that distinguish us from our competitors are superior problem solving skills and the ability to design and manufacture tooling on an expedited schedule.

Specific areas of tool and system design expertise include:

  • Custom Welding, including Underwater, Systems
  • Underwater and Above Water Laser Welding
  • Underwater Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM)
  • Remote Controlled Welding, Cutting, and NDE Equipment
  • Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) Machine Tools
  • Metallurgical Boat Sample Collection Tooling and Systems
  • Video Inspection and Process Monitoring Systems

Hardware/Software Utilized

All design and development work is done in house, utilizing state of the art design software. The following programs are utilized:

  • AutoDesk Inventor for three dimensional design applications and solids modeling
  • AutoCAD for two dimensional mechanical design applications
  • OrCAD for electronic design applications
  • Algor for Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
  • MathCAD for engineering calculations and analyses
  • Visual Basic for control programming

Experience

  • Underwater Hyperbaric Welding Equipment
  • Pressurizer Structural Weld Overlay Equipment
  • Spent Fuel Dry Canister Welding Equipment
  • Reactor Vessel Head Penetration Repair Tooling
  • Metallurgical Sample Extraction Tooling
  • Upflow and Upper Head Temperature Reduction (UHTR) Modification Tooling
  • Reactor Vessel Internals Decommissioning Tooling and Equipment

For more information regarding Special Tooling Design please contact us.

Outside and Inside Mounted Pipe Welding System

Underwater Laser Welding System

Complex Underwater Tool Positioning Systems for Reactor Internal Repair