TFTR MAINTENANCE MANIPULATOR.

The primary purpose of the maintenance manipulator for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) is to provide a means of remotely performing certain defined maintenance and inspection tasks inside the vacuum torus so as to minimize personnel exposure to radiation. The manipulator consists of a six-link folding boom connected to a fixed boom on a moveable carriage. The first, called a General Inspection Arm (GIA), provides a movable platform for an inspection camera and an in-vacuum leak detector. The second is a bilateral, force-reflecting pair of slave arms which will utilize specially developed tools to perform several maintenance functions. The detailed design of the Manipulator was performed by Kernforschungszentrum-Karlsruhe (KfK) and was fabricated by Noell, GmbH in Wurzburg, West Germany. It is currently under final test at KfK and will be installed on TFTR during the next year.