Southern California Edison

Sheet Metal Fabrication Services

VALUE DELIVERED

A training environment in which client employees can safely learn how to handle life-threatening situations; the ability to handle these situations competently and effectively, which could eventually save millions of lives.

SHEET METAL FABRICATION SCOPE OF WORK

UMEC’s sheet metal fabrication experts designed, fabricated, and delivered a life-size 11-foot-high nuclear reactor containment mock-up made of heavy-gauge structural steel.

FACILITY BACKGROUND

Employees at Southern California Edison’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) use the mock-up to practice changing graylocks (specialty fittings that contain nuclear fuel rods). Teams of 16 people in full protective gear working within strictly controlled time periods rapidly disassemble the fittings. They then practice removing the old fuel rods, replacing them with new ones, and reassembling the graylocks.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION OBJECTIVES

To simulate real-life operations, which must be performed in the core of the nuclear reactor in less than four hours without a misstep.

FABRICATION SOLUTIONS

Having heard of this application, other utility companies are interested in either sharing this training mock-up or obtaining one of their own sheet metal fabricated structure.