Published date: 21 October 2022

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 21 November 2022, 12pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Instruments for checking physical characteristics - 38400000

  • Industrial process control equipment and remote-control equipment - 38800000

  • Miscellaneous evaluation or testing instruments - 38900000

    • Industrial machinery - 42000000

    • Machinery for mining, quarrying, construction equipment - 43000000

    • Coal or rock cutters and tunnelling machinery, and boring or sinking machinery - 43120000

    • Engineering works and construction works - 45220000

    • Research and development services and related consultancy services - 73000000

    • Research and experimental development services - 73100000

    • Research services - 73110000

    • Research and development consultancy services - 73200000

    • Research consultancy services - 73210000

    • Development consultancy services - 73220000

    • Design and execution of research and development - 73300000

    • Core drilling - 76340000

Location of contract

OX14 3DB

Value of contract

£0 to £40,000

Procurement reference

20221021160503-72814

Published date

21 October 2022

Closing date

21 November 2022

Closing time

12pm

Contract start date

12 December 2022

Contract end date

27 January 2023

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) - the Client - is developing technologies for nuclear decommissioning in both fusion and fission fields. UKAEA is proving feasibility of different cutting tools for size reduction of different components. Those technologies will eventually be deployed fully remotely in the final application. Currently undertaken study focuses on cutting of a complex, nonradioactive component. The workpiece to be cut is made of multiple copper coils encased in resin, cladded with Inconel and with stainless steel heat shields attached. The two technologies investigated are the diamond wire saw (DWS) cutting and circular saw (CS) cutting. Both have been previously deployed to cut the work piece, but further development of those technologies is needed. The focus of the proposed trials is to investigate cold and dry cutting and perform reaction force and temperature measurement.
Therefore, UKAEA is looking at contracting a cutting technology specialist to demonstrate cutting of the work piece using both technologies in accordance with the specification.

The Client is particularly interested in learning about blade types, forces and temperatures observed during Circular Saw cutting. The justification for performing CS trials is based on expert recommendation of CS technology and to understand the feasibility of the technology based on prior CS trials. There are CS technology concerns that the Client is interested to understand, particularly Blade type, required sample clamping forces, required cutting forces, recommended cutting speed and rate. Likelihood of CS snagging / stopping abruptly and with high stopping loads (what is the
maximum torque), amount and type of swarf / material generated when compared to a DWS, sample temperatures reached during cutting and the effect on the Epoxy Resin within the Divertor Coils, heat generation of smoke, harmful and damaging halogen gases which could damage extract gas handling systems.

More information

Links

About the buyer

Contact name

Matt Burton

Address

Culham Science Centre
Abingdon
OX14 3DB
ENG

Email

matt.burton@ukaea.uk

Website

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority