WÄLISCHMILLER ENGINEERING | ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
70 Years of Innovation in Remote Handling for the Nuclear Industry
Seven decades of remote handling engineering reflect the constant transformation of the nuclear industry — from early mechanical manipulators to advanced robotic and digital systems designed for the world’s most demanding and hazardous environments.
MORE THAN 80 YEARS AGO, the Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter described technological progress as a process of “creative destruction,” a continuous cycle in which innovation replaces existing structures and forces industries to reinvent themselves. Few sectors illustrate this better than the nuclear industry. From its earliest days, it has gone through repeated phases of expansion, consolidation, and transformation — from research reactors and hot cell applications to large-scale power generation, and today to decommissioning, waste management, lifetime extension, and advanced reactor concepts. Change in this industry is never simple, always slow, and never optional. For companies operating in highly specialized engineering fields, surviving these waves of change requires more than innovation alone. It demands the ability to adapt without losing the knowledge built over decades. For more than 70 years, Wälischmiller Engineering has been part of this evolution, developing remote handling systems and custom- engineered solutions for environments where reliability, precision, and safety are non-negotiable. In the early years of nuclear technology, remote handling was already essential. Research facilities and hot cells required mechanical manipulators and robust equipment to protect personnel from radiation exposure. These first systems were heavy, purely mechanical, and built for durability under extreme conditions. They laid the foundation for decades of expertise in designing machines that must work where humans cannot. With the global expansion of nuclear power in the second
half of the twentieth century, requirements became far more complex. Nuclear power plants demanded specialized equipment for maintenance, fuel handling, inspection, and repair under strict regulatory conditions. During this period, Wälischmiller established itself as a trusted engineering partner, delivering manipulators, transport systems, and tailor-made machines for operators, research institutes, and engineering companies worldwide. Projects had to meet the highest safety standards, and failure was never an acceptable outcome. In recent decades, the focus of the industry has shifted again. While new reactors continue to be built in some regions, many countries are concentrating on decommissioning, waste treatment, and the safe handling of aging infrastructure. These tasks often require even more precise and reliable remote handling technology than original plant construction. Conditions are harsher, access is more limited, and documentation and qualification requirements are stricter than ever before. As a result, experience has become as valuable as innovation. At the same time, technology itself has changed
dramatically. What began with mechanical manipulators has evolved into advanced robotic systems with digital control, simulation, and automation. Virtual commissioning, radiation- resistant materials, and modern operator interfaces allow
Telemanipulators A100 installed at the research centre in Karlsruhe, Germany.
complex operations to be performed safely in environments where direct human intervention is impossible. Remote handling today combines classical mechanical engineering with high-precision robotics and sophisticated software. Looking ahead, the nuclear sector will continue to
transform over the next decades. A growing number of decommissioning projects worldwide will require proven remote handling solutions for dismantling, waste processing, and storage. New reactor concepts such as small modular reactors demand compact, flexible, and highly reliable equipment. Research in advanced fuels, fusion technology, and next-generation facilities is creating additional need for specialized systems capable of operating under extreme conditions. At the same time, automation, digital twins, and smarter control systems will play an even greater role in reducing risk and increasing efficiency. Throughout all these changes, one requirement has
remained constant. In nuclear environments, equipment must perform safely and precisely every single time. There is no room for compromise, no second attempt, and no tolerance for failure. For more than seven decades, Wälischmiller Engineering has been meeting exactly these demands — combining long- term experience with continuous innovation to deliver remote handling solutions for some of the most challenging applications in the world. ■
Robotic system TELBOT® (left) operated by haptic input device (right).
www.neimagazine.com | April 2026 | 97
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