Management of a small team & a number of work packages from preliminary design through to implementation including the responsibility for ensuring the project was delivered to time & budget. This included the evaluation of proposal   drawings,   providing time estimates for work involved to engineer, design and detail any mechanical items required to meet the proposals & relevant client specifications. Following contract award I fully design & detail mechanical assemblies (sometimes with the aid of a Stress Engineer & Draughts-person), liaising with the client & pertinent suppliers of specialist parts, the aim being to arrive at the best possible solution to suit the clients needs. This included a number of mechanical handling projects for the Box Encapsulation Plant at BNFL Sellafield including:-

• Mechanical hatches running on 4 wheel bearings, remotely actuated via a motor complete with ancillary items (gearboxes etc) necessary to achieve the speed, power and torque requirements. These hatches are used to cover radioactive shafts in a power station, so they must be remotely operated and well shielded to avoid radiation ‘shine’.
• Through wall ‘out cell’ (non radioactive) to ‘incell’ (radioactive) drives, to drive similar hatches operated via a motor and an actuated screw-jack.
• Turn-tables in measurement wells used to rotate and lift radioactive drums so that they may be safely moved. The radioactivity can then be monitored prior to reprocessing. These are controlled via a combination of motor and screw-jack.