Image of the week
A steep climb
13 Jun 2022
In the days and weeks to come, the sector module that was installed in the Tokamak assembly pit on 11-12 May will be moved closer to its final position. Hydraulic systems in both the radial beam above the module and TIPI tables (for toroidal field coil pair installation tool) below it will progressively push the 1,250-tonne sub-assembly closer to the central column, prior to landing it on its dedicated gravity support.
As the sector module is not yet perfectly stabilized, scaffolding cannot be installed. In its place, rope access technicians are called to position the "fiducial targets" that will be used in laser metrology.
Metrology plays a key role in ensuring that the component's movements will be performed with the required precision. Operators need to know whether minute distortions—in the tenth of a millimetre range—have occurred during the transfer of the modular assembly from tooling in the Assembly Hall to the Tokamak pit.
The rope access technician in this image is positioning "fiducial targets" (approximately 15 on each side of the component) that will reflect the laser beams of the metrology system and provide ultra-accurate measurements.