At the latest edition of the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE), the Institut de Soudure Group reiterated that it is now a recognized player in the French and international nuclear markets for the reliability and quality of its NDT and CND services, both for regulatory inspections and for work on primary circuits (replacement of elbows and steam generators). This success is the fruit of the Group's diversification strategy over the last fifteen years, with sales in the nuclear sector now exceeding 20 million euros, representing around 20 % of the Group's total business.
Present at all French nuclear power plants, the Group is a Tier 1 service provider for EDF, working alongside constructors, manufacturers and subcontractors throughout the component life cycle.
The Institut de Soudure is involved in the Iter international scientific project at Cadarache, and is also present at the EPR construction site at Hinkley-Point (UK).
A specific response to incidental operations
Since this year, the group has been able to deploy a team of qualified inspectors and technicians to intervene as back-up, within short deadlines, during incidental operations on the entire French fleet.
Blockhouses as close as possible to the power plants
The Institut de Soudure Group has several shooting chambers, dedicated to industrial radiology for prefabrication inspection of boilermakers, in compliance with the acceptance criteria of the RCC-M, Asme, Codeti, Codap construction codes... They are ideally located throughout France, with a special feature for the Lyon - Corbas center: the possibility of shooting in a bunker with a cobalt 60 (Co60) source. In service on the Flamanville EPR, the Group also has a GAM 400 Ci iridium source for inspection of large thicknesses.
Innovative controls
Present at the latest WNE show, held in Paris-Nord Villepinte from November 20 to December 2, 2021, the Group's stand showcased its global offering for the nuclear industry, with two demonstrations:
- optimize industrial radiography in co-activity: Gamma-Prox, a proprietary system developed by the Institut de Soudure, combined with a T-Flex shell and cover, attenuates dose rate values and significantly reduces safety distances, to facilitate work in co-activity.
- inspection of butt welds on HDPE pipes: the Institut de Soudure has unveiled its solution for multi-element ultrasonic inspection of HDPE pipes connected by electrofusion, and for TOFD (Time of Flight Diffraction) ultrasonic inspection of pipes connected by mirror welding.
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