Nuclear

Nuklearer Transport- und Lagerbehälter aus der Serienfertigung von DWE

Precision components for fusion technology.

The nuclear sector of DWE focuses, among other things, on the precision manufacturing of vacuum vessels for fusion technology. This field of application places the highest demands on manufacturing quality, tightness, material integrity, and verification. It is characterized by the manufacture of large and technically demanding components under reproducible and fully documented production conditions.

Transport and storage casks — series production

Fuel elements are transported and dry-stored in thick-walled casks – components that must ensure absolute tightness, shielding, and mechanical integrity over decades. DWE manufactures such casks in series and thereby contributes a capability that is decisive in the cask business: the reproducible manufacture of heavy, forged and welded large components in consistent, fully documented quality.

Nukleare Komponente aus der Fertigung von DWE

Reference: Orano

For Orano, one of the world’s leading suppliers of nuclear transport and storage casks, DWE manufactures such casks in series. DWE acts as an industrial series manufacturer according to the design, specification, and quality assurance of the license and design-type holder. This role requires reproducible manufacturing processes, the highest material and welding quality, and complete documentation throughout the entire manufacturing process.

What DWE contributes

Thick-walled cask bodies

Series production of thick-walled cask bodies in reproducible quality

Welded large components

Manufacture of forged and welded large components

Manufacturing-oriented production concepts

Development and implementation of manufacturing-oriented production concepts

Welding and testing technology

Welding and testing technology critical to tightness and integrity, including non-destructive testing

Manufacturing and testing processes at a single site

Implementation of all essential manufacturing and testing processes at a single site

Verification and documentation

Complete verification and documentation

Fusion technology — vacuum vessels and precision components

Fusion technology requires components that combine industrial dimensions with scientific precision. Vacuum vessels for stellarators are large-volume, double-walled precision structures whose geometry must be maintained exactly down to the millimeter range.

Reference project: Wendelstein 7-X

For Wendelstein 7-X, the world’s largest stellarator, operated by the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, DWE manufactured central components of the cryostat, including the plasma vessel, the outer vessel, and the thermal insulation. The ring-shaped plasma vessel, with a diameter of around 12.8 m, was produced in ten sections whose complex geometry required manufacturing tolerances in the millimeter range.

Current engagement: Proxima Fusion /
Alpha Alliance

DWE is a member of the Alpha Alliance, the European industrial consortium led by Proxima Fusion for the construction of the fusion demonstrator Alpha. Proxima Fusion, a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, is developing a next-generation stellarator power plant based on the findings from Wendelstein 7-X. DWE’s experience thus extends from the early demonstration facilities to the future commercial applications of fusion technology.

Further scientific references

KATRIN vacuum vessel, magnet supports for CERN, and further components for large-scale scientific research facilities demonstrate DWE’s expertise in manufacturing precision-critical large structures.

Contact for fusion components.