Remote Engineering progress report, January-December 1984

This report summarizes progress on work performed in the Remote Engineering group at Rocky Flats from January to December 1984. Remote Engineering's goals in all 1984 projects were to help increase production capacity, reduce radiation exposure, improve operation safety, improve product quality, or alleviate material-accounting errors. To convert manual operations to automated operations, Remote Engineering provided design, fabrication, and assembly of new equipment for varied plant operations. Seventeen separate projects were handled by Remote Engineering in 1984. Four of the projects automate related operations in Building 559, the Chemical Analytical Laboratory. In Building 559, the following operations needed mechanizing: Sample Cutting, Storage and Retrieval, Pneumatic Transfer System, and Chemical Operations Robotic System. Remote Engineering has completed the design of the hot-dip zinc-galvanizing furnace, and Maintenance will complete the assembly and installation. Three systems are in production use but are still undergoing development: the Unimate robot, the Laser Marker, and the Ingot Gripper. The Plutonium Oxide/Skull-Burn Furnace is awaiting installation. The other projects are at various states of design and development. These reports reflect the status of the projects as they existed December 31, 1984, except the Future Work sections which were updated August 27, 1985.