TechnicAtome contributes to discussions on additive manufacturing for the nuclear industry

On July 5, TA will participate in the DGA SME Tour 2023, focusing on additive manufacturing in the context of nuclear power plants. This event is organized by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, in collaboration with partner competitiveness clusters, including Nuclear Valley. TechnicAtome will take part in the roundtable discussion alongside Framatome, Naval Group, and other companies in the defense sector.

Additive manufacturing is one of TechnicAtome’s key areas of research and innovation. Several R&D initiatives are being carried out in partnership with industry partners and manufacturers in the sector.
Additive manufacturing could find applications, in particular, in the highly innovative Nuward SMR small modular reactor project.

It would enable more compact and lighter components, improve hydraulic performance, and optimize manufacturing and assembly. This new manufacturing method must be taken into account from the design phase by TechnicAtome’s teams, as it requires design modifications. Initial prototypes are currently under development.

It would make our reactors even safer and more efficient and could streamline the number of manufacturing and assembly steps. To fully leverage the potential of this new manufacturing method, TechnicAtome’s teams are integrating it very early on, right from the design phase. The first prototypes are currently being developed.

TechnicAtome is also participating in the ARQANE project (Action de Réalisation et de Qualification en Additif pour le NucléairE) alongside other French manufacturers; the goal is to establish a French nuclear standard for additive manufacturing by aligning the needs of clients with those of manufacturers. The project, a recipient of funding from the France Relance program, aims to demonstrate and validate the maturity of two manufacturing technologies for the nuclear industry: laser powder bed fusion and concentrated energy material deposition.

TechnicAtome has been a member of the Nuclear Valley competitiveness cluster since 2022.