Pyropress is proud to announce the successful completion of a contract to supply specialised vacuum switches for glove boxes used in nuclear applications. The Titan™ vacuum switches, custom manufactured by Pyropress at the Plymouth (UK) factory, were specified as a reliable substitute for a competitor’s switches. The existing switches presented a significant flaw with set point drift being caused by changes in ambient temperature, which could have compromised the system’s stability and safety.
Paul Maddern, Product Manager, Pyropress, commented: “It’s critical for nuclear gloveboxes to maintain a certain negative pressure during operation of the system, which makes the  Pyropress vacuum switches an ideal solution.” Designed and built with a Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 rating, the Pyropress Titan vacuum switches deliver the high levels of reliability and functional safety requirements demanded by the nuclear industry.
Paul adds: “One of the key challenges we overcame was designing the vacuum switches with an operating range of -4 to -16 mbar, a specific requirement for the application. This range was critical to maintaining precise control within the nuclear glovebox application, where strict environmental control is essential to maintain safety and operational integrity”.
Millibars are commonly used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure, but they are also used in various industrial applications, such as measuring pressure in vacuum systems like the one described in the nuclear glovebox application.
Paul continues: “Our solution also included several custom features to ensure seamless integration into the existing system. Each vacuum switch was supplied with a flanged spool connection, a junction box, and bespoke mounting brackets. These elements were designed to match the exact footprint of the competitor’s switch, simplifying the replacement process and minimising downtime for the client”.
Pyropress always makes ease of installation a priority and delivers on shorter than expected lead times given the quality. In this instance it meant that the new Pyropress switches could be integrated without the need for additional modifications to the existing infrastructure, or time lags on the project.
By addressing the set point drift issue caused by temperature fluctuations, Pyropress engineers have successfully delivered a significant upgrade in reliability and precision for this critical nuclear application.
