Framatome’s worldwide Technical Center

Nuclear Power Plant equipment operates under challenging environmental conditions and regulatory requirements. Framatome’s Technical Center contributes to their safe operation by actual testing, analyses and qualification engineering. For more than 60 years our in-house unique test facilities and laboratories have been supporting new reactors and component developments, manufacturing, engineering and plant maintenance.

In addition to internally supporting Framatome’s Business Units, we offer our expertise and services externally to different stakeholders, such as:

• Nuclear new build projects
• Nuclear operators
• Nuclear equipment manufacturers and suppliers
• Decommissioning projects, waste treatment facilities or disposal agencies
• Nuclear-related and non-nuclear industries

Framatome’s Technical Center operates a unique laboratory and testing infrastructure at its sites in Le Creusot and St-Marcel (France), and in Erlangen and Karlstein (Germany). Combined with the long-lasting expertise of our staff, our customers can benefit from powerful solutions and services in the fields of:

• Materials testing and expertise, corrosion, welding and processes
• Chemistry and radiochemistry analyses
• Thermal-hydraulic and component testing
• Equipment qualification

All our services are conducted by a stringent quality assurance system following ISO 9001 and numerous procedures that are accredited according to the ISO 17025 standard.

Our experts and laboratories offer services with quick response times in testing, analyses and engineering for basically all materials related topics such as:

• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Fitness for Services (FFS) assessments
• Materials testing: tensile, fracture toughness, resilience and fatigue testing
• Analytical, numerical and experimental fracture mechanics
• Materials consulting
• Corrosion testing and engineering
• Welding engineering, consulting and development of welding processes
• Machining and additive manufacturing processes
• Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) material surveillance program and testing of activated materials in Hot Cell laboratories

Find the right solution for your needs in Framatome’s Solution Portfolio:

• For operators of nuclear facilities
• For component manufacturers
• For non-nuclear industries

Our experts and laboratories offer their competencies in the following areas:

• Chemical analysis for materials characterization, and identification
• Radiochemical analysis for effluent, environmental surveillance and waste characterization
• Radioprotection services
• Hot Cells: mechanical testing, manufacturing of specimens and analysis for highly irradiated and activated materials

Find the right solution for your needs in Framatome’s Solution Portfolio:

• For operators of nuclear facilities
• For dismantling and decommissioning projects or waste storage sites

Our long international experience in nuclear component qualification, our deep knowledge of different international standards and our in-house test facilities bring our customers the most comprehensive set of services for successful and risk-minimized qualification projects:

• Equipment qualification engineering: services to set-up the qualification strategy, and to manage and perform actual qualification work
• Equipment qualification testing: we manage your equipment qualification testing sequences using our in-house test facilities as well as external laboratories (if needed)
• Equipment qualification preservation
• Commercial grade dedication

Find the right solution for your needs in Framatome’s Solution Portfolio:

For operators of nuclear facilities and equipment suppliers

We have been operating our thermal-hydraulic test loops (several of them unique in the world) and test benches for more than 40 years. We offer the most comprehensive testing scope for all kinds of components for qualification purposes, as well as for design or code validation. Our long experience provides substantial benefits to our customers in the fields of:

• Tests Facilities for Component Qualification
  • Thermal Hydraulic Test Loops for Mechanical Components (Valves, Pumps,…)
  • Test Loops for RPV Internals and Fuel Components
  • Shaking, Vibration and Shock Tables
  • Climatic Test Chambers
  • LOCA Test Chambers
• Test Facilities for System Tests / Full Scale Test
  • For LWR and Passive Cooling Systems
  • For Advanced Reactor / SMR Systems
  • Debris Transport at LOCA Conditions
• Dedicated Test Loops (e.g., for Separate Effects, for Particular Components)
• Database Compilation
• Test Loops Design and Manufacturing
• Process Monitoring
• On-site Services
• Training

Find the right solution for your needs in Framatome’s Solution Portfolio:

• Overview of test facilities and infrastructure
• Component qualification solutions for nuclear operators and component manufacturer
• Test loop design and manufacturing, process monitoring

In addition to Framatome’s ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification, our test facilities and laboratories offers you the highest degree of traceability, independency and reliability thanks to dedicated DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 and NF EN ISO/IEC 17025 accreditations as test laboratories and the DIN EN ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation as inspection body for the activities and services as listed in the appendices of the respective certificates available on the following DAkkS and COFRAC Websites:

• Erlangen and Karlstein
• Le Creusot, Materials, Chemical and Components test laboratories (French only)
• St-Marcel, Materials and Metallurgy test laboratory (French only)