Beginnings of Remote Handling at the RAL Spallation Neutron Source

Expenditure of funds and resources for remote maintenance systems traditionally are delayed until late in an accelerator´s development. However, simple remote-surveillance equipment can be included early in facility planning to set the stage for future remote-handling needs and to identify appropriate personnel. Some basic equipment developed in the UK at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) that serves this function and that has been used to monitor beam loss during commissioning is described. A photograph of this equipment, positioned over the extractor septum magnet, is shown in Fig. 1. This method can serve as a pattern approach to the problem of initiating remote-handling activities in other facilities.