Remote handling maintenance of ITER

The remote maintenance strategy and the associated component design of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) have reached a high degree of completeness, especially with respect to those components that are expected to require frequent or occasional remote maintenance. Large scale test stands, to demonstrate the feasibility in principle of the remote maintenance procedures and to develop the required equipment and tools, were operational at the end of the Engineering Design Activities phase. The initial results are highly encouraging: major remote equipment deployment and component replacement operations have been successfully demonstrated.