A key project for the future of the welding industry
In November 2020, the French government announced a stimulus plan aimed at "strengthening the skills and competitiveness of the nuclear industry". This stimulus package is part of a strategy to develop the excellence of the existing Nuclear Park and current or future dismantling operations.
Onet Technologies proposed 3 innovations currently being developed by the teams. And all 3 projects were winners - congratulations to the teams! These innovations are perfectly in line with the Onet Group's Roadmap, but also with the Excell Plan for the nuclear industry led by EDF.
Watch interviews with the 3 project leaders throughout the summer.

Head of the Technical Implementation Unit, within the technical department of Onet Technologies' DISR.
What project did you apply to France Relance for ?
At the first round of France Relance applications, we presented an innovative project entitled "auto-adaptive orbital welding with real-time quality control". The aim is to develop an automated, intelligent welding process capable of adjusting welding parameters in real time and controlling the quality of the welded joint, so as to weld right the first time and ensure traceability of the weld produced. This process will be developed mainly for pipe welding applications.
How is this project a project for the future of the nuclear industry?
As part of the French nuclear industry's EXCELL plan, EDF has launched a large-scale "welding plan", the aim of which is to implement a structured approach to restoringcontrol and quality to welding operations at its facilities, with the entire industry on board.
The measures taken under this welding plan are designed to significantly raise quality expectations for welding operations (weld right the first time, ensure traceability of welding parameters used, demonstrate process performance prior to the welding operation under conditions representative of nuclear sites, high level of skills expected of the welder or welding operator, etc.).
To date, automated welding solutions exist, but they still leave a great deal of initiative to the welding operator, and above all, they are not capable of detecting slow process drift, nor of detecting inappropriate implementation conditions, and even less of making corrections in real time to remedy these difficulties.
The welding operator must therefore be highly experienced, and unfailingly vigilant, whatever the working conditions. This makes them a rare resource. On the other hand, there are no structured, relevant databases to enable AI algorithms to operate at the expected level, which could enable the welding process to be controlled.
This welding process developed by Onet Technologies will benefit from the latest technological advances in terms of AI and welding equipment. It will provide the nuclear industry with significant advantages in terms of welding right the first time, enabling :
- Reinforce the quality and reliability of welds on piping systems
- By detecting any process drift during the welding operation,
- By automatically adjusting itself during the welding operation,
- Recording welding parameters and certifying their validity in relation to acceptance criteria
- Give an opinion on the conformity of the weld obtained prior to carrying out final and regulatory non-destructive tests
The implementation of this process will meet the expectations of EDF's "Welding Plan" by providing tangible, indisputable proof that the work carried out complies with industry standards.
What's more, to keep pace with an ambitious program to improve the safety of its facilities, EDF needs to triple the load on the welding piping segment by 2023, then increase it fivefold by 2026 (load base 2020).
As part of this project, Onet technologies plans to recruit between 10 and 35 people between 2023 and 2025 to deploy this process on its sites. This recruitment will help to alleviate the pressure on scarce resources such as welding, which has been identified over this period for the nuclear industry.
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