EPS LT design and manufacture packaging for Radioactive and Toxic materials.

During most of the Company's existence, EPS LT has been involved with containers and ground handling for a succession of nuclear weapons. The Company has acquired extensive knowledge of packaging and ground handling equipment for radioactive and toxic materials. The company is therefore ideally suited to satisfying customer requirements in these fields.

Due to the classified nature of some projects, work is carried out in a Security Enclave with security control procedures in accordance with the Company's Security Manual. To complement this personnel are security cleared.

Following is a brief guide to EPS LT's experience.

• Polaris
  Design, development and manufacture of a transportation and storage container for the Polaris Warhead.
  
  
• WE177
  At an early stage, we became the design Authority for the WE177 Weapon transportation and storage containers (both RAF and RN versions). During the many years of this project, we were responsible for design improvements and modifications, hardware changes, design and manufacture of ancillary equipment, approval trials, safety trials etc.
  
  
• Chevaline
  We designed, developed and manufactured a number of transportation and storage containers, including those for the:
  
  Warhead
  Twin Chamber Propulsion Unit
  Solid Rocket Motors
  Blast Shield
  Harness Assembly
  Electronic Units
  
  Together with these containers, associated ground handling equipment was designed and manufactured, including Warhead extraction system, lifting beam, stillages, trolleys, etc. and we were Design Authority for all of this equipment.
  
  
• Trident
  For the UK Trident programme, we have been a consultant to the AWE Aldermaston team who have designed the containers for the Warhead. This work has involved contribution to the design process and to the design/safety approval process.
  
  
• Russian Supercontainer
  We were contracted by AWE Aldermaston to design, develop and manufacture containers for the Russian nuclear weapon retirement programme. These containers were part of the aid package agreed by Western Governments and provide protection in accordance with IAEA regulations and against small arms attack.
  
  
• Radioactive and Toxic Materials
  The Company has experience in the packaging for transportation of radioactive and toxic materials and we are contracted to AWE Aldermaston for the design, development, testing and approval support in respect of containment systems, package designs and ancillary hardware.
  
  Under the AWE contract, EPS Logistics Technology Limited have for many years been directly responsible for:
  
  a) Packaging equipment from initial concept through manufacture and test, to provision of safety submissions for Competent Authority approval.
  
  b) Modifications to existing package designs, to either extend their use or in order to align them with changes in customer requirements and/or latest issues of current regulations, standards and specifications.
  
  In addition to packaging for transportation of radioactive and toxic materials, EPS Logistics Technology Limited is also involved with Packaging for long term storage of radioactive and toxic materials. This area of work has been divided into two main areas of activity:
  
  a) New design, development, manufacture, test and documentation support for approval by the Competent authority (RAMSCAP).
  
  b) Utilisation of existing transportation Package Design inner containers as long term storage for radioactive and toxic materials. New Package Design drawings are prepared, testing programmes are carried out (to provide evidence to support approval submission to RAMSCAP and Building Safety Cases), Test Reports are prepared and approval submission documentation is prepared on behalf of AWE's central container management team.

The following list shows the variety of types of packaging that we have been associated with on this type of work.

Transport Containers for Weapon Components.
Transport Containers for Hygroscopic/Corrosive Salts
Transport Containers for RA contaminated Hygroscopic Salts.
Containers for the Transport of RA waste.
Storage Containers for Redundant Weapons Components (10 year Plus).
Long term Storage of Hygroscopic Salts (50 years).
Beryllium Transport Containers.

The associated IAEA package levels range from Excepted through to Type B(U).

Additionally during the course of the work with AWE, we have gained expertise on many topics including:-

a. Calculation of the release of Hydrogen due to corrosion of Uranium.
b. Calculations of the internal conditions inside a containment vessel after 50 years.
c. The release of corrosive volatiles from plywood in enclosed atmospheres.
d. Assessment of long term storage of plastics in contact with Hygroscopic Salts.
e. The effects of low temperature on steels.
f. Assessment of grain directions and slag inclusions on container porosity.
g. Ballistic protection of a weapon container.