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Building a better birdcage
Compared to the standard birdcage, the monolithic prototype, shown completed in inset, reduces inches to be welded by two-thirds (950 inches to 300 inches).
Y‑12 Engineering has designed and is evaluating a new birdcage for use across the Nuclear Weapons Complex. This monolithic birdcage — so dubbed because the new design can be manufactured from a small number of components machined from solid metal — must meet stringent strength and reliability requirements.
Birdcages are essential to the Y‑12 production process. Their primary function is to ensure components are safely and securely stored and transported.
Significant benefits can be realized from machining monolithic components rather than welding together many smaller individual sheet-metal parts. The current sheet-metal design requires about 65 pieces of metal joined together by 950 inches of welding. The monolithic design has seven major components (the cage, two side panels, a top and a bottom panel, a lid and a bottom stiffener) and requires about 300 inches of welding. High-speed machining eliminates many weld joints within the structure and improves the overall fit and surface finish of the parts.
High-speed machining not only reduces the number of welds requiring inspection, but also eliminates many areas that can trap contamination. By incorporating a radius into all corners, the monolithic birdcage becomes stronger and easier to clean and maintain, thus increasing the birdcage's expected life span.
Using the high-speed gantry mill, process engineers, design engineers and machinists enhance their skills, which complement Y‑12's modernization efforts. By designing parts with new manufacturing capabilities in mind, Y‑12 can become more effective and efficient, thus reducing the overall operating cost.