Interactive virtual mock-ups for Remote Handling compatibility assessment of heavy components

•Specific ITER components require RHCA on hardware mock-ups.•Hardware mock-ups are expensive and have a long lead time.•Interactive Virtual Reality mock-ups are readily available and easily adapted.•This paper analysis and proposes improvements to simulator capabilities.

ITER standards Tesini (2009) require hardware mock-ups to validate the Remote Handling (RH) compatibility of RH class 1- and critical class 2-components. Full-scale mock-ups of large ITER components are expensive, have a long lead time and lose their relevance in case of design changes. Interactive Virtual Reality simulations with real time rigid body dynamics and contact interaction allow for RH Compatibility Assessment during the design iterations.This paper explores the use of interactive virtual mock-ups to analyze the RH compatibility of heavy component handling and maintenance. It infers generic maintenance operations from the analysis and proposes improvements to the simulator capabilities.