The strong market share of Jeumont SA and its total integration of design and manufacturing processes in its business lines gives the company a clear competitive advantage vis-à-vis operator availability, reactivity and quality requirements.

Vertical integration plus many years experience ensures CRDM quality

Jeumont, a wholly-owned Framatome ANP subsidiary, has more than 220 reactor coolant pumps and 4,400 control rod drive mechanisms (CRDM) in operation worldwide. Although much older than its parent company - it was created at the end of the 19th century - Jeumont has held a Westinghouse license since the beginning of the 1970s to manufacture reactor coolant pumps, reactor coolant pump motors and control rod drive mechanisms (CRDMs). Its components are providing outstanding service worldwide in France, the US, Asia and South Africa. The company has never ceased striving continuously to improve the performance and service life of nuclear power plants worldwide.

Improved Design Results in 100 Percent Availability

The vertical integration of all its industrial processes enhances Jeumont's ability to ensure the high quality and consistency of all its products. In addition, dedicated workshops for pumps, motors, CRDMs and shaft seals ensure that the most experienced engineers and technicians work in their area of specialization for the highest quality product.

Based on specifications drawn up by Framatome ANP engineering teams, Jeumont designs, manufactures and tests complete and coherent reactor coolant pump sets that optimize cost effectiveness and time schedules. Over the years, many innovations have resulted in a pump availability rate of 100 percent without replacing main motor components. Integrated sensors (to measure vibrations, flow, temperature, etc.) for in-service monitoring, and intermediary spool pieces on all types of pumps facilitate and reduce maintenance by avoiding motor removal. A new stator design eliminates rewind and replacement. Updated oil pumping systems improve bearing performance. All these design improvements help Jeumont pumps easily withstand more than 4000 startups.

Increased Service Life of CRDMs Benefits Plant Operators

After Framatome ANP designs and validates the use of CRDMs, the Jeumont facility completes the detailed manufacturing design and the manufacturing itself, all on the same site. Using original basic specifications, the company significantly improved the manufactured models, for example by increasing service life from 2.5 million steps to almost 8 million. Furthermore, these products require no maintenance, allowing users to constantly adapt to the power increases required by the grid. These design and operational features enable operators to run their units with load follow over a 60-year service life.

The Prestigious "N Stamp" from ASME

In December 2001, Jeumont was awarded N and NPT certification by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This certification enables the company to manufacture reactor coolant pumps and CRDMs in accordance with third-party manufacturer specifications to position Jeumont as the supplier of choice for reactor coolant pumps and motors and CRDMs.

The North American Market

Jeumont delivered reactor coolant pump motors and spare stators and has performed and continues to perform upgrading and maintenance operations at more than eight US powerplants. The creation of a hot workshop on the US Lynchburg (Virginia) site, similar to Europe's largest hot workshop, Somanu in France, is just one aspect of the close working relationship between Jeumont and Framatome ANP in the US.

An N4 type Jeumont designed RCP and RCPM as operating in Civaux, Units 1 & 2, and Chooz B, Units 1 & 2