Management
Unlocking Additive Manufacturing
for the Nuclear Industry
About the client
Sellafield Ltd is responsible for the safe and secure management of one of the world's most complex nuclear sites. As a mission-led organisation, it decommissions high-hazard facilities, manages nuclear materials, and delivers environmental remediation that protects people and the planet.
Operating on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield plays a critical national role in addressing the UK’s nuclear legacy. The organisation delivers this mission through programme management, engineering oversight, stakeholder engagement, and supply chain coordination—supported by a long-term commitment to safety, value for money, and social impact.
📍 Sellafield, UK
💼 Nuclear
⚙️ P3 Management
Co-Lab helped us bring more structure and clarity to how we manage our programmes and projects. They’ve been good at cutting through the noise and helping teams focus on what matters, linking day-to-day delivery to the bigger picture. Their support’s made it easier to prioritise, explain decisions, and keep people aligned.
- Craig Branney, Head of Off Site Developments & Spares and Obsolescence, Sellafield Ltd
Challenge
Quality Limitations and Engineering Capacity Constraints in AM Parts
Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the nuclear sector faced significant barriers to wider adoption. AM parts were historically only accepted at the lowest quality grade (QG04), limiting their use to non-critical applications. This restriction meant the technology could not be fully leveraged for higher-value or safety-critical components.
In addition, the normal design engineering route within the sector is geared towards complex, bespoke problems requiring extensive approval processes. This process was already stretched beyond capacity, creating bottlenecks when introducing AM parts into the workflow.
There were also gaps in standardised processes, stakeholder engagement, and materials qualification for nuclear applications. Without a repeatable, quality-assured route to specification, design, manufacture, and validation, confidence in AM’s suitability for nuclear use remained low. Overcoming these challenges required not only technical development but also cultural change, governance alignment, and the creation of a clear framework to integrate AM alongside traditional manufacturing methods.
Solution
Streamlined AM Process for Faster, Safer Deployment
To address the barriers to adopting Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the nuclear sector, Co-Lab developed a dedicated process tailored to AM components. This process created a clear, streamlined pathway from concept to deployment, reducing development cycles while maintaining the rigorous assurance required for safe use in a regulated environment. It integrated design, manufacture, testing, and approval into a coordinated workflow, with defined decision gates, documentation standards, and quality checks. Each stage ensured a robust technical justification and traceable paper trail to support confident deployment.
The framework was designed to align with and build upon existing best practice and established process suites, allowing AM adoption to fit seamlessly into familiar governance structures. By embedding AM-specific steps into recognised quality, engineering, and safety processes, the approach accelerated development while preserving compliance and assurance. This gave engineers and decision-makers the confidence to specify AM parts for a broader range of applications, moving beyond previous quality grade limitations and enabling faster, more effective innovation.
Process
Industry-Inspired, Client-Aligned Process Validated by Live Case Studies
The new approach was developed by taking proven industry best practice and tailoring it to meet the specific requirements of the nuclear sector and our client’s operational environment. We began by benchmarking our workflow against established processes, identifying where we could streamline activities without compromising on the assurance and traceability essential in a regulated industry.
This balance between lean delivery and the credibility needed for nuclear applications was central to the design. Each stage was built to provide the right level of documentation, governance, and technical substantiation, ensuring confidence in the resulting solutions. The process was then tested and refined through live case studies, proving its practicality and effectiveness in real-world applications and building confidence for wider adoption.
Benefits
Efficient Maintenance, Faster Turnarounds, and Technology Enablement
Supporting Spares & Obsolescence – enabling a long list of maintenance challenges to be addressed efficiently.
Quicker turnaround times – a new option for the less complex challenges, which often get overlooked until they become a major issue.
Enabling new technologies – unlocking the potential of the latest technological advancements in a highly regulated environment.
