Apparatus and method for automatically loading drums into a drum container

摘要

Disclosed are an apparatus and method for automatically loading drums (5) into a drum container (20), in which when the drums filled with radioactive waste are loaded into the drum container, the drums are fed to a designated position, and always placed at a fixed position, thereby reducing a loading time of the drums and necessary manpower as well as minimizing a radiation exposure risk associated with radioactive waste treatment. To this end, the apparatus includes a drum feeder (10) having a plurality of conveyor modules (12) transferring the drums filled with radioactive waste and a turntable (15) rotating the drum transferred by the conveyor modules in a direction where the drum can be gripped by a gripper (60), a drum container into which the drums transferred through the drum feeder are sequentially loaded, a support frame (40) on which a lid (22) of the drum container is placed when the drums are loaded, and a crane (50) having: the gripper that grips and transfers the drum or the drum container lid; and a lifter (55) on which the gripper is mounted so as to move up and down and which is transferred along guide rails (52) in forward and backward, or left and right directions.