Table of Content
- Advantages of Robotic Inspection
- What does the Shift to Robotic Inspection mean for Service Providers?
- Inspection Planning Software
- Equipment Provider Nexxis Leads the Way in Robotic Inspection Solutions
The inspection of confined spaces has historically been one of contention within the industry. Dangerous for those who carry it out, expensive, and necessitating long periods of downtime, moving from a human model to a robotic solution is seen as a welcome transition for asset owners, inspection service providers, and insurance companies alike.
Before delving into let's understand the Confined Spaces: An Industrial Work Guide
Advantages of Robotic Inspection
The most obvious advantage is that of human safety. The act of entering a Confined Space is a high-risk action. Assets that contain or have contained hazardous substances present further challenges, and the nature of confined spaces makes effective inspection complex and challenging.
Removing human entry to such spaces brings about the following benefits:
- Lowered risk of injury and fatality.
- Related lowering of insurance costs, typically by up to 50%.
- Dramatically reduced downtime.
- Robots can enter non-oxygen atmospheres and the need for erecting safety devices for human entry is removed.
- Increased productivity.
- Highly repeatable and constant data leads to more reliable inspection results.
As robotics have advanced so has their use for inspection, with many major companies introducing strategies to reduce or remove the need for humans to enter confined spaces.
These include:
- DOW Chemical is driving for a 2025 target of no human entry to confined spaces.
- Chevron’s strategy aims to achieve this by the end of this year (2020).
- Statoil, Shell, BASF, and BP also have similar targets.
What does the Shift to Robotic Inspection mean for Service Providers?
In virtually all cases, asset inspection and Non-Destructive Testing are carried out by 3rd party external providers. These highly skilled tasks are carried out by trained, certified personnel and the act of Robotic Inspection requires a very different approach to that of the traditional hands-on methods.
Specific training is necessary, as carrying out maintenance and inspection via a robot has very distinct differences.
1. Robots don’t have human intuition:
At present robots don’t have the autonomous ability to make decisions based on experience or the ability to determine danger.
2. Robots can’t plan their inspection path:
This needs to be mapped and determined by the human operator.
3. Control is either manually or via a predefined automated program:
Both options require the inspection plan to be mapped out in intricate detail and programmed into the robotic unit. Trained operators undertake mandatory training that includes inspection planning, pathfinding, remote navigation, deployment, and retrieval of the unit.
Inspection Planning Software
The aim of Robotic Inspection in NDT is to be as close as possible to having a human in situ within a confined space. The use of state-of-the-art software allows operators to carry out fast, in-depth inspections of high quality that are highly repeatable.
In addition, such software also provides a safe and educational learning curve. Operators are able to master multiple training scenarios through simulated inspection experiences, working on authentic predefined modules created from accurate 3D mapping. The ability to carry out real-life virtual scenarios ensures high-level learning and a smooth transition into real-world locations.
Equipment Provider Nexxis Leads the Way in Robotic Inspection Solutions
Leading Equipment Provider Nexxis, is committed to empowering their clients with the preeminent equipment necessary to carry out the ultimate inspection tasks and to meet current and future targets. This includes both the provision of physical supplies and the expertise to use them. With an in-house training division providing registered, industry-specific training courses, service providers can ensure their staff have the latest technological learnings and skills to service a changing environment.
References:
1. Nexxis
