Collision-tolerant drone makes for safe inspection of inaccessible spaces

23 July 2018
Technology from refractory experts CHB Third Party Inspectorate recently brought in by Skyriders Access Specialists (Pty) Ltd. to inspect a high-vacuum furnace at the SAPREF refinery in KwaZulu-Natal saw the four chambers of the furnace inspected by Elios, a collision-tolerant drone, designed for the inspection and exploration of the most inaccessible places.
Document Downloads 
application/msword iconCollision-tolerant drone makes for safe inspection of inaccessible spaces_approved33.5 KBDownload
PreviewFlying from chamber to chamber, the drone picks up any irregularities on the screen.4.19 MBDownload
PreviewThe Elios collision-tolerant drone is the latest hi-tech inspection technology from Skyriders.641.29 KBDownload

What appears to be a regular maintenance inspection can quickly turn dangerous for the most experienced teams, particularly where chemicals or gas are involved. “This has always been a huge consideration for us,” says Skyriders Marketing Manager Mike Zinn.

The scope of the project was to inspect the hard-to-reach places that are extremely difficult or dangerous for humans to enter. The drone enters the tight or even inaccessible space from the outside of the unit while the pilot, the CHB expert Visual Observer (VO) and engineers monitor the inspection via a live feed on a monitor.

Flying from chamber to chamber, the drone picks up any irregularities on the screen. The VO can report immediately if a chamber is safe to enter. “It’s his job to focus on the safety of the drone pilot, while the pilot’s focus is on flying the drone,” Zinn points out.

The March 2018 inspection took just a day to complete, equating to a massive time-saving over previous methods. This is the first time Skyriders has worked with CHB, and a first for SAPREF, too. “All parties were so impressed with the results produced by the drone that we are in the process of putting together a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CHB for future inspections,” Zinn reveals.

With the drone technology, Skyriders is now able to carry out difficult or high-risk inspections such as those at chemical plants and power generation plants. “The timing, efficiency, and safety initiatives required with chemical plants, in particular, means that sending a machine into potentially harmful environments, rather than humans, gives us peace of mind, and a huge reduction in potential injuries. Being able to enter difficult places means drones can ensure the areas are safe before general work continues. It’s definitely the way forward,” Zinn comments.

Skyriders continues to offer the drone option to its South African clients, and pitching the solution to the rest of the continent. “I believe this exercise proved our worth to SAPREF, and maintained our industry reputation of being able to successfully take on difficult tasks where height or confined space make the risk greater for humans to enter before checks have been carried out,” Zinn concludes.

Ends

Connect with Skyriders on Social Media to receive the company’s latest news
Facebook
: www.facebook.com/SkyridersIndustrialRopeAccess
Twitter
: twitter.com/SkyridersZA

Notes to the Editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Skyriders link to view the company’s press office.

About Skyriders
Skyriders (Pty) Ltd, established in 1998, is a leader in the South African rope access industry, providing cost- and time-saving solutions to clients in the power generation and petrochemical industries who require rope access aided inspection, NDT and maintenance work to be done in difficult to reach, high-up locations.

Skyriders Contact
Mike Zinn
Skyriders Marketing Manager
Phone: (011) 312 1418
Email:
mike [at] ropeaccess [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ropeaccess.co.za

Media Contact

Nomvelo Buthelezi
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 083 4088 911
Email:
nomvelo [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za

Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za