The asset management industry has already been rocked by the use of unmanned and more automated drone inspections. You can readily deploy small, agile drones to isolated sites or into difficult-to-reach crevices and crannies, so it’s easy to see the advantages.
The service expert can arrive at the problem area knowing how to diagnose the problem if maintenance or repair is required. As a result, drones are essential to asset management strategies.
For asset inspection, where and how are drones being used today? Let the expertise of Geodrones guide you there.
Asset Management Drone Technology In 7 Sectors
A realistic, one-of-a-kind and timely understanding of asset conditions is achieved by integrating drone data with an asset management system.
As much information as possible about the current state of your assets will make it easier for you to keep them operating as you need them to safely, efficiently, and productively.
Building Inspection
To avoid a significant financial and non-financial catastrophe, continuous monitoring of a complex infrastructure is required. In many cases, manual checks are either inaccessible or prohibitively expensive.
Drones can come in handy in this situation. Proactive maintenance is made possible by drones. An uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) can do a site assessment by transmitting live video and photos to management in a different part of the world.
Take a look at your entire infrastructure from the convenience of your workplace with live videos. How simple would it be to distribute resources?
One of the most common causes of workplace accidents is the use of ladders during site inspections. These incidents are more likely to occur if they are investigated more frequently. Using drones, You can reach even the most difficult-to-reach places without losing any significant occupational risks.
Petroleum Sector
When it comes to oil and gas infrastructure inspection, inspectors have many of the same challenges when inspecting bridges, including platforms on and off the coast and power generation facilities.
Flare stacks, dangerous or live equipment, and hard-to-reach areas like the platform’s underside can all pose a threat to workers. It’s always a hassle, and it’s always dangerous for the technician who’s doing it.
Oil and gas companies around the world rely on Cyberhawk to check their industrial assets utilizing drones, from vast platforms at sea to the tiny confines of chemical storage tanks. They can complete checks that would have taken six personnel six weeks to complete utilizing drones in just three to four days.
Bridges and Roads
Inspection agencies must thoroughly inspect bridge infrastructure on a regular basis, and any flaws discovered as soon as possible.
It used to be that a comprehensive examination of a bridge would require it to be closed down, which would have a negative influence on businesses and products in the vicinity for hours afterward.
Ropes, movable platforms, or even pricey specialized vehicles (referred to as “snoopers”) would be required to investigate difficult-to-reach locations.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is now using drones to check bridges. Rather than relying on expensive equipment or causing damage to nearby businesses, drones can be used to investigate these difficult-to-reach regions. At the same time, experts remain on the ground in safety.
Water Lines
From a single pipeline to another…
Before it even gets to people’s houses, 20 percent of the water in the United States is wasted through leaks. Weird in dry climates but significantly more deadly than it appears in wet climates.
While extreme heat and sunlight make water an essential resource in many areas, they also make human inspection time-consuming and hazardous.
To detect water breaches over huge areas, Nottingham Trent University Professor Amin Al-Habaibeh uses drones to fly over large areas and collect data. His study uses infrared technology to track down variations in air humidity.
High-speed drones can determine the exact location of any broken links thanks to this non-contact technology.
Powerlines and Grids
Pylons and power wires are vital infrastructure components that must be inspected and maintained more frequently.
Additionally, electricity wires and towers pose a severe risk of electrocution for workers. You have the perfect scenario for employing drones when traveling across mountain ranges or dense woodlands.
Drones are already being used for power line inspections by major utility companies like General Electric. The technology is even being used in China’s hilly Yunnan region.
Ten times more efficient now, according to the technicians there, who previously could only inspect one or two pylons daily.
Railway Lines
In the case of the railway infrastructure, there is no room for error. Most train derailments are caused by inadequate track, according to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).
Currently, every foot of track is inspected twice a week per regulation. However, human inspection is impractical with hundreds of thousands of miles of railway track spread across the country.
Working with BNSF Railways, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has made significant progress in strengthening regulations and authorizing drone use.
With the present commercial drones‘ low range and heavy ultrasound testing equipment, there is much opportunity for improvement in the visual inspection process. Despite encouraging results, there is still a lot of room for development.
Solar Power Farms
As solar farms have grown exponentially over the past decade, the need for efficient inspection has also increased.
Traditional inspection methods are problematic for solar farms. It is common for them to be located in remote, rural places. The optimum time to evaluate solar panels for faults is when the sun is fiercest, which can be exhausting and even dangerous for employees.
How Does Drone Technology In Asset Management Work?
It is possible to preserve long-term analysis of input sensor data such as color video, thermal video, still frames, and LIDAR 3D data.
Sensor data from previous inspections should be fed into the asset management software, as should the applicable inspection standards from both within the company and externally from regulatory bodies and industry standards.
You should be able to tell the difference between assets that need immediate attention and those that can wait. You may monitor the state of your facilities and equipment using drone data and your asset management skills, which can help ensure compliance and prevent a maintenance emergency.
To maintain a facility running and safe, enormous economic and environmental resources are needed. It is possible to minimize costs while boosting safety by using drone technology. When inspecting structures, “there is a significant economic and safety benefit to deploying unmanned aircraft,” says Colin Snow, a Skylogic Research analyst.
A Case Study From Minnesota DOT
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently completed a study on the benefits of using drones to inspect roads and bridges.
MDOT estimated that a standard bridge deck inspection costs $4,600, takes eight hours, requires a crew of four people, and requires heavy equipment. The same inspection with a drone takes just two people and two hours at a significantly lower cost.
Conclusion
Even in the face of limited resources and deteriorating infrastructure, organizations must discover ways to optimize the value of their current assets.
Using drones to find and monitor potential problems before they become a problem can save money, save downtime, and lessen the danger of injury or damage to people.
By extending the lifespan of existing facilities and equipment, new investment can be postponed. It is possible to save thousands, millions, or even billions of dollars by making even the tiniest of improvements in facility maintenance, depending on the size of your firm.
