There are around 200 gantries in this plant, and they need to be inspected to ensure they don’t break down or break loose and fall onto the floor, equipment or people.
The plant has typically done inspections during a three-week shutdown in the summer. On each of the plant’s four machine lines, a team of up to six people would roll in motorized lifts and build scaffolds to reach the gantries.
The factory had been looking for a way to make the process more efficient, and one worker joked they ought to mount a remote control car onto the track with a camera attached that could zip back and forth and take footage.
Then someone suggested a drone.
The factory worked with some local companies to develop a custom drone mounted with several cameras, including a thermal imaging camera that can sense heat, a wide-angle lens and a close-up lens. It can take video or still images.
The drone allows a team of two do what had taken almost two-dozen people to do, and the amount of time it takes to inspect a single 120-foot gantry was reduced from 12 hours to 12 minutes. The plant doesn’t need to shut down production either, and it allows for more frequent inspections.
It also eliminates the risk of having to scale 150 feet to inspect the gantries.
The drones can also monitor machines and power cable temperatures as well as inspect robots, overhead conveyor belts, cranes, hoists and the roof for leaks.
The team is also exploring the possibility of using the drones for drain and sewer inspections as well as emergency lighting.
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