Electricity and Control August 2021

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Using robotics for non-destructive testing

Electrocomponents plc, a global omni-channel provider of product and service solutions, has announced that Project nautilUS has entered the validation phase of its innovative robotic inspection platform developed for non-destructive testing (NDT) on storage tanks used in the petrochemical industry. nautilUS 2 is a 12-month extension to the three-year project, enabling it to move forward from the initial phase of development and testing to the delivery of a commer­ cially viable product based on the underlying technolo­ gy. Field trials are now taking place on 10 water tanks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), conducted by project partner Sonomatic, a leading oil and gas exploration ser­ vice provider which is supplying the NDT sensor and ser­ vice. Two further consortium partners are providing re­ mote support during this second phase, with project lead Electrocomponents responsible for fulfilling delivery, and InnoTecUK providing the robotics platform. Oil and fuel storage facilities require a robust and re­ liable infrastructure and regular inspection is critical to ensure that tanks are fit for purpose. Existing inspection methods often see storage tanks taken out of service to be drained and inspected for corrosion, which is hazard­ ous, time-consuming and costly work. However, one solution to this problem is a small robot that can monitor and plot its own position while carrying out inspections. The nautilUS robot uses active real-time remote controls to move around a tank and an ultrasound probe to take measurements of floor thinning. It then re­ cords data regarding location for post-processing, fol­ lowing its retrieval. The robot’s design offers the smallest ABB recently launched a new condition monitoring dig­ ital service, tailor-made for predictive maintenance of conveyor belts. ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for belts collects and tracks data from conveyor belts to provide real-time information about the health of the equipment, enabling planned and timely maintenance. It is an advanced dig­ ital service to enable mine operators – and operators of process plants – to track speed, misalignment, damage, thickness and wear, slippage and temperature of con­ Predictive maintenance for conveyor belts

Project nautilUS is developing robotics technology for safe inspection of petrochemical storage tanks. possible footprint to allow entry to liquid storage tanks via small manholes. Mike Burrows, Senior Innovation Adviser at Electro­ components says, “The project has been extended by a further 12 months, supported by additional funding from this innovative industrial consortium, which brings to­ gether complementary skillsets from different companies and organisations in the UK.” The consortium started working together in February 2018 to design and develop a multi-million-pound certi­ fied non-destructive testing (NDT) solution. The prototype robot developed in the initial three-year programme undertook its first oil tank inspection in an industrial environment in mid-2020, achieving successful proof of concept. In addition to activities carried out by the project members, Electrocomponents’ DesignSpark engineer­ ing platform has been part of the multidisciplinary team throughout the project. belts are typically carried out physically. The new ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for belts offers a complete overview of the assets’ condition through continuous monitoring of belt health, generating alarms and warn­ ings in the event of deterioration. It enables operators to move from preventive to predictive maintenance, to avoid the costly failures that can occur between physical inspections, and allows for personnel to be relieved from entering dangerous areas. The technology is based on sensors installed at stra­ tegic points in the conveyor belt equipment and is specif­ ically designed to withstand harsh environments. ABB Ability™ Condition Monitoring for belts provides easy access to informative dashboards. Fault trend anal­ ysis, event alarms, data logs and reports can be mon­ itored for single or multiple conveyors and by remote connection, SMS text message and email. The solution can work as a standalone option or can be integrated into the control system, and is interoperable with existing maintenance tools and infrastructure. KPIs can be customised, based on the customer’s needs. For more information visit: www.rs-online.com/ designspark or www.electrocomponents.com

Sensors installed at strategic points in the conveyor belts enable continuous real- time monitoring of their condition.

veyor belts in real time, and thus anticipate maintenance needs, avoid unplanned downtime and improve belt reliability and lifetime. Belt damage can cause significant losses in pro­ duction time in mines and processing plants where inspections to determine the condition of conveyor

For more information visit: www.abb.com

28 Electricity + Control AUGUST 2021