Up to 80% cost savings: hybrid inspection in industry
Hybrid inspection combines drone flights with targeted conventional testing. Your inspection costs can fall by up to 80% because scaffolding, cranes and rope access technicians are largely not needed. The shutdown becomes shorter, and the drone delivers an overview of the condition of the plant within hours; detailed testing follows only where it is needed. Read which tasks are no longer needed and how digital documentation supports your maintenance strategy.
Reducing costs and shortening shutdowns – drone and conventional testing combined
The process is simple: first the drone flies and captures the entire surface, then the expert assessor carries out targeted testing where the inspection report shows anomalies. Scaffolding, cranes and rope access technicians are then needed only in a few places or not at all. The following sections show what this looks like for the inspection of your industrial plants.
Christian Engelke
Scaffolding, shutdowns, skills shortage: what makes inspections expensive
Industrial plants today are under pressure from two sides: on the one hand, strict safety standards and growing regulatory requirements call for regular and thorough inspections. On the other, rising costs and tight maintenance windows push operators to complete inspections with as little effort and as short a shutdown as possible. Conventional methods reach their limits here, because they involve time-consuming and costly challenges:
- Scaffolding and safety measures:
Usually required for conventional inspection at height, laborious and expensive. - Plant shutdowns:
Lost production means direct losses. - Shortage of skilled staff:
Specialists are in demand and expensive. - Hard-to-reach areas:
These often require elaborate and costly safety precautions.
These challenges multiply in tank farms and large plant sites in particular. With many identical units, the question arises: is it really necessary to carry out every inspection at full effort?
First the drone flies, then the inspector measures where it matters – the example of tank inspection
Hybrid inspection is a practical approach. It combines the low effort of drone inspections with the measurement capabilities of conventional methods and follows a three-stage procedure – shown here using the example of the inspection of tanks and silos by drone:
- Phase 1: Drone inspection:
A comprehensive overview of the condition of the plant is possible in hours instead of days. For the internal flight the tank is out of service and released for the drone flight – because neither scaffolding nor man entry is required, the shutdown is considerably shorter. High-resolution footage of the entire surface rather than spot checks, including critical areas such as welds and transitions, gives early indications of possible damage; every anomaly is located in the 3D point cloud. The drone sees only surfaces – wall thicknesses or samples belong in phase 2. The footage can be reviewed together directly after the flight, which makes decisions on the day of the deployment easier.
- Phase 2: Targeted detailed inspection (by your inspectors):
Based on the drone images, further inspection is carried out specifically where anomalies are visible. This is where conventional testing methods such as ultrasonic wall thickness measurement, hammer testing or sampling are used – but only at the points marked in the inspection report. Scaffolding is therefore limited to a few places, the inspection becomes considerably shorter, and occupational safety improves.
- Phase 3: Applying the findings:
Once the inspection is complete, your inspector can use the results for the testing strategy for identical tanks or plants at the same site. Factors such as year of construction, product history and operating conditions support risk-based decisions on further measures and help develop targeted testing strategies. In this way, future inspection intervals can be optimised.
When hybrid inspection pays off for your plant
A hybrid inspection approach pays off particularly in the following scenarios:
- Tank farms with several identical tanks: drones deliver an initial overview of all tanks or silos in hours instead of days. A detailed inspection takes place only where there are anomalies, and your inspector can use the results for the testing strategy for identical units.
- New plants or plants with a good maintenance history: for plants that showed no anomalies in earlier inspections, the drone inspection confirms the expected condition. This keeps scaffolding costs to a minimum and shortens inspection times.
- Hard-to-reach plant components: elevated plant components or complex pipe runs that would otherwise require expensive scaffolding or industrial rope access technicians can be inspected by drone without scaffolding or rope access.
Where you save: scaffolding, cranes, gas-free testing and shutdown time
The quality of industrial inspection depends not only on data capture but also on the analysis of the data collected. Drone inspections offer many ways of collecting and processing data without scaffolding or man entry.
Direct cost savings:
- Scaffolding costs: considerably lower thanks to less scaffolding.
- No need for cranes or industrial rope access technicians.
- Lower personnel costs thanks to shorter inspection times.
- Inspection in hours instead of days.
Less preparation:
- No elaborate erection and acceptance of scaffolding.
- Gas-free testing and safety attendants for personnel are not needed, because nobody enters.
- Simpler coordination of the trades involved.
Indirect savings:
- Shorter plant shutdowns and lower production losses.
- Digital documentation that can be compared with later inspections.
The point cloud stays: a basis for future inspections
By using LiDAR point clouds and creating digital 3D records, hybrid inspection offers not only short-term cost savings but also a lasting basis for planning future inspections. Being able to trace and compare different inspection dates allows an optimised maintenance strategy and targeted use of resources.
Hours instead of days and inspection costs up to 80% lower
Hybrid inspection is changing industrial inspection by combining drone flights with conventional testing methods. The inspection takes hours instead of days, and your inspection costs can fall by up to 80% because scaffolding, cranes and rope access technicians are not needed. This brings clear advantages for operators of large plant portfolios or hard-to-reach plant components. Learn more about inspection with the ELIOS 3 – for safe and cost-effective maintenance of your plants.