Benefits of UAV Drone Inspections
Traditional industrial inspections require turning off your machinery, after which inspectors must use rigs to examine the equipment. The process can be long, which means your operations must come to a halt for an extended period of time. Worse still, these tests can be dangerous for inspectors and employees — and they're not always highly accurate.
Thanks to UAV drones, you no longer need to rely on such inspections. A UAV inspection performed by an experienced pilot/inspector will save time, decrease costs and provide you with a comprehensive inspection. Here are some of the many advantages of UAV inspections:
1. Reach Difficult Areas
There are only so many places that an inspector can reach with ropes and ladders. Plus, some areas are too dangerous to access, due to high voltage or radiation. A UAV drone, on the other hand, can fly over every part of a piece of equipment without putting the inspector or your employees at risk. This is particularly beneficial for companies in the oil and gas industries.
2. Speed Up the Inspection Process
In just a short amount of time, a UAV inspection can cover an entire piece of machinery. Depending on the equipment you're checking, the inspection typically takes between 5 and 20 minutes. This decreases downtime for routine inspections and prevents unexpected lost revenue in emergency situations. Machinery like wind turbines, communication towers, and radars can continue to run during a UAV drone inspection, as well.
3. Receive Better Data
UAV drones often pick up details that a human inspector could have missed. This is because they're able to come into close contact with the machinery without risk. They then take a high-resolution video of what they find, meaning they can pinpoint cracks and other types of damage that would have gone unnoticed and, therefore, avoiding breakdowns and accidents in the future.
Make sure you receive your UAV inspection from a company that is qualified to operate drones throughout Canada and whose pilots are certified in visual inspections. It's even better if you find a company that uses thermal imaging technology to detect hotspots, temperature changes, and leaks in addition to taking high-resolution footage.
For UAV drone inspections in Western Canada, trust our team of trained, certified and experienced pilots to provide inspection services that save you time and money. Contact us today for more information.