UAV Drone Inspections 

Nortech Advanced NDT is able to offer our clients UAV Inspections, also known as RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System). The remote sites of the Canadian oil, gas and pipeline industries makes it an ideal adopter of unmanned aerial vehicles. The use of UAV’s cover everything from surveying, mapping, and monitoring of operational pipelines. Drones can assist pipeline companies with route selection, engineering and construction surveys.

Certified Pilots

Nortech has acquired a Special Flight Operating Certificate (SFOC) issued by Transport Canada allowing Nortech the ability to fly across Canada for basic and advanced operations. Nortech's trained and certified pilots decrease costs and increase production.

Increased Safety

UAV Drone Inspections keep people out of harm's way while capturing high resolution/definition footage analyzed by our team or yours. The use of thermal imaging technology allows monitoring of leaks, hotspots, temperature changes, etc. Our pilots are certified visual inspectors with the experience to ensure a quality inspection is performed.

Advantages of UAV Inspection

Remote UAV inspection provides a safe and efficient inspection process that offers timely monitoring and control. Until the advent of drone surveying, the traditional route for industrial inspections not only required an inspector physically at the location, but also could require costly shutdown of machinery. With Nortech’s UAV surveying service, inspectors have the ability to quickly access hard to reach sites safely. Drones can also be pre-programmed to operate autonomously and perform routine missions to collect key data in a fashion that would be difficult, time-consuming and expensive through traditional means.

Aerial Pipeline Inspection

Due to associated risk of losses that can be caused be defects in piping systems, regular checks are required. Typically, the more difficult a pipeline is to access, conversely it also runs a higher risk of damage. With many pipelines in remote areas, and beneath the ground, UAV can be used to run the length of the pipeline. Fitted with special equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras, an operator can control the drone and quickly assess defects to internal heat insulation as well as leaks. For an underground pipeline, penetration typically will cause the heating of surrounding earth which can be detected by the UAV and help locate the area of a break.

Transport Canada Approved

Nortech has carried out extensive research and testing to determine which drone platform would best suit its clients. We use a range of drones for our UAV inspections, from DJI RTK 210, Flyability Elios to the government approved Areon Skyranger. A proven platform which has set the standard for real-time, secure, aerial surveillance and data collection. It has been used extensively in the field, and it’s rugged frame, reliability, and range means that Nortech clients have a service they can depend on. Contact our Edmonton office today to inquire about our UAV Drone Inspections.