A remote controlled robot is currently being created to help remove the risk to workers in dangerous environments.
Chimera has been developed by several companies across the UK, including Flimby-headquartered Forth, to carry out essential inspections at plants which store liquids and gases at high pressures.
The routine inspections – needed for health and safety – normally mean those pressurised plants have to shut down while they are being carried out, costing money and creating a high level of risk for the people doing the job.
It is hoped Chimera can be used across industries including oil and gas, nuclear and water.
Chimera can withstand hazardous environments and is built in two components to allow flexibility – it can climb internal vessel walls, and is attached to a tether to enable the machine to be controlled remotely by an operator from a safe distance.
The robot will have a camera attached to relay live images back to the operator and an ultrasonic phased array inspection system and scanner will also be included to create a 3D map of the internal structure to paint an accurate picture of the state of the vessel and identify damage.
A slender arm can also be attached to carry out any minor repairs needed in such a confined space.
Forth developed the robotic platform of the Chimera project and has successfully trialled the machine.
Joshua Oakes, a project engineer at Forth, said: “Maintenance inspections need to be carried out routinely on pressure vessels the world over and the process of having to stop production and draining or transporting any fluid or gas is a long, and very expensive, one.
“On average, it can cost £40,000 per day to shut production down, and these inspections can go on for days.
“It also requires people to conduct the inspections and it can be hard getting in and out of the confined spaces, and very dangerous due to the substances which have previously been stored in the vessels.
“Chimera removes the human element from hazardous environments, and lets the work get carried out from a safe, remote distance.
“The job can also be completed in hours rather than days, with production not having to be stopped at all.”
The partners are now looking to gain financial backers to progress the process of the innovation to the next stage, allowing the machine to be modified and adapted into a commercial piece of equipment.
The Innovate UK-backed programme has also been supported by The Welding Institute, Headlight AI, Sound Mathematics, the University of Nottingham, Rolls-Royce, Metallisation and Race.
