The cost of access is often the dominant cost in an external inspection programme. Scaffolding, rope access, elevated work platforms, and inspection shutdowns required to enable human access to elevated or difficult structures add time, cost, and operational risk to what should be a straightforward condition assessment.
External Drone Inspection
Capability
Close-Proximity Visual Assessment Without Scaffolding
Our inspection drones carry high-resolution optical payloads capturing
defect-level detail — weld cracking, corrosion pitting, coating failure,
structural deformation, and mechanical damage — from close proximity to the
surface. Imagery is captured at controlled standoff distances to deliver
consistent resolution across the full inspection area.
Thermal Imaging for Insulation and Electrical Survey
Drone-mounted thermal infrared cameras enable rapid thermal survey of
insulated pipework and vessels (identifying insulation voids and CUI initiation
zones), electrical infrastructure (identifying hot joints and failing
components), and structural systems (identifying moisture ingress and thermal
bridging).
Structural Survey at Height and Over Water
Flare stacks, cooling towers, elevated storage tanks, offshore jacket
structures, bridge decks, chimney stacks, wind turbine nacelles, and large
industrial buildings — all present access challenges that drone inspection
resolves with minimal mobilisation time and without the safety risk of working
at height.
Drone UTG — Thickness Measurement from Air
Our drone UTG platforms carry contact UT
thickness gauging payloads — enabling wall thickness measurement at elevated,
access-restricted, or hazardous locations without personnel exposure. Targeted
thickness measurement at nominated inspection points is performed with the same
A-scan quality as ground-level UTG.
Regulatory Compliant UAV Operations
All drone inspection operations are conducted by qualified pilots
holding the applicable national aviation authority approvals. Pre-flight risk
assessments, airspace coordination, and operational exclusion zones are
established and documented for every deployment.
Deliverables include georeferenced high-resolution photographic and
thermal records, annotated condition reports with defect location and
classification, and digital inspection records compatible with client asset
management systems. 3D photogrammetric models and drone UTG thickness reports
are available as additional deliverables.