From Manual To Mechanical

Tank Storage Magazine looks at how drones, robots and automation are promoting safer and more efficient inspection methods  Drones and robotics are fast becoming a preferred option for tank maintenance. Whether it’s robots entering confined spaces, crawlers cleaning the sides, or drones running the show when it comes to monitoring and inspections, terminals are increasingly turning to equipment like this to reduce risk and asset downtime. Robots that can be submersed in hazardous materials and map out the structure of a tank, all while keeping an eye out for corrosion under insulation (CUI) and other maintenance issues help shorten inspection cycles and keep tanks in service – meaning less hassle for the operator. ‘Inspection cycles that traditionally require weeks or months are reduced to days,’ say Ross Jarvis, technical director at Square Robot, a technology and services company that designs and manufactures autonomous submersible inspection robots for aboveground storage tanks. ‘Operators maintain throughput, gain higher-density corrosion and settlement data, and receive standardised digital datasets that support predictive maintenance and risk-based inspection...