To get an idea of the vast capabilities of underwater cameras, do yourself a favour and have a look at the incredible underwater footage of a brinicle – an ‘icicle of death’ – filmed for David Attenborough’s  BBC One Series Frozen Planet.

The sight of a freezing plume of brine descending into  seawater below the Antarctic ice and sending hundreds of starfish scrambling to escape its deadly path will put you in awe of the capabilities of underwater cameras – and of course, the crew.   The cameramen set up a rig of timelapse equipment and within six hours, were rewarded with the first-ever footage of a brinicle forming.

Whilst this article is about the advantages of underwater cameras for the broader marine industry, of which filmmaking is just one sector, the footage mentioned above serves as a compelling example of what can be achieved.

Of course, the majority of footage from underwater cameras isn’t made into a blockbuster television series, but that doesn’t mean it’s no less important.  In fact, the footage that these robust yet highly advanced devices produce in the many and varied marine industry applications serves a far more valuable purpose.

Consider this.  Underwater cameras are used to search for suspicious objects in the ocean and around ports which may pose a security threat.  They’re used in search and rescue operations.  They are used for inspecting gages, docks, pipes, cables and moorings.  They’re used to inspect shark nets.  They’re used to inspect ship hulls for possible damage.  They’re used for important marine surveying and research, enabling a better understanding of what’s happening beneath the surface and informing vital efforts to preserve our precious natural resources.  They’re used in aquaculture, for sampling sea beds, for recovering expensive lost equipment, for detecting seabed pollution – the list goes on and on.

What are the advantages?

Well, let’s take the MaggUT^TM-Marine (MUM) as an example.  This best-in-class device can descend down to 60 metres and can withstand the harshed conditions.  It can be used for a range of applications including quantifying metal loss on ship hulls, pressure vessels, large diameter pipes, subsea structures etc and it goes without saying that the images it produces are extremely high quality.   It also has various echo features so that measurements can be checked through coatings up to 20mm thick as well as through surfaces that are heavily corroded or pitted which is an important feature in highly corrosive marine environments.

That’s just one example of an underwater camera, but if you choose any one of the leading global brands, you’ll find that they’re all powerful, versatile and very easy to deploy and manoeuvre, making them ideal for a wide range of applications in the marine industry.  Importantly, these underwater cameras can be linked to powerful software which enables comprehensive data collection and easy report generation.

In many instances, remotely operated underwater cameras like the MaggUT negate the need for humans to venture into potentially dangerous marine areas – plus they make it possible for inspections to be done without the need for commercial divers which significantly lowers the cost involved.  If a diver is required to go into the water, the risks will be significantly reduced if an underwater camera has been used to pinpoint the accurate location of the task because the diver’s time in the sea will be minimised.

If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of underwater cameras for the marine industry and how they could benefit your operation, have an obligation-free chat to one of our experienced technical team.  We’ll work with you to formulate a cost-effective, flexible and project-suitable technical equipment solution for you that will meet your inspection needs and boost your bottom-line too.

Discover more about our full range of robotic inspection equipment or contact us today for a no-obligation chat.

The increasing demand for remote visual inspection cameras isn’t just good news for the equipment manufacturers, it’s good news for your business too.

In order to understand why the growth of this industry offers advantages to businesses, let’s put RVI into context.

Essentially, this non-destructive testing (NDT) technique is the application of visual inspection of an object or area under test without the technician being in the test area, ie inspection from a remote position.  Huge technological strides have been made over the years, from the introduction of early optical instruments (rigid borescopes) through to fibrescopes which introduced a flexible fibre optic bundle linking the eyepiece with the lens and ultimately to the more complex videoscopes – with each of these developments bringing new levels of capability to the visual inspection arena.

Advances in the consumer electronics industry have also had a knock-on effect in the field of RVI as equipment manufacturers apply and refine new technologies to improve their products.  For example, developments in CMOS and CCD camera chips have been used to improve the quality and accuracy of the imaging delivered by videoscopes, plus cameras are now much more compact so they can reach further into confined spaces.

Software development and digital communications have been further drivers of growth, enabling inspections to be viewed on screens, recorded, shared and analysed all over the world in real-time whilst similar advancements in the field of robotics have enabled RVI instruments to venture further and deeper into hard-to-access areas than ever before.  Improved illumination has further expanded the capabilities of many RVI instruments with many featuring powerful LED lights and stereoscopic systems to enable depth and distance measurements.

In tandem with the ongoing technological developments in RVI equipment, there is also a growing need for operations to maximise the uptime of their equipment, improve health and safety, manage quality control in line with increasingly stringent regulations and extend the useful life of their existing infrastructure.

The combination of all of these factors put pressure on equipment manufacturers to constantly innovate and upgrade their offerings which in turn, enable operations to meet their ever-changing and more rigorous RVI needs more quickly and more cost-effectively.

Market research estimated the total visual inspection market to be US$297.6 million in 2011 with an anticipated compound annual growth of 8.1%.  In their study, ‘Analysis of Nondestructive Test Equipment Market’, Frost & Sullivan put the total visual inspection market at 21.3% of the total NDT equipment market in 2011 and forecast it to increase to 21.6% by 2016 with higher adoption of RVI being an important factor for the revenue growth rate.

As discussed earlier, this increasing demand is good for business on many fronts.  It means the manufacturers are constantly pushing – and being pushed – to invest in R&D to improve their products and meet changing customer demands, and it puts price-pressure on these products.  The increasing demand also brings a further key benefit in the form of greater numbers of skilled RVI technicians.

It’s important for businesses to choose an equipment supplier who is committed to passing on the benefits of a growing RVI industry back to the operation.  It’s all very well having a state-of-the-art videoscope with all the bells and whistles on site, but if the device sits idle for months of the year, it’s not such a wise investment. As suppliers of specialist pipe inspection cameras (RVI) offering flexible payment models to deliver solutions, Nexxis show our customers how to deliver the best solutions to their projects. Contact us to find out more.

People often assume that when it comes to RVI Inspection Cameras and NDT equipment, their best option is buying the assets outright when in fact, a more flexible and financially viable solution may be to rent equipment.

Of course, the choice of whether to rent, lease or buy depends on individual project needs and circumstances, but it’s worth examining the benefits of equipment rental or long-term leasing before finalising any decision.

To illustrate just why organisations should consider equipment rental as a viable solution for meeting their RVI and NDT needs, here are some of the financial, technical and operational benefits.

Financial upsides

• Renting reduces the carrying costs associated with large amounts of inventory and it frees up capital, which can be better utilised elsewhere in the business to gain higher returns. This can result in improved cash flow and improved profitability due to optimum use of capital.
• Companies may find it easier to raise loans if they don’t buy their equipment outright because rentals aren’t recorded on a balance sheet as liabilities. This more favourable ratio of assets to liabilities facilitates borrowing and can result in bottom-line benefits.
• Buying equipment can also mean additional expenditure at sale time. Equipment may need repairing or updating in preparation for selling it, plus there may be associated costs in terms of advertising or transporting the items.  Equipment rental avoids those extra costs.
• Buying, maintaining and keeping track of an extensive inventory of NDT and RVI equipment can also use up valuable resources – a burden which is significantly reduced when equipment is rented.

Technical benefits

• The field of NDT and RVI is constantly evolving. Equipment suppliers regularly release upgraded devices with expanded capabilities and features as well as introducing entirely new technologies.  Renting equipment enables organisations to stay ahead of the technology curve, access a larger inventory and take advantage of faster, more efficient new models, whereas those companies that have bought their own equipment may be left with old or obsolete tools.
• Maintenance and repair? No problem.  Organisations don’t have to concern themselves with any maintenance, calibration or repair issues because all of that is handled by the company supplying the NDT equipment for rent.
• Whilst equipment breakdowns are inevitable, operations are less likely to be disrupted when rented devices are being used because the supplier will respond immediately to replace any faulty or broken equipment.
• When NCT or RVI equipment is rented from a reputable supplier, customers benefit from the ready support of their experienced and highly skilled technical team.

Operational advantages

• Short-term needs (for example when the scope of the work to be done doesn’t warrant the purchase of new equipment or when a short-term contract is awarded) can be covered very efficiently by renting NDT equipment.
• Equipment doesn’t sit idle.
• Rentals are also a very cost-effective and efficient way of handling periods of high or low demand.
• Renting equipment gives companies greater flexibility with operational planning and resourcing of projects.
• Old equipment can have a negative impact on performance and productivity. By accessing the latest models through a rental scheme however, businesses are able to optimise their outputs.

Renting equipment also enables companies to test various NDT and RVI technologies and devices to evaluate their effectiveness, without having to commit capital upfront.  If the idea of operational, technical and financial benefits appeals to you, contact us to discuss customising a rental solution that meets your organisation’s unique needs.

When considering RVI limitations of size, distance, depth, and resistance or friction. How to enter, acquire, get there and get back determine the vehicle that can be used.

The Problem and Challenge

Robotic Crawler Solution

Risk assessment ruled out the wireless options. However, the development of a tether capable of 350Lb breaking strain was developed and manufactured as part of the solution. The risk of equipment stuck in a pipe far out weights this options so this needed to be the retrieval devise.

Climbing a vertical section of pipe requires a reduction of weight and needs a balance of strength to support the tether weight and crawler itself, so the use of an aluminum construction combined with the rare earth magnets allowed to overcome this.

Everything else including video streaming and data collection, various pipe sizes was achieved resulting in an RVI devise giving assurance to start up.

Added Benefits Discovered Along The Way

The Design criteria was achieved tested and deployed to the site there was one added benefit that was discovered and that being retrieval.

RVI give us the ability to assess and discuss the collection of data but what happens when the object is to find debris and its right there in front of us, what do we do? The added benefit with this device and the rare earth magnets was that the operator simply drove up to the item connected the magnet to the nut bolt welding rod that was left in the pipe and simply drive out.

Additionally, we gave the system a counter to measure the distance. Positons feedback to assist with location.

Reconfiguring the VT100™ to fit different pipe sizes couldn’t be easier. Check out our short video to see exactly how quick and simple the process is, save time save cost and be versatile.