Confined spaces and indoor drone specialist Flyability has released a new ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement probe for the Elios 3. The payload has been developed in partnership with ultrasonic tech specialist Cygnus Instruments, so certified UT inspectors can take accurate thickness measurements under ISO 16809 compliance and back them up with high-resolution A-scans in the most challenging areas.
The solution is designed for testing at places unreachable with scaffolding, crawlers, or cherry pickers. For instance, with this payload, the Elios 3 can measure the spot thickness of steel in ship hulls, inside tanks, and between pipe ranks. The drone can enter confined spaces or reach thickness measurement locations (TML) points at height with ease to complete wall thickness gauging or corrosion surveys quickly and safely.
As Flyability explains, the UT probe is mounted on a smart arm featuring a laser pointer that provides visual guidance to aim at measurement points. The arm has mounting and shaping options that can adapt to the complexity of industrial settings. A remotely operated couplant gel dispenser ensures optimal ultrasound transmission to the material under test. Each measurement can be location-tagged on a digital twin of the asset for ease of analysis.
The Elios 3 can also carry a cleaning module to prepare test surfaces for measurement. At the same time, software integration with the Elios 3’s piloting app Cockpit allows for real-time visualization of the live A-scan and manual adjustment of the gain and gates.
Explaining that the first deliveries of the Elios 3 UT probe are expected in Q3 of 2024, Flyability CEO and cofounder Patrick Thévoz says, “Since our first projects with our oil and gas, maritime, and chemical industry customers, the ability to perform ultrasonic thickness measurement in addition to visual inspections has been one of the most requested features. The complexity of this challenge involved four years of product development and research that was contingent on the Elios 3’s unique design.”
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