The Swiss company Voliro completed a comprehensive drone-based spot corrosion repair workflow on a steel silo belonging to a cement plant, demonstrating the ability to perform aerial industrial maintenance without the need for scaffolding or operational interruptions.
The operation was carried out with the Voliro T drone, which performed three elevated corrosion repairs in less than an hour while the plant continued normal operations.
According to Voliro, the same tasks would traditionally have required two to four days of work using scaffolding or specialized rope access equipment.
Aerial Repairs Reduce Time and Costs in Cement Plants
The company highlighted that such costs and logistics often lead to minor repairs being postponed until they become more complex structural problems.
During the test, the drone applied three patches of approximately 30 × 30 cm over areas with active corrosion located on the exterior wall of the steel silo.
The work was executed by Dennis den Elzen, Voliro’s Product Manager, using a combination of mechanical surface preparation, coating application, and digital repair documentation.
Voliro T Integrated Surface Preparation and Coating Application
The workflow began with surface preparation using the Aeroblaster payload, developed in conjunction with MontiPower.
This tool incorporates Bristle Blaster® and MBX® technologies, used to generate suitable surface profiles on corroded steel structures before applying protective coatings.
Voliro indicated that the system successfully met the SSPC-SP 11 standard, with minimum roughness profiles exceeding 25 µm, externally validated by independent laboratories and reviewed by the Swiss Society for Corrosion Protection (SGK).
Subsequently, the drone applied the PPG Sigmashield 880 protective coating, a two-component industrial system commonly used in spot repair programs for metallic assets.
Aerial Inspection and Repair on a Single Platform
The company explained that the Voliro T functions as a modular platform capable of integrating non-destructive testing (NDT) and repair in a single operation.
The same drone used for cleaning and coating application can incorporate ultrasonic sensors, pulsed eddy currents, and thickness measurement, allowing for inspection and repair during a single visit to the asset.
Voliro believes this capability could transform asset integrity programs in industries operating tanks, silos, elevated pipelines, and other hard-to-reach metallic structures.
Technology Aims to Accelerate Industrial Maintenance
The company stated that the use of drones for spot maintenance significantly reduces the time between corrosion detection and corrective intervention.
In addition to reducing operational costs and access times, the approach seeks to minimize risks for workers and avoid production shutdowns. Voliro noted that it currently offers demonstrations and proof-of-concept for industrial operators interested in applying this type of technology to metallic assets with active corrosion at height.
Source and photo: https://voliro.com/