Free translation and writing by : Dr. Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, March 29, 2022.
Petronas Technology Ventures Sdn Bhd, has partnered with Waygate Technologies Robotics AG to commercialize a jointly developed robotic inspection device and expand its use in the oil and gas industry.
Based on the BIKE robotic system, the device enables improved data management and inspection of confined or hard-to-reach spaces in oil and gas facilities, both onshore and offshore. The technology includes a cleaning tool as well as additional ultrasonic and eddy current inspection capabilities.
Dr. Mahpuzah Abai, CEO of Petronas Technology Ventures, commented: “Petronas is pleased to join forces with the WTR robotics team for their vast experience and patents in mobile robots and inspection technologies. Together with the vision and ability of our R&D team, we could create solutions that would benefit our inspection and maintenance operations, as well as optimize our asset management. We also hope to offer these solutions to other companies in the future.”
For his part, Michael Domke, Executive General Manager, Robotics and Visual Inspection Solutions at WTR, commented: “Our R&D teams have been working closely together to tailor our BIKE robotics platform to their specific challenges. The result is a solution that will allow Petronas to minimize security risks to its personnel, as well as the overall downtime of its assets around the world,” he added.
The companies are also co-developing two new versions of the tool, the BIKE I-Beam, designed to overcome specific obstacles and sharp edges in tight spaces, and a micro-crawler version to make it easier to inspect smaller pipes.
Under the agreement, Petronas will deploy the upgraded BIKE robot to more facilities, while WTR will provide comprehensive training and support services. The agreement also marks the commitment of both companies to promote acceptance of the device among their partners and customers.
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