People often work in confined spaces, e.g. during high-pressure cleaning of pipe reactors as part of industrial maintenance. Working in confined spaces involves specific risks. To increase safety, Mourik uses robot technology so our colleagues no longer have to actually be in the confined space during the job. This makes work safer and faster, and is in line with sustainable employment practices.
Remote-controlled robot technology
Confined spaces include reactor vessels or storage tanks. The dangers that can arise when working in confined spaces depend on the nature of the space and the type of work being carried out. During the industrial cleaning of pipe reactors or pipe systems, the spaces in which they are located must be entered under a strict safety regimen to minimize risks. By using robot technology, colleagues don’t have to work in confined spaces: the robot can be controlled remotely. That way, we keep people at a distance from high-risk activities.
The robot cleans fully automatically. ‘In the past, you had to clean each pipe individually by hand,’ says Björn Schuilenga, project manager New Business Projects at Mourik. ‘In, out, and on to the next one. Now the system takes care of everything itself. The software ingests the tubesheet and then the robot does the work. That saves time – around 30% – and you can be sure you won't miss anything.’
Less physical, more technical
Safety has increased exponentially because people no longer have to be physically present in the space. ‘The system works automatically and you can see what is going on with a camera, so you don't have to stop to get closer. This is a real benefit. And you no longer miss anything: skipping a pipe? The chances of that are zero.’ This is also an advantage in terms of quality. ‘We have now reached the point where we can ingest a tube sheet in advance and register the pressure and cleaning time for each tube. The stored data can then be used the next time around.’ This means the next cleaning can be done in exactly the same way. This makes the work predictable, repeatable and reliable.
The technology is now being used by several clients. While not really an innovation – it has been on the market for some time – this technique is a smart addition to what Mourik already does. ‘We purchased this system because we saw that it works,’ says Björn. ‘It has several advantages: safety, speed and less water consumption.’
The job of people on the work floor has also changed as a result. Less physically demanding, more focused on technology. Björn: ‘You have to set up the system, monitor it and analyze the data. This makes the job more challenging for talented young employees.’
‘We purchased this system because we saw that it works. It has several advantages: safety, speed and less water consumption.’
