API is relied upon for its rigorous standards applied to various inspection methods. According to Flyability’s recent article, Steven Verver of RoNik Inspectioneering in the Netherlands wanted to see whether an inspector from their formal inspection body Bureau Veritas would approve the use of Elios 2 for an API 510 inspection.
The Elios 2 was to take the place of a person having to enter the pressure vessel and look for possible issues with the welds holding the composite material together. Their goal was to see if a formal inspection body would accept a non-entry drone inspection as a formal 510 inspection.
Initially, the inspector was skeptical of camera inspections because he felt it lacked the same level of quality as a visual inspection with a human standing in front of an object with a flashlight.
In order to be approved, the inspector must determine that the camera is capturing the same visual data that would be seen by a human eye. It isn’t simply a matter of the quality of the video feed, but an inspector must be able to see the depth and distance of the object being inspected.
The Elios 2 met all of these requirements, and the inspector from Bureau Veritas decided that the visual data provided by the Elios 2 was sufficient as a formal inspection tool.
MFE Rentals East Coast General Manager Jason Acerbi was quoted in the article to explain that “the Elios 2 is a game changing tool for collecting visual data to evaluate and qualify the conditions inside an asset.”
He continued, “the high quality video and images it provides can help inspectors focus on the important work of carefully reviewing visual data, reducing their exposure to the risks that come with spending time inside any asset.”
If you are considering a drone for your next inspection, contact your nearest MFE Rentals representative or email us at sales@mferentals.com.