Asset Integrity & Inspection
ASSET MANAGEMENT & INSPECTION
Deliver insights
The use of drones in asset inspection provides organisations with unparalleled information that enables asset owners to make key decisions to protect the health of their asset. Safer than traditional methods of asset inspection, this technology provides consistent, reliable and time-efficient data.
ensure safety
Inspecting assets, especially those in hard-to-reach or hazardous areas (like high-voltage power lines, tall structures or offshore platforms), can be dangerous for inspectors. Minimising the amount of human intervention needed for such asset inspection drastically reduces the chance of worker injuries or fatalities.
Minimise downtime
For many assets, especially in industries like energy or manufacturing, downtime can be costly. Using drones for inspection allows you to keep operations and assets open and running while critical inspections are conducted.
COPTRZ SUPPLY TO MORE THAN 1,200 ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE UK & IRELAND
What is a drone inspection?
A drone inspection involves using unmanned aircraft to assess assets. Thanks to the extreme versatility of the solutions on the market, drones are capable to accessing hard-to-reach or hazardous areas, suitable for both indoor and outdoor inspections across industries such as resource management, manufacturing, nuclear and energy and renewables.
Providing detailed insights into assets like wind turbines, building facades, and railways, drones a revolutionising the way inspection are conducted.
The use of drones in asset inspection provides organisations with unparalleled information that enables asset owners to make key decisions to protect the health of their asset. Safer than traditional methods of asset inspection, this technology provides consistent, reliable and time-efficient data.
KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY
Types of inspections
Using UAVs for solar farm inspection not only enhances safety by eliminating manual inspections but also offers a cost-effective and thorough assessment, ensuring the solar panels' peak performance and longevity. Equipped with IR cameras, they swiftly detect panel hotspots indicating defects and inefficiencies, ensuring optimal energy output.
Maintaining wind turbines at peak efficiency is crucial for the energy sector. Traditional inspections, involving shutting down turbines and using rope specialists or lift platforms, were lengthy and expensive. This method not only resulted in lost energy production and increased costs but also posed safety risks to workers inspecting at great heights.
Traditional tank inspection methods involve personnel entering potentially hazardous tanks, posing safety risks and yielding low-quality data. Using drones eliminate the need for direct human entry, enhancing safety and data quality. This approach not only cuts risks and costs but also enables clients to spot trends in detected anomalies.
A drone bridge inspection employs unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras to visually assess and document a bridge's condition. This method enables the capture of detailed imagery and the construction of 3D models, offering insights into areas often challenging to access. Their capabilities ensure accurate identification of structural damage, material degradation, and other potential issues, making them an invaluable tool for comprehensive bridge assessments.
Using advanced drones equipped with high-resolution and thermal imaging cameras, you swiftly and comprehensively inspect residential and commercial property roofs. This technology detects vulnerabilities and details unseen by the human eye. Compared to traditional methods, our drone surveys are faster, eliminating the need for roofing teams to manually inspect. A single drone flight yields hundreds of detailed photos and scans, ensuring thorough and accurate roof analysis.
Drones are transforming power line inspections, providing a safer, more efficient alternative to traditional methods involving ground staff and helicopters. Unmanned aerial vehicles navigate tough terrains and weather, minimising risks of manual inspections. Integrated with advanced software, drones swiftly analyse data, identifying defects and maintenance needs. They access hard-to-reach areas and reduce operational costs.
FEATURED
Drone solutions
Flyability elios 3
DJI Matrice 350
DJI mavic 3t
DJI matrice 30t
VISUALISE YOUR ASSETS
Sensors
DJI Zenmuse L1
The DJI Zenmuse L1 is a LiDAR + RGB solution for aerial scans that provides a complete solution that gives you real-time 3D data throughout the day, efficiently capturing the details of complex structures and delivering highly accurate reconstructed models.
DJI Zenmuse p1
The DJI Zenmuse P1 integrates a full-frame sensor with interchangeable fixed-focus lenses on a 3-axis stabilised gimbal. Designed for photogrammetry flight missions, it takes efficiency and accuracy to a whole new level.
Phaseone ixm
The Phase One iXm incorporates the first medium-format sensor with backside-illumination technology, enabling high light sensitivity and extended dynamic range to satisfy diverse mapping & surveying applications.
Emesent Hovermap
The AgEagle MicaSense RedEdge-P Dual is a high-resolution multispectral drone camera designed to capture multiple bands simultaneously, revealing insights invisible to the naked eye and producing outputs such as RGB, NDVI, NDRE, and more
micasense rededge-p Dual
The AgEagle MicaSense RedEdge-P Dual is a high-resolution multispectral drone camera designed to capture multiple bands simultaneously.
Micasense
altum-pt
The AgEagle MicaSense Altum-PT is an optimized 3-in-1 solution designed for advanced remote sensing and agricultural research.
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Read our FAQS
How are drones used for asset inspection?
Drones, being cost-effective and easy to operate, are essential for asset management. They offer constant surveillance of complex structures, assets and machinery, identifying early issues to prevent significant disasters. Many sites are hard to access or costly for manual checks, making drones invaluable for proactive maintenance. They send live feeds to remote managers, reducing workplace risks associated with working from height, in confined spaces and using rope access. The data collected from the UAV can be archived for future use. Additionally, drones aid in construction, providing 3D projections for informed decisions.
What are the benefits of using drones for inspections?
Drone inspections enhance safety by eliminating the need for inspectors to tackle hazardous tasks like climbing towers. Beyond safety, they offer significant cost savings. While inspections are the initial step in maintenance, only 10-20% actually reveal issues needing repair. Although drones can't yet perform maintenance tasks, they can handle the majority of inspections that don't lead to repairs. This is crucial because erecting scaffolding for manual inspections is costly. By using drones and only setting up scaffolding when necessary, companies can slash maintenance expenses by 80-90%, translating to substantial financial savings.
What inspection drone do i need?
When choosing a drone for asset inspection, several key considerations come into play to ensure you select the right equipment for your specific needs. Here are some of the primary factors to consider:
- Purpose and Application: Understand the specific type of assets you'll be inspecting. For instance, inspecting power lines might require different features than inspecting large buildings or bridges.
- Camera Quality: High-resolution cameras are essential for detailed inspections. Consider drones that support 4K video and high-resolution still photos. Some drones also come with thermal imaging or even LiDAR scanning capabilities, which can be crucial for certain inspections.
- Flight Time: Depending on the size and complexity of the asset, you'll need a drone that can stay airborne long enough to complete the inspection.
- Stability and Precision: For accurate inspections, the drone should be stable in various weather conditions and have precise flight controls.
- Range: Consider how far the drone can fly from its controller, especially if inspecting assets in remote locations.
- Payload Capacity: If you need to attach additional equipment or sensors, ensure the drone can carry the required weight.
- Obstacle Avoidance: Drones with advanced obstacle detection and avoidance systems can be beneficial, especially in cluttered environments.
- GPS and Positioning: Accurate GPS and positioning systems are crucial for mapping and geo-tagging inspection data.
- Weather Resistance: If you'll be conducting inspections in various weather conditions, consider drones that are water-resistant or have specific weatherproof features.
- Ease of Use: Depending on the operator's experience, you might want a drone that's user-friendly and doesn't have a steep learning curve.
- Safety Features: Features like auto return-to-home, low battery alerts, and geofencing can be crucial for safe operations.
- Cost: While it's essential to get a drone that meets your needs, it's also crucial to consider your budget. Remember, the most expensive drone isn't necessarily the best for every application.
What is the best inspection drone?
With the breadth of technology available on the market, there are a number of viable solutions for inspection operations. Here are some of our top picks for the drones that are leading the industry:
- Best drone for mass data collection: WingtraOne Gen II
- Best confined space drone: Flyability Elios 3
- Most versatile drone platform: DJI Matrice 350 RTK
- Best value for money inspection drone: DJI Matrice 30T
- Best starter drone for inspection: DJI Mavic 3T (Thermal)
What is an inspection drone?
Drone inspections are being performed in almost every industry that requires visual inspections as part of its maintenance procedures. By using a drone to collect visual data on the condition of an asset, using drones for inspection help inspectors avoid having to place themselves in dangerous situations.
How much does a drone inspection cost?
Using drones for inspections offers a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Drones can swiftly access hard-to-reach or hazardous areas, reducing the risks associated with manual inspections, such as climbing or using scaffolding. Equipped with advanced imaging capabilities, they provide detailed and comprehensive data, eliminating the need for multiple site visits. Additionally, drones streamline the inspection process, leading to faster decision-making and potential cost savings for businesses.
Using an external drone pilot for a low-level drone inspection can begin from £150 per hour of flight. However, this can quickly become more expensive as the level of inspection becomes more complex, venturing into the thousands. We would heavily recommend speaking to one of our experts to understand whether the upfront cost of bringing your drone costs in-house would be beneficial for your operations.
How can I inspect my roof?
Conducting a drone roof inspection involves several key steps and considerations to ensure accurate and comprehensive data collection:
- Know Your Objective: Before starting, be clear about what you're inspecting for, whether it's peeling shingles, cracks, or water leaks. The purpose of the inspection will guide your flight plan.
- Consider Roof Size: The size and height of the roof determine whether you can fly manually or need automation. Larger roofs, like those of warehouses, benefit from automated flights for consistent data capture.
- Decide on Data Type: Determine if you need visual data, thermal data, or both. Thermal surveys are best conducted when the sun is low to avoid interference, while visual surveys require good lighting.
- Address Focus Issues: Ensure every image is sharp. Some flight software, like Hammer, offers a 'Focus Before Picture' option to prevent blurry images.
- Account for Ground Offset: This affects the overlap in captured pictures. Software like Hammer allows you to set a ground offset, ensuring consistent overlap.
- Handle 'L' Shaped Roofs: For uniquely shaped roofs, avoid over-flying to conserve battery life and ensure efficient data capture.
- Capture Oblique Views: Along with a top-down view, an oblique view helps inspect vertical assets on the roof. Adjust the gimbal pitch for this perspective.
- Maintain Orientation: For ease of post-processing, keep a constant drone orientation throughout the flight.
After data collection, use a data inspection platform to review and annotate findings. AI-based defect detection software can further expedite the analysis.
Remember, every roof inspection has its nuances. Adapt your approach based on specific needs, and leverage tools like Hammer for optimal results.
Why should you bring your drone inspections in-house?
When using external drone pilots or subcontractors you’re not in charge of the quality of your data. You can be more responsive when you are collecting the data yourself. Long term it’s also much more cost-effective to bring your aerial drone solution in-house.
FIND OUT MORE
Interested by the solutions you've explored above? Our team of drone experts is eager to guide you further. Whether you're just beginning your drone journey or looking to scale up, we're here to assist every step of the way. Reach out to us today and elevate your operations.
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Unlock your business potential with drone technology
With Coptrz, explore the limitless possibilities that drone technology brings to your business. From aerial inspections to mapping and surveillance, our comprehensive solutions are designed to drive efficiency, enhance safety, and deliver significant cost savings. Join the drone revolution with Coptrz and elevate your business to new heights.