Waygate Technologies launches BRIC, a new robotic inspection and cleaning service

Zurich, Switzerland / Huerth, Germany, June 16th 2021 – Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business and world leader in nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions for industrial inspection, is launching a new service that uses state of the art robotics to provide the safe and efficient inspection and cleaning of industrial boilers. The service, called BRIC (acronym for Boiler Robotic Inspection & Cleaning), will eliminate any physical risk to inspectors, provide more precise data than any previous inspection technology in this field, and dramatically cut inspection costs for customers in sectors such as the chemical industry, paper manufacturing or energy.

Zero risk, twice as fast, multiple insights

Conventional boiler maintenance involves sending humans into an extremely hazardous ​ environment. With no human entry required to complete visual and ultrasonic inspections as well as water jet cleanings of industrial boilers, BRIC completely alleviates the risk to humans.

BRIC does not just increase safety, however; it also gathers 95% more high-quality data than conventional inspections. More reliable wall thickness data is delivered through three separate ultrasonic sensors. And the company’s proprietary 3D LOC technology creates a digital twin of boilers, geotags all data collected, so customers can predict its lifetime and balance the risk of components within their facility.

Conventional boiler inspection also comes with substantial costs in preparation, sourcing, logistics, and HSE requirements. Combined with the time it takes to coordinate all the players, these methods can be expensive and time consuming. With BRIC service, one single team of specialists takes care of everything. And with no human entry or scaffolding, a lot less preplanning is needed. Fewer players and less preparation deliver an average time saving of 30%-70% over traditional maintenance methods.

“We are thrilled that we can now offer our BRIC service to companies around the globe”, says Ekkehard Zwicker, Product Line Leader Robotics at Waygate Technologies. “As a leading provider of industrial inspection solutions, we have been working closely with asset managers in the chemicals, energy and paper manufacturing sectors for decades and know that reducing physical risks in these hazardous work environments is always a priority. Simultaneously, their companies face increasing pressure to limit costs and downtime. With BRIC, we have developed a solution that manages to address both of these factors.” ​ ​ ​ ​

A service and system package developed together with customer BASF

Waygate Technologies deploys state of the art inspection robotics in its service. The hardware integrates visual and ultrasonic imaging with cleaning and ultra-precise measurement. But not only the technology was designed to fit every task. With its BRIC service, Waygate Technologies offers a five-step individualized inspection solution for its customers. The services span the entire process from customer information and assessment to planning, inspection and the hand-over of inspection data – all provided from a single team of experts.

Among the first users of the BRIC program is the world’s largest chemical corporation BASF. Waygate Technologies cooperated with BASF to move BRIC from pilot stage to full industrial use. “Where for an inspection we normally have to calculate about three weeks, with this system we can now go to one week. So, we win back about two weeks of downtime on an inspectionWhere for an inspection we normally have to calculate about three weeks, with this system now we can go to one week. So, we win back about two weeks of downtime on an inspection”, says Jürgen Moors, operations manager at BASF Antwerp.

BRIC is now available globally. Learn more and contact Waygate Technologies:

Case Study BASF
​A case study on the initial project with BASF is available on request.

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About Waygate Technologies
​Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business (formerly GE Inspection Technologies), is an industrial inspection solutions company and the world leader in non-destructive testing (NDT). In its long history, Waygate Technologies brings in together more than 125 years of experience and expertise as well as a global DNA combined with the unrivalled precision of German engineering. Today, hundreds of brands in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, battery, and additive industries trust our technologies to ensure safety, quality and productivity. Our business offers a broad portfolio of award-winning solutions in industrial radiography and computed tomography (CT), remote visual inspection (RVI), ultrasound (UT), eddy current, and robotic inspection. We help customers to drive their digital transformation by applying state-of-the-art data and analytics to their assets and processes for best-in-class insights. Headquartered in Germany, the company has offices all around the world and employs over 1,600 experts and dedicated professionals. Waygate Technologies is part of the Digital Solutions segment of Baker Hughes (NYSE: BKR). Inspection starts here: https://www.waygate-tech.com

Contact

Henning Juknat

Global Communications Leader, Waygate Technologies

• henning.juknat@bakerhughes.com
• +49 2233 601272

Ingo Trenkner

Associate Director Corporate Reputation, Hill+Knowlton Strategies GmbH

• ingo.trenkner@hkstrategies.com
• +49 211 987097 52