Online Cleaning Technologies, the UK and Europe’s leading provider of industrial shockwave cleaning and maintenance solutions, is investing in its offering with the addition of a Flyability Elios 3 drone, and is yet another demonstration of its unwavering commitment to create a safer, more sustainable, and more efficient operational industry.

The Elios 3 drone, with its LIDAR capability, helps to digitise the inaccessible – “quickly turning asset data into digital insights”, Flyability says on its website. It is the first mapping and inspection indoor drone, “offering an unmatched combination of intelligence, versatility and stability”.

Why do you need this service from OCT?

Our specialist data-driven insights make the world of difference – There are a few companies out there offering drone inspections, but what sets Online Cleaning’s offering apart is that, with our expertise, we know exactly what we are looking for. We know where to look, what to look for, where to inspect further, and how to most effectively interpret that data.

This is one extra tool, in addition to our HD cameras and monitoring systems, that will elevate Online Cleaning even higher, ensuring our clients’ facilities are maintained to optimum efficiency.

What are the key benefits?

Accurate accessibility – The collection of comprehensive data using LIDAR (Light detection and ranging) and 10,000 lumens of light help to build accurate 3D models of the inspection area and pinpoint any defects or build ups of material during inspection.

The Elios 3 can reach places otherwise inaccessible or dangerous for humans to access, such as furnaces, gasifiers, any open gas passes and silos. With an outdoor licence the Elios 3 can reach boiler house cladding, roofs, stacks and stockpiles.

Safety and cost-savings – This has obvious safety benefits, taking humans out of the equation where they might be at risk working in confined spaces, or working at height.

Inspection using the Elios 3 reduces or eliminates the need for rope or scaffolding. This saves costs, both in terms of materials and man hours, as inspections can be carried out in a fraction of the time, compared to traditional methods. It also allows for repeat inspections to get consistent, comparative data inspections to identify and remedy problems more quickly.

Finally, inspections using the new Elios 3 technology, expertly utilised by OCT, reduces down time and cost by taking away the need for planning and acquiring of gas monitors, specialist PPE and trained personnel.

The new drone inspection service will also be made available as part of our regular maintenance plan for those customers who choose it.

Operations Supervisor, Lee Maloney​​​​, comments:

Although there are other companies carrying out drone work in this sector, they tend to just pilot the drones. Our drone pilots are also boiler engineers with upwards of ten years’ experience. We have an unprecedented level of expertise compared to others offering this service in this space. We also have experience in more than 80 facilities across the UK and Ireland, so if we see a problem, the chances are we’ve seen it somewhere else before, and know how to deal with it.