Challenge
A chemical processing plant on the Gulf Coast needed to inspect 8 km of large-diameter process lines (24”–48”) before a planned maintenance shutdown. The pipes carried corrosive materials and were in challenging environments including elevated racks and confined spaces.
Previous inspection methods required extensive scaffolding and manual entry, which was time-consuming and presented safety risks.
Solution
The plant deployed the DP-C600 Heavy-Duty Crawler with integrated laser profiling. The DP-C600’s dual-camera system provided front and rear views, while the laser profiler measured cross-section geometry above and below the waterline.
The heavy-duty chassis and all-terrain wheels handled debris and sediment that would have stopped standard crawlers.
Results
The 3-week inspection program delivered:
- 12 critical defects identified, including 3 with wall loss exceeding 50%
- $4.5M in prevented unplanned downtime by addressing issues during the scheduled shutdown rather than during emergency outages
- Complete GIS-integrated data exported directly into the plant’s existing CMMS
- All inspection work completed without confined-space entry, eliminating safety risks
Key Takeaway
“The DP-C600 allowed us to inspect lines we couldn’t safely access before. The laser profiling data gave our engineering team exactly what they needed for repair planning.” — Plant Maintenance Manager