Osprey Integrity, a leading UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) inspection company, achieved a sucessfull drone inspection at a large Canadian mining producer facility. This initiative showcased the potential for advanced drone technology to revolutionize asset integrity inspection. Using the Voliro T drone, equipped with an EMAT (Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer) payload, Osprey Integrity conducted a thickness testing of an ore extraction surge bin hopper, all while the system remained fully operational. This breakthrough inspection strategy enabled precise measurements of the wear plates on the surge bin—a critical component of the oil sands processing system which resulted in substantial operational and cost-saving benefits.
$1.2M CAD in cost savings: Avoided downtime and reduced material costs as Reliability Engineers determined that only 50% of tiles required replacement.
Inspection time was reduced from 2 weeks to 40 minutes: Eliminated the need for scaffolding or rope access.
Enhanced safety and operational efficiency: Reduced high-risk activities and ensured continuous operation of the equipment.
In the mining and oil sands industry, equipment inspections are essential for maintaining asset integrity, particularly in abrasive environments where materials cause significant wear. One of the most challenging assets to inspect is the ore collection bin, which consists of large hoppers and conveyors that feed oil sands into the processing plant. These bins are subject to constant abrasion from raw ore, which erodes their wear plates over time. To ensure continued safe operation, these plates require regular thickness testing, as reliability engineering teams rely on precise data to make timely decisions on replacement needs.
Reliability Engineering teams need accurate data on plate wear to determine whether replacements are necessary during scheduled maintenance turnarounds. Without precise data, the Engineering Team must plan for full plate replacements as a preventative measure, an expensive and potentially unnecessary approach. Additional challenges include:
Osprey Integrity addressed inspection challenges with the deployment of the Voliro T drone, equipped with an EMAT (Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer) payload, to assess the integrity of a mining surge bin asset. This advanced approach enabled the Osprey team to complete the inspection in just 40 minutes, a significant difference over the traditional 2-week, scaffolding-based method. The inspection was conducted while the facility remained fully operational, maximizing uptime and ensuring uninterrupted business continuity. This breakthrough represents a “win-win-win” scenario for operations, maintenance, and engineering teams, with additional health, safety, and environmental (HSE) benefits due to minimized on-site human presence and reduced exposure to hazards.
To guarantee accuracy, Osprey Integrity acquired a sample tile of the material used in the wear plates for pre-inspection testing and calibration. This proactive measure allowed for precise configuration of the Voliro T EMAT payload’s inspection parameters, ensuring data accuracy.
The advanced inspection capabilities of the Voliro T enabled the Osprey Integrity client’s Reliability Engineering team to make precise, data-driven decisions. Instead of the standard approach of replacing all wear plates—a common precautionary measure—the team discovered that only 50% of the wear tiles required replacement. This shift from a blanket approach to a targeted, data-driven strategy reduced material waste and maintenance downtime. The result? An impressive cost savings of $1.2M CAD.
The Voliro T drone enabled Osprey Integrity to perform a comprehensive inspection of the ore collection bin asset with remarkable efficiency and without production disruption. By gathering accurate data on wear plate thickness, the company could make data-driven decisions regarding maintenance, reducing both immediate and long-term costs.
