Best Pipe Crawler Rentals for Industrial Pipeline Inspection

Industrial pipelines carry liquids, gases, and in some cases, solids, throughout an industrial environment via a system of tubes, valves, and fittings. These pipes have to meet strict safety and quality standards, and as such, are engineered to handle high pressure, high temperatures, and corrosion. That being said, when pipes eventually get damaged, it is impractical to replace the whole system. The solution is to use pipe crawlers to seek out problematic areas to detect issues without dismantling components or taking systems offline.

What are Pipe Crawlers?

Pipe crawlers are remote-controlled or autonomous vehicles that inspect the interior of pipelines, providing users with real-time, high-resolution visual and sensor data. They have cables attached to them to deliver camera feed and data back to the user. Additionally, these cables can also direct power to/from the crawler or can be used to pull the device back if the unit gets stuck or fails.

Operators use a distance tracking sensor in the tether real to get feedback on where the crawler is in the pipe, which can be used to pinpoint the location of the problem and log the anomaly so measures can be taken to fix it.

Specifications to Consider When Choosing a Pipe Crawler Rental

Pipe crawlers can vary drastically depending on the applications they are used for. The quality of a pipe crawler and the measurements it is capable of are a primary contributor to the cost of the crawler you choose. Because crawlers can cost anywhere between $45,000 and $300,000, it is important to know what you need the crawler for and what specifications are required. Below are key specifications to look for when considering what pipe crawler you may want to rent.

Cable Length
Pan/Tilt/FOV
Resolution
Zoom
Speed

Configurations to Consider When Choosing a Pipe Crawler Rental

The configuration of a pipe crawler will typically vary depending on their application. Crawlers will vary extensively in size, with some options fitting in pipes as small as 4”. These smaller ones tend to have less functionality than the larger ones, which can raise and lower their camera, or even utilize robotic arms that can be controlled via topside controller.

In addition to the size, there are other factors that are important when choosing a pipe crawler. Some have common sensors, while others have integrated laser or LIDAR technology to gain more accurate results, at the cost of being more expensive and time consuming.

The method for controlling these devices can also vary between handheld controllers, truck-mounted desktop computers, and laptop/console type controllers. The handheld controllers are portable, but offer limited reporting. Truck-mounted desktop controllers are more expensive and harder to move, but offer easier customization. Laptop/console controllers are a middle-ground between the two in terms of cost and portability.

Common Use Cases for Pipe Crawlers

Crawlers are built to adapt to different environments, in part due to the wide variety of pipelines they must crawl. Pipelines can be made of an array of materials such as cast iron, concrete, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, plastic, and steel. Each of these materials is beneficial towards specific kinds of applications, and crawlers need to be able to maneuver through them all. There are a variety of applications that can be used for each type of pipeline include:

Heating and cooling networks
Irrigation infrastructure
Sewage and wastewater systems
Water distribution networks

Cooling water networks
Hydroelectric power plants
Stormwater drainage systems
Tunnel and shaft construction

Chemical processing plants
Desalination and water treatment plants
Geothermal energy systems
Oil and gas production facilities

Chemical and processing plants
Drainage and wastewater management
Irrigation networks
Water supply systems

Chemical processing plants
Oil and gas transportation
Power generation facilities
Water supply networks

Pipe Cameras Versus Pipe Crawlers

An important note to make is that for drainage inspection, a subsection of industrial pipeline inspection related to sewer systems, there are two commonly used tools for the job: pipe cameras and pipe crawlers.

Both pipe cameras and pipe crawlers take images inside of pipes; however, their use cases depend on the pipe’s size and the task’s complexity. Pipe cameras are used for simple pipe inspections, and as such, are smaller, easier to set up, and cheaper to use. The tradeoff is that their inspection distance, mobility, and image control are all limited.

While there are high-end pipe cameras that can be used for industrial purposes, pipe crawlers are more commonly used for medium to large pipes that require high-definition imaging, a more durable device (that can also maneuver around irregularities in the pipe’s structure), and an extended range.

Just like crawlers, pipe cameras have different use cases depending on their configurations. View below to see the different types of pipe cameras and what distinguishes each variant from one another.

How ATEC Can Help You

With all of these factors in mind, ATEC can help you find the best pipe crawler rental to suit your industrial inspection requirements. We offer pipe crawler rentals available today as a chosen rental partner of Eddyfi.