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Ford U.K. Plant Launches Inspection Drones
Ford Motor Co. has begun using flying drones at a U.K. engine plant to inspect support structures inside the tallest part of the facility.
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Ford Motor Co. has begun using flying drones at a U.K. engine plant to inspect support structures inside the tallest part of the facility.
The drones, equipped with GoPro cameras, enable maintenance staff to more thoroughly view hard-to-reach areas, such as overhead gantries, at the Dagenham facility.
The company says inspections—which previously took workers 12 hours per section to complete with extendable platforms and scaffolding—can be completed in 12 minutes with drones. As a result, the entire production facility can now be inspected in one day.
With the time saved, the Dagenham team can conduct more frequent inspections and do so without having to shut down operations to erect the scaffolding. Operating drones from the ground also eliminates the safety risks of maintenance workers having to conduct inspections in person at heights as great as 160 ft.
Ford says drones can be used in a variety of areas. The company says it also may use the devices to check machinery, inspect pipework and locate air leaks.
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