Making Inspections 50% Faster for Nippon Steel Technology Co. Ltd, Part of Japan's Largest Steelmaker

Nippon Steel Technology Co. Ltd, a group company of one of the biggest steel producers in the world, Nippon Steel, sets high standards for operational excellence. The largest steel company in Japan and part of the global top 5, Nippon Steel has sites in 15 countries besides Japan. 

One of the company’s four pillars of business is a focus on promoting digital transformation strategies. Under this banner, Nippon Steel Technology has introduced the Elios 3 drone, along with its UT payload, to its inspection processes with the long-term aim to use this technology to support digital twin efforts by the parent company, Nippon Steel. This interview discusses how they started using the Elios 3 UT, along with the benefits of drone inspections in the steelmaking industry.

The Nippon Steel Technology Team preparing their Elios 3 drone

We would like to extend our thanks to Mr. Mitsutoshi Tsuru for speaking to us, and express our gratitude to Nippon Steel Technology for authorizing this interview with us.

What key factors led to Nippon Steel Technology selecting the Elios 3 drone and its UT payload? 

“In steel plant inspections, it is essential to have easy access to confined, enclosed, and high places, as well as excellent durability and dust resistance. Additionally, the ability to collect data is crucial, as the drone must serve as the eyes, brain, and measuring instrument of the inspector. The Elios 3 is the only drone that combines all of these capabilities at the highest level.”

What features of the Elios 3 made it an ideal choice for Nippon Steel Technology?

“The Elios 3 features LiDAR and UTM capabilities. There are no other UTM drones of this size globally, giving it a strong advantage in accessing narrow and confined spaces. By combining it with LiDAR data, more efficient inspections have become possible.”

The LiDAR and UT payloads of the Elios 3 unlock easier inspections for the Nippon Steel Technology team

How is the Elios 3 UT being integrated into the existing inspection processes at Nippon Steel Technology? What specific confined spaces are being targeted for drone inspections? 

“I lead the Robotics NDI team within a specialized department for measurement and NDI, promoting its application across operations. This is the main team of its kind within the Nippon Steel Group. We position the Elios 3 as a key device for our team and actively utilize it as a tool for assessing the remaining service life of equipment.

Our inspection targets are wide-ranging, including the interiors of smokestacks, dust collection ducts, pipelines, gas storage tanks, and power generation facilities.”

In what ways has the Elios 3 improved the efficiency of confined space inspections at Nippon Steel Technology as compared to traditional manual inspection methods? 

“In the past, we would use aerial work platforms or scaffolding and in some cases, access was limited with them even with special equipment. Now, thanks to using the Elios 3, we are able to conduct remote inspections efficiently from safe areas without the need for scaffolding or aerial work platforms. This has resulted in a 50% reduction in inspection time.

Additionally, the elimination of scaffolding setup has led to an overall time reduction of 85%, delivering significant improvements.

The precise location data provided by LiDAR has also made analysis work more efficient, reduced complexity in reports and photo documentation, and improved the overall quality of inspections.”

The team poses with the Elios 3 in front of an industrial site

How does Nippon Steel Technology utilize the data collected by drones to make better-informed decisions about the maintenance of the assets or safety improvements? 

“We are an internal inspection service provider that collects and analyzes data based on customer specifications and delivers reports accordingly. At times, we also offer advice to clients regarding signs of deterioration. For particularly engaged stakeholders, we introduce them to Inspector, the software for analyzing results from the Elios 3, and share data with them. However, we rarely make critical decisions regarding facility maintenance. We provide the data in the form of reports and share it with the relevant teams for them to take action based on our findings.” 

What are the long-term goals for using the Elios 3 for inspections at Nippon Steel Technology? 

"While reducing safety risks and responding to customer cost needs are important, our long-term goal is to contribute to the digital twin initiative of our parent company."

Does Nippon Steel Technology plan to expand the use of the Elios 3 for other operational tasks or different types of inspections in the future? 

"The introduction of the Elios 3 has significantly contributed to shortening processes and reducing costs. In particular, the integration with LiDAR data has been very well received, as it makes it much easier to understand exactly where each image was captured. 

Currently, the Elios 3 is used exclusively for equipment inspections, and there are no plans to expand its use to other areas. However, there is significant potential to broaden its applications as new measurement devices are released and as Inspector continues to evolve."

Confined space asset inspections are easier with the Elios 3

Setting industry standards for UT drone inspections

The adoption of drones for inspections by an industry giant such as Nippon Steel Technology demonstrates their faith in the revolutionary Elios 3 and its UT payload. This prestigious company’s belief in the future of digitizing assets with drone inspections is a glimpse of a growing acceptance of drones in heavy industry. 

We wish to extend our thanks to Nippon Steel Technology for this interview, with particular gratitude towards Mr. Mitsutoshi Tsuru for speaking with us.  

If you’re interested in learning more about the Elios 3 drone and its UT payload, we recommend you reach out to our team!