TECHNICAL NEWS fire department used a combination of colour and infrared images from a 5G live stream of drone footage to monitor a fire, gaining a better idea of the location and how to tackle it more effectively. ‘It is a good example of how digitalisation, a clean environment and the fight against climate change can go hand in hand. I am really looking forward to the further added value that 5G can offer in terms of ecological applications. With the help of 5G, a drone can transmit very large amounts of data without any problem. This is not only good for the environment. Also for safety. The port is close to the city. If there is a fire, the thermal cameras can immediately help the fire brigade,’ says De Sutter.
OPW
OPW BUYS VISILEVEL US fluid handling solutions company OPW has bought VisiLevel, a fluid gauging system from UK company MechTronic. VisiLevel is ATEX and IECEx approved and can accurately identify the contents of a tanker by measuring the volume, temperature, density and colour. When used in conjunction with a stock, fleet and order management system like StockSmart, it can provide a complete live audit trail of all product movements. OPW will now manufacture the patented VisiLevel system at its facility in NieuwVennep, the Netherlands, to further expand its fluid transfer product and technology offerings to international customers. ‘VisiLevel works to help prevent fuel theft and contamination, as well as improve driver safety,’ says Edwin Smit, managing director for OPW’s EMEA Fluid Transfer Group.
Carboline
CARBOLINE CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY US company Carboline, which develops coatings, linings and fireproofing, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2022. The company has various plans for employees and customers to mark the milestone, including a scheme called 75 Ways to Give Back, where employees worldwide volunteer in their community and share their experience, and a competition, 75 Red Buckets of
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Surprises, where customers send in their Carboline stories for a chance to receive a signature red bucket filled with Carboline-branded items. Carboline products have been used on iconic projects like NASA’s Cape Canaveral Launch Station and Olympic stadiums, as well as countless other museums, stadiums, refineries, power plants, water tanks, and marine vessels. Carboline has launched more than 500 products, including brands such as Bitumastic, Carboguard, Carboquick, Carbozinc, Firefilm, Phenoline, Plasite, Polyclad, Pyrocrete, Pyroclad, Reactamine, Sanitile, Thermaline, and Thermo-Lag. Carboline now has seven research facilities, 20 manufacturing facilities, and hundreds of warehouses. ‘2022 marks our 75th anniversary, an accomplishment we are tremendously proud of. For 75 years, Carboline has been solving some of the industry’s most challenging problems. We remain committed to the idea that there is always a solution. On behalf of our employees worldwide, vendor partners, and customers, we look forward to the next 75 years,’ says company president, Chris Tiernay.
20,000 autonomous flights and nearly 200 daily users, Skeyetech technology is now considered mature. The expanded applications will meet new customer needs, and will include solutions dedicated to industrial inspection and gas detection and quantification. In 2021, Azur research teams developed a new photogrammetry functionality for a major player in the mining sector, and in collaboration with Avnir Energy, the first autonomous aerial solution for radioactivity detection, SkeyetechDIZI. Azur also plans to accelerate international growth. As well as in France, its systems are currently deployed in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It is currently working to obtain new regulatory authorisations. Growth will be driven by structuring contracts put in place at the end of 2021, including a framework agreement with TotalEnergies and a distribution contract for 24 countries signed with security leader G4S. Azur will also continue to structure itself to cope with the expected increase in deployments. It has more than 65 employees and will expand its sales, R&D, support and operations teams in 2022 Azur has raised nearly €38 million since 2016.
Azur Drones
AZUR DRONES RAISES €8 MILLION FOR DEVELOPMENT Azur Drones, a French developer of drone-in-a-box solutions, has raised almost €8 million with a French private investor for further development, and to consolidate its leadership, in 2022. The company plans to expand the applications of its Skeyetech drone-ina-box solution. Skeyetech was originally developed for surveillance but is increasingly used by industry. It has been used for more than two years on critical sites of large industrial companies such as TotalEnergies, Orano, Port of Dunkerque, Oiltanking and major players in the chemical industry. With more than
CERTivation
CERTIVATION RECEIVES ANAB ACCREDITATION CERTivation, a German accreditation body which is part of the Rosen Group, has been accredited as a personnel certification body by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB). The company has fulfilled the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024:2012 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons, within the scopes of ‘Certified in Pipeline Integrity Management: CS_014F’ and ‘Certified in Pipeline Defect Assessment: CS_020F.’ CERTivation, as part of Rosen, has a strong connection to the oil and gas industry, and identified a need within the industry for qualified programs for the continuous learning and development of its employees and ensure sufficient competence, specifically for pipeline integrity. It commissioned the Qualification Panel for the Pipeline Industry (QPPI), an independent panel of qualified subject matter experts, to identify the competencies that are essential in the field of pipeline integrity, and to develop respective certification