FluxCrawler Steel Cable Inspection Robot Unveiled

Bridge, cable car and elevator infrastructure has to routinely withstand high stress loads, so must be checked regularly. Now, there is a new robot able to check for any damage before it can develop into something really hazardous.

Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFP, the FluxCrawler system specialises in wire rope and stay cable inspections, examining the components frequently used in bridge, crane, cable car, ski lift and elevator designs.

Once in position, the FluxCrawler carries out magnetic flux leakage assessments. These allow it to identify a range of issues, from minute fissures to much more substantial cracks.

As IZFP representative Doctor Jochen Kurz explained, even the smallest cracks could lead to a potentially terrible scenario. "If such micro-fissures are not discovered in time, the steel can break", he said, in Fraunhofer's steel cable inspection robot press release. "This is why material checks are absolutely vital to avoid deadly consequences or even catastrophes."

FluxCrawler Cable inspection Robot

Here's how the FluxCrawler cable inspection robot works. Rather than attaching itself to cables as some other designs do, this robot spins around them while a magnet is used to ensure contact's maintained at all times. This magnet is dual-purpose: not only does it control the FluxCrawler's movement but it also magnetises the cable being inspected.

While the robot rotates, an array of sensors carry out surface scans across a field defined by the magnet. It's these scans that reveal the presence of cracks.

Battery-powered, the FluxCrawler is Bluetooth-operated. Approximately 70 centimetres in length, it can inspect cables up to 20 centimetres wide and as thin as four centimetres wide.

Having recently patented the design, Fraunhofer is now looking to expand its trials envelope. According to its press release, industry response to the FluxCrawler robot has so far been positive.

FluxCrawler image copyright Fraunhofer IZFP