In our experience, when discussing applications for RVI (remote visual inspection), one of the top on the list is FME (Foreign Material Exclusion) retrievals. It goes by many acronyms depending upon the particular industry, some people call it FOSAR (Foreign Object Search and Retrieval), loose parts retrieval, or foreign object retrieval but no matter what industry you are in it is called a major problem. Foreign material in any system is never a good thing. It can cause blockages in lines, damage to rotating equipment such as turbines, generators, pumps, contamination in a variety of processes, damage to heat exchangers and a host of other problems far too numerous to mention.
Many have programs in place to prevent foreign material and FME from entering systems, however, nothing is fool proof and that is where RVI comes in. Used as a contingency plan in case FME enters a system. Robotic or fiber optic cameras such as borescopes, videoscopes, pipe cameras and CCTV inspection crawlers can be used in combination with a large variety of retrieval equipment in order to remove loose parts and other foreign material once they have entered the system.
Look Technologies can offer assistance when this happens by mobilizing technicians with the necessary cameras and equipment to come to your site and remove FME from your systems. We are also happy to assist by offering advice over the phone. Whether you’re looking to purchase retrieval equipment from motorized grippers to magnets or looking for our expertise and advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us.