Aegion Coating Services uses Robotics to Protect Scarce Water in Chile

Aegion Coating Services completed a project at the Candelaria open-pitcopper mine near the mining and agriculture town of Copiapo,Chile. The project consisted of the application of the coatingof nearly 4,600 internal field joints along more than 50 milesof 24-inch-diameter pipeline. The primary goal of the projectwas to coat the joints to prevent leaks of the process water line.This would help to protect scarce water in the desert climate.Aegion Coating Services was able to complete the project using its revolutionaryrobotic coating system.

CLEANING AND INSPECTION

The Candelaria coating project faced several challenges.Environmental challenges, such as the desert’s dust, requiredthe entire length of pipe to be cleaned multiple times prior to thecoating process. The entire length of each pipe was inspectedin addition to a standard internal field joint inspection usingcircumferential line-travel holiday detecting equipment. Locatedon the inspection machine, the detection equipment was usedto inspect the lining of each pipe after the internal field jointswere completely cleaned, coated, visually inspected and holidayinspected. Real-time feedback provided the field technicianwith immediate verification of each pipe section’s quality statusand detection of any anomalies in the factory-coated pipeline.When holidays were found, the required repairs were made.