Robotics Push Aims to Close Coverage Gaps in CUI Inspections
Corrosion under insulation remains one of the toughest damage mechanisms to catch, and Inspectioneering Journal’s July/August 2026 issue features an article by Petter Wehlin of ARIX Technologies arguing that robotics can help close the gap. The piece notes that many operators still rely on stripping and reinstalling insulation, or a mix of visual assessment, risk-based prioritization, and targeted inspection of susceptible areas, an approach limited by partial coverage and the difficulty of finding hidden, localized corrosion. According to the article, moisture can travel within insulation systems, meaning corrosion can develop far from where water originally entered, so externally healthy-looking insulation can still hide damage underneath. The author frames robotic inspection as a way to collect more data, expand coverage, and reduce inspection risk, and the article goes on to compare different robotic architectures and discuss hybrid approaches combining robots with manual methods, though full technical detail sits behind Inspectioneering’s subscriber wall.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- NDE and mechanical integrity contractors doing CUI work should expect operators to start asking for robotic crawler capability alongside, or instead of, traditional strip-and-visual scopes, particularly on piping and vessels where insulation removal is costly.
- Firms without in-house robotic inspection assets may need to partner with or subcontract to specialized providers like ARIX Technologies to stay competitive on future turnaround and asset integrity bids.
- Insulation removal and reinstallation crews could see reduced scope on jobs where robotic coverage replaces strip-and-inspect cycles, shifting labor demand toward NDE technicians trained on robotic platforms.
