Key facts
- Nexterity is developing a remote-controlled robot to automate pipefitting tasks.
- The robot is designed to handle the tightening and loosening of bolts on pipe joints.
- The company aims to improve safety and productivity in the pipefitting industry.
- Nexterity's robot can loosen and tighten four bolts at a time.
- The robots are designed to fit standard pipe sizes between two to eight inches in diameter.
- Nexterity plans to offer its robots as a rental service.
Nexterity, a startup founded by Lindsey Elliott, a former engineer and planner at ExxonMobil, is developing a remote-controlled robot to automate the process of tightening and loosening bolts on pipe joints. Elliott, who has years of experience in the oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry, identified this task as a significant source of injury for pipefitters and a contributor to low productivity in the trade, which is also facing labor shortages.
The company's solution is a battery-powered robot that attaches to a pipe and can quickly handle four bolts at a time. Nexterity has created various configurations to fit different standard pipe sizes, all designed to be portable enough to fit in a Pelican case and be carried by a single worker. This portability is key to Nexterity's business model, which plans to offer the robots as rental construction equipment.
Elliott's design is informed by conversations with industry professionals, including those at the Bolting Symposium and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Pressure Vessels & Piping Division. She learned that a significant portion of pipes, between two to eight inches in diameter, are suitable for automation due to their repetitive nature. Elliott believes the market for such automation is substantial, encompassing not only oil and gas but also water, wastewater, food and beverage, mining, and nuclear facilities.