Nexxis have changed the way companies are performing high risk tasks. Nexxis supply of an extensive range of leading-edge inspection, testing and measuring equipment and robotics for a variety of applications; including onshore & offshore oil rigs, subsea installations, engines, machinery, mining operations, infrastructure projects and manufacturing processes.

More than just a supplier of leading equipment, the Perth-based specialists are assisting industry to transition towards a safer future by developing the world’s first EX-rated robotic crawler. Australian Regulation gives equipment a safety rating of EX if it meets the operational guidelines for safe use in hazardous areas (or EX-areas).

This includes confined space and highly flammable or unstable environments. Despite there being a definite application and need for EX-rated robotic inspection systems, none have existed up until now.

Working in confined spaces is estimated to be 100 to 150 times more hazardous than operating on an open site. Confined spaces are not designed for people to work in. Hazards are not always obvious and can change quickly without an operator’s knowledge. Confined space and hazardous area inspections can also present significant operational impediments, often requiring operators to shut down assets to allow personnel to carry out the work.

To solve this problem Nexxis have partnered with CSIRO's Data61, SixDe and NERA to reengineer their prized robot Magneto — an already versatile, multi-limbed inspection robot platform - to comply with Australian standards for EX-rating and perform confined-space and hazardous inspections, so that humans don’t have to.

The Nexxis Magneto Robot is already equipped with stable navigation and seamless movement, with the ability to place its feet in small gaps and on narrow beams, adapting its body configuration to navigate different beam separation and through narrow apertures.

Nexxis is now extending the capabilities of the already innovative crawler to make it EX-rated compliant and integrate sophisticated imaging systems that can record and transmit images and data back to operating teams in real-time.

Nexxis is improving the efficiency of operations and maintenance of organisations by using the latest technologies, including robotic sensors and innovations in the control of heat and spark output. The development of an Ex-rated Magneto system will improve safety for organisations by providing the world's first un-manned solution for hazardous area inspections and thereby reducing downtime, potentially saving millions of dollars per day per site. 

This project has the potential to position Australia as a world-leader in automated robotic inspection research and manufacturing, and establish an export market for EX-rated technology.