Inspection System Puts Focus on Improved Productivity

Inspections and line cleaning make for one-stop-shop service that always runs smoothly.
Inspection System Puts Focus on Improved Productivity
Canessco bought the Ibak system, from RapidView IBAK North America, in early 2014. It features an Orion camera head, with pan-and-tilt, zoom and self-leveling capabilities, and 300 feet of cable. It’s paired with either a T66 steerable wheeled tractor (for inspecting 4- to 24-inch-diameter pipes) or a more powerful T68 tractor, which is capable of inspecting pipes more than 120 inches in diameter and can work under more demanding conditions, such as negotiating thick debris.

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Vacuum trucks are the undisputed workhorses at Canessco Services Inc., an industrial and sewer cleaning company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. But a much smaller machine — an Ibak pipeline inspection camera system — plays an equally important role in keeping cleaning operations running smoothly.

Canessco bought the Ibak system, from RapidView IBAK North America, in early 2014. It features an Orion camera head with pan-and-tilt, zoom and self-leveling capabilities, and 300 feet of cable. It’s paired with either a T66 steerable wheeled tractor (for inspecting 4- to 24-inch-diameter pipes) or a more powerful T68 tractor, which is capable of inspecting pipes more than 120 inches in diameter and can work under more demanding conditions, such as negotiating thick debris, says Nathan Gagnier, the company’s operations manager.

“We used to hire subcontractors to do inspections, but we got tired of always having to rely on their schedules,” says Gagnier, explaining why the company invested in the system. “It has really boosted our productivity and generates another revenue stream for the company.”

Several features motivated Gagnier to choose the Ibak, including LED lighting, a scissor lift and easy-to-change tires (to accommodate various pipeline diameters). “The lighting system is unbelievable,” he says. “The LED lights are so bright, which is great when you’re in bigger lines — it really makes it easier to detect defects. And with the remote-controlled scissor lift, we can raise the camera head to better center it in a pipe at the push of a button. Then we can lower it back down if, for example, we run into an intruding service or gas line.”

The company uses the camera to either detect problems in pipelines or to check the quality of newly installed lines. Moreover, Gagnier notes that the unit gives Canessco a competitive advantage because many times, customers would prefer to use a one-stop-shop that offers both line cleaning and inspections, as opposed to using a separate contractor for each.

“It’s an added customer convenience,” he says. “We’re very glad we bought it.”

Read more about Canessco Services



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