Vinçotte drone inspects lifelines at BENEO
When it comes to safety in industrial environments, every detail counts. Vinçotte (part of the Kiwa Group) recently collaborated with BENEO on a project that is part of a lasting partnership between the two companies. This collaboration solved a complex challenge: the inspection of inaccessible (and thus not conventionally controllable) lifelines, highlighting Vinçotte's innovation and efficiency.
A critical problem for BENEO
At the Oreye production site of BENEO, a company specializing in food production, a number of lifelines - crucial for worker safety - were inaccessible to conventional lifting inspections that include visual inspection. These lifelines could no longer be checked and were therefore no longer usable.
The solution to this problem initially seemed expensive and complex. In order to perform the visual inspection of the lifelines, not only would production have to be disrupted, but numerous scaffolds would have to be rented to reach the attachment points of the lifelines. This option would have had a significant impact on BENEO's operations in terms of both time and budget.
Vinçotte's innovative solution
Instead of opting for traditional and expensive methods, Vinçotte proposed drone technology. This innovative approach would allow visual inspection of the lifeline in a non-intrusive manner and without disrupting ongoing production.
Vinçotte put together an interdisciplinary team consisting of a drone pilot and a lifting expert. The creation of this team was made possible by Vinçotte's expertise and its desire to remain at the cutting edge of technology to offer its clients the best possible service. Thanks to the drone, Vinçotte was able to carry out a precise and efficient visual inspection of the condition of the lifelines and their attachment points. The high-resolution images captured allowed Vinçotte's experts to assess whether the lifelines met current safety standards. This was all done without disrupting the operation of the plant or incurring excessive costs.
The lifelines were declared visually compliant with safety standards and BENEO was able to put them back into service with confidence. Edwige Bennardo, Account Manager, Vinçotte said, "BENEO trusted us for this new inspection and we made every effort to provide an innovative and effective solution. We are delighted that our expertise in industrial inspection has given BENEO peace of mind and safety". Frédéric Olivy, Manager WCC (Work Coordination Center) at BENEO, added: "Vinçotte offered us an innovative solution and did all the necessary research for its successful implementation. We can use these lifelines again, which is really positive for our company".
Who is BENEO?
BENEO has long-term experience in developing and producing ingredients from natural sources for food, feed and pharmaceutical products. These plant-based functional ingredients help improve the nutritional and technical properties of a wide variety of products, by supporting health and optimising taste and texture. The company's portfolio includes functional carbohydrates from sugar beet, prebiotic chicory root fiber, plant-based proteins and speciality ingredients from rice.
Through a unique chain of expertise, including the BENEO-Institute that provides decisive insights into nutrition science and legislation, and the BENEO-Technology Center that consults in application technology, BENEO supports customers by providing ingredients that promote a healthy lifestyle in a holistic way.
Formed in 2007, BENEO is active in over 80 countries, employs more than 1,000 people and has five state-of-the-art production sites in Belgium, Chile, Germany and Italy.
