The recently introduced remote-controlled robot from Nexterity, under the direction of ex-ExxonMobil engineer Lindsey Elliott, is set to revolutionize a particularly challenging industrial operation: loosening and tightening bolts that join pipes. Developed after extensive fieldwork and industry knowledge, this device’s primary goals are to increase safety for workers and solve persistent issues surrounding productivity in heavy industry.
Redesigning Pipefitting Through Automation
Elliott, who is headquartered in North America, has observed pipefitters routinely suffering under the demands of working with bolted flange joints. She notes that spending prolonged hours on difficult manual tasks often leads to both fatigue and on-the-job injuries. As pipelines and equipment in oil, gas, petrochemical, and similar businesses continue to age and new builds arise, maintenance demands ramp up—while experienced workers become harder to find.
Her conversations with pipefitters throughout both the United States and Canada have reinforced the notion that the industry’s productivity rates remain low. With labor shortages becoming more widespread, the workforce is often stretched thin, facing the expectation to meet intense deadlines over the course of months.
How Nexterity’s Robot Works: Designed for Portability and Versatility
This year, Nexterity introduced its robot as part of the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt. The robot is crafted from two modules that lock around pipes and is both lightweight and battery-powered. It glides along piping, working on four bolts at the same time, rapidly performing a job that typically takes significant manual effort and reduces risks faced by workers.
The robot is available in several versions to handle standardized pipe sizes from NPS2 to NPS8—covering about two to eight inches in diameter—which, as Elliott points out, make up 80% of the most commonly used pipes in the field. The portable units are compact and come stored in Pelican cases, so they can be easily carried by one person and quickly moved to different job sites. This feature aligns well with Nexterity’s core “equipment rental” approach.
Applications Extend to Multiple Industries
Although the device’s roots lie in the oil and gas sector, Elliott says there’s significant opportunity for use in industries such as water treatment, wastewater, the food and beverage field, mining, nuclear plants, and eco-friendly manufacturing. All of these require extensive piping connected by flanges that must be regularly maintained.
During her development journey, Elliott partnered with industry professionals, including informal groups like “torque dorks” and specialists from the Pressure Vessels & Piping Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Insights from these exchanges revealed that high standardization among pipe specifications could make widespread robotic implementation more practical and economical.
Transforming Maintenance for Better Productivity and Safety
The technology that Nexterity offers is straightforward yet capable of driving major change. By lightening the labor load for workers and making routine servicing much more efficient, Elliott’s robot may help heavy industry finally address its underlying productivity and workforce challenges. She emphasizes that due to the vast scale of piping installations, the total market for such automation is larger than most anticipate.
Nexterity’s immediate priority is to raise productivity and safety for industrial laborers, one bolt at a time. If adopted widely, this type of automation could transform maintenance practices across a spectrum of industries, not just within oil and gas.
Related topics: Startup Battlefield 200, Startups
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