Torgeir Braein, chief technology officer at Norwegian subsea robotics specialist Kongsberg Ferrotech, has a memorable phrase that sums up the company’s inspection and repair philosophy.
“Instead of bringing the damage to the workshop, we will bring the workshop to the damage,” he says. “That has been our approach.”
In this case, he is talking about a joint industry project launched in 2021 with partners Equinor, Norwegian pipeline operator Gassco and Trondheim-based research organisation Sintef to develop 3D printing technologies for in situ, metal-to-metal repairs on subsea flowlines and other structures.
