The most reliable and fastest equipment for your storage tank thickness inspections
The most reliable and fastest equipment for your storage tank thickness inspections
Altiscan, the UT magnetic crawler for storage tanks and ship hulls
1,250 m of B-scan a day, on the wall, with no scaffolding.
7 kg on the shell, 70 kg of magnetic adhesion. The robot climbs, scans at 12 m/min and comes back down while the operator stays on the ground. Continuous B-scan mapping, data displayed in real time, and an API 653 compliant report generated from the day's campaign.
Figures observed in a standard configuration. Depending on the size of the structures, daily output is frequently higher.
A full shell course mapped, not a grid of spot readings
The surface, not spot readings.
The robot travels the wall and records continuously, at 12 m/min. Where a manual survey yields a few dozen readings per shell course, an Altiscan campaign yields 1,250 m of profile a day. The true extent of a loss is read off, not extrapolated.
You see the data while the robot is still on the wall.
Datascan displays the A-scan and the B-scan in real time during the climb. A questionable area is rescanned straight away, without bringing the carrier down or rescheduling a job. Doubt is settled on site, not back at the office three days later.
A report built on B-scans, not on isolated readings.
Datareport automatically analyzes the recorded profiles and generates reports compliant with API 653, DT94, CODRES and EEMUA 159. Minimum, average and maximum thickness per shell course, position of the minimum, extent of the losses. Export to .csv, .jpg and Excel.
Comparable from one campaign to the next.
A continuous profile can be overlaid on the one from the previous visit, which a grid of readings cannot. That is what makes a corrosion rate calculable rather than estimated.
On the ROBOPLANET ultrasonic chain.
13 mm 5 MHz dual crystal probe, ±0.15 mm accuracy, 80 MHz sampling frequency, gain adjustable from 0 to 60 dB. Acquisition, analysis and reporting in a single Windows environment.
7 kg on the wall, 70 kg holding it there
Altiscan's adhesion is ten times its own weight. Military-standard magnetic wheels, 35 kg sliding force, welds crossed without losing grip.
- 70 kg of magnetic force for a 7 kg carrier;
- 35 kg of sliding force;
- welds crossed without interrupting the measurement line;
- fall rate without a safety line: 1 per 1,000 tanks inspected.
A robot that loses grip is not a delayed job. It is an area to secure and a campaign to start over.
1,250 m of B-scan a day. Here is the arithmetic.
| Scanning speed | 12 m/min |
|---|---|
| Length of one line | 25 m |
| Output | 50 lines a day |
| Which gives | 1,250 m of B-scan a day |
| Time to get started | 10 minutes |
The linear coverage depends directly on the diameter and height of the structures. We publish the floor we hold in a standard configuration, including repositioning, calibration and moves around the structure. On favorable structures, daily output is regularly higher.
This is not an instantaneous speed extrapolated over eight hours. It is campaign output.
The surfaces and geometries covered
Altiscan works on steel walls: its adhesion is magnetic, which requires a ferromagnetic surface.
Welds
Crossed without losing grip and without interrupting the measurement line. Stiffeners, on the other hand, are not crossed.
Spheres and pressure vessels
Double curvature does not compromise adhesion.
Ship hulls
The robot works on shell plating, alongside the quay or in dry dock.
Degraded or coated surfaces
Foam, residue, moisture: contact is maintained where no surface preparation has been done.
Hot walls
Up to 70 °C wall temperature, in 1 to 40 °C ambient temperature.
Working at height
Up to 30 m, the length of the armored umbilical supplied on a site reel. Can be adapted on request.
Data that stands up to the inspection body
- API 653Compliant reports for storage tanks.
- DT94 · CODRESRecommendations covered by automatic report generation.
- EEMUA 159Inspection standard covered.
- ROBOPLANET ultrasonic chainAcquisition, signal processing and reporting in a single environment.
- Open export.csv, .jpg and Excel, for reuse in your own document chain.
- Made in FranceDesigned, assembled and supported from Nantes.
More than 2,500 tanks inspected under these standards since 2015.
Datasheet
Carrier, ultrasonic measurement, electronics, power and operating conditions: the full specifications of the equipment.
The detail, by topic
Carrier
- Dimensions 35 × 35 × 20 cm
- Weight 7 kg
- Magnetic force 70 kg
- Sliding force 35 kg
- Max speed 12 m/min
- IP54 ingress protection
Ultrasonic measurement
- 13 mm, 5 MHz dual crystal probe
- A-scan and B-scan modes
- Thicknesses 2 to 50 mm
- Coating up to 1 mm
- Accuracy ±0.15 mm
- Encoder 0.1% full scale
UT electronics
- Pulse voltage 0 to 200 V
- Sampling frequency 80 MHz
- Adjustable gain 0 to 60 dB
- Datascan and Datareport software
- Windows environment
Power and link
- 24 V Li-ion batteries, 2 × 5 h
- Swappable in the field
- 30 m armored umbilical on a reel
- Sealed, reinforced connectors
- Reach adaptable on request
Conditions and export
- Ambient temperature 1 to 40 °C
- Wall temperature 0 to 70 °C
- Wind: up to 12 m/s · rain < 0.5 mm/h
- Export .csv, .jpg, Excel
- Made in France
All specifications
Carrier
| Dimensions | 35 × 35 × 20 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7 kg |
| Magnetic force | 70 kg |
| Sliding force | 35 kg |
| Maximum speed | 12 m/min |
| Umbilical | 30 m armored, on a site reel |
| Battery | 24 V Li-ion, 2 × 5 h, swappable |
| Encoder accuracy | 0.1% full scale |
| Ingress protection | IP54 |
Ultrasonic measurement
| Probe | dual crystal 13 mm, 5 MHz |
|---|---|
| Modes | A-scan / B-scan |
| Measurable thicknesses | 2 to 50 mm |
| Maximum coating | 1 mm |
| Pulse voltage | 0 to 200 V |
| Sampling frequency | 80 MHz |
| Adjustable gain | 0 to 60 dB |
| Accuracy | ±0.15 mm |
Operating conditions
| Ambient temperature | 1 to 40 °C |
|---|---|
| Wall temperature | 0 to 70 °C |
| Wind | operation up to 12 m/s, about 43 km/h |
| Rain | less than 0.5 mm/h on average |
| Explosive atmospheres | no ATEX certification, built-in cut-off switch |
Surfaces inspected and deliverable
| Materials | steel |
|---|---|
| Standards | API 653 / DT94 / CODRES / EEMUA 159 |
| Software | Datascan (acquisition) and Datareport (analysis and reporting) |
| Operating systems | Windows |
| Export | .csv / .jpg / Excel |
| Manufacturing | France |
Built to stay in service
It rarely comes back. Fewer than one maintenance return a year across the entire installed base.
What can be repaired on site is repaired on site. Complete field kit with connector wiring diagrams, spare parts available, responsive support.
And behind it: more than ten years of field feedback built into the product, continuous improvement driven by the service companies that use it, and French manufacturing.
This is not a prototype
| Since 2015 | in service in the field |
|---|---|
| More than 2,500 tanks | inspected under API 653, DT94, CODRES and EEMUA 159 |
| More than 20 service companies | use it worldwide |
| Fewer than one return a year | for maintenance, across the entire installed base |
Every component has been proven over hundreds of missions since 2015. The product has been improved continuously from field feedback.
An installed base on every continent
ROBOPLANET equipment in service, September 2026
Two versions
The carrier and its umbilical, connected to your own thickness gauge through Lemo 0 or 1 connectors. Most external gauges are compatible; compatibility should be confirmed before ordering.
The complete ROBOPLANET chain: built-in ultrasonic electronics, A-scan and B-scan modes, and the Datascan and Datareport software for acquisition, analysis and report generation.
Options
- Continuous B-scan (on-board encoder)
- Panasonic CF31 rugged laptop
- 16 L couplant sprayer
- On-board camera
- Conventional or phased array C-scan arm
- TOFD probe holder
- 4-gas safety pack with cut-off switch
- Maintenance kit and spare parts
Two ways to start
Rent
The equipment is available to rent: put it to work on a real campaign before tying up capital. Training is required before first use.
Bring us in
Our teams carry out the work with your team, on your site, under your conditions.
What we get asked in meetings
What surfaces does Altiscan hold on?
On ferromagnetic walls. Adhesion is 70 kg for a 7 kg carrier, ten times its own weight, with a sliding force of 35 kg. Contact is maintained on surfaces covered in foam, residue or moisture.
Does it cross welds?
Yes, without losing grip and without interrupting the measurement line. Stiffeners, on the other hand, are not crossed.
Can the robot fall?
The observed fall rate without a safety line is 1 per 1,000 tanks inspected.
How high can it climb?
30 m, the length of the armored umbilical supplied on a reel. On request, we can adapt it to your needs.
How many metres of B-scan a day?
About 1,250 m, or 50 lines of 25 m at 12 m/min.
How long does it take to get started with the robot?
10 minutes.
Can it be used on a hot wall?
Up to 70 °C wall temperature, in 1 to 40 °C ambient temperature.
What thicknesses does it measure?
From 2 to 50 mm, through a coating of up to 1 mm.
In what form are the results delivered?
A continuous B-scan profile, real-time A-scan and B-scan display during acquisition, and a report generated by Datareport. Export to .csv, .jpg and Excel.
Are the reports API 653 compliant?
Yes, and they also meet the DT94, CODRES and EEMUA 159 recommendations.
Can the data be edited after the inspection?
Yes. The data remains editable after the campaign, with no need to return to the asset.
Is Altiscan ATEX certified?
No. The built-in cut-off switch allows use in hazardous areas under permit, with a suitable detector and in line with site procedures. An optional module relays the carrier's alarm, from 30 m away, to the operator on the ground. If an alarm sounds: the robot is made safe to one side whatever the height, the cut-off switch is operated, and the area is evacuated.
What is the battery life over a day?
Two swappable 24 V lithium-ion batteries, 5 h each, which covers a full day without interruption.
Can we rent before buying?
Yes. Training is required before any first use, so the work is done safely.
What maintenance should we plan for?
Fewer than one maintenance return a year across the installed base. A complete field kit, with connector wiring diagrams, is supplied.
Get a configuration matched to your assets
Tell us what you need to inspect: tanks, spheres, hulls. Our technical team comes back to you with an Altiscan configuration to match, options included.
- Reply within 24 working hoursYour request is handled directly by our technical team.
- Tailored configurationContinuous B-scan, C-scan arm, 4-gas pack, sprayer: you take only what you need.
- Purchase, rental or serviceNot ready to invest yet? We also work on your site with our own teams.