AI solution can save up to 80% of man-hours on offshore maintenance

The PACMAN project has now successfully demonstrated how AI and 3D technology can revolutionize corrosion management on offshore installations. The new solution significantly reduces time consumption and offshore transport – replacing manual Excel spreadsheets with a visual 3D model where rust is automatically detected.

Challenge

Managing corrosion – such as rust – on offshore structures like wind turbines, oil and gas platforms, and substations is both costly and complex. The work is typically carried out manually in hard-to-reach areas and requires significant time, money, and safety measures. On top of that comes a cumbersome documentation process, often involving thousands of images, spreadsheets, and manual assessments – making the current workflow time-consuming, unstructured, and inefficient.

Solution

With the PACMAN project – Predictive Automatic Corrosion Management – a new AI-based method for monitoring and assessing corrosion has now been demonstrated in practice. The solution combines 3D scanning, LIDAR technology, and artificial intelligence in a single digital tool that identifies, locates, and assesses corrosion damage – down to the component level.

PACMAN makes it possible to:

• Scan an entire offshore installation in 3D
• Place and store images of rust and corrosion directly in the model
• Identify which components are affected – and how severely
• Build a visual history and track corrosion development over time
• Automatically generate maintenance work orders and data documentation

Behind the technology is a machine-learning algorithm trained on thousands of images – and improving over time in detecting and classifying corrosion. The solution is designed to be used by non-specialists with a standard digital camera and LIDAR equipment – reducing the need for external experts onsite.

Impact

The PACMAN project has demonstrated that digital, predictive maintenance can replace several manual processes and significantly reduce costs. Key results include:

• Offshore transport reduced by up to 67%
• Printed documentation reduced by 100%
• Time spent on the entire process reduced by up to 85%

The solution paves the way for a safer, data-driven, and more efficient approach to corrosion management – and potentially a new standard for the offshore industry.