The gadget takes maintenance to a new level

“The drone inspection is complete, the surroundings are clear, ready for takeoff,” said Sun Kai, a power line maintenance technician conducting repair work in the Gobi Desert in Yongning, Yinchuan County in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Similar to an office elevator, power line workers use flying equipment to lift the 25-meter cable from the ground in about three minutes, and within 40 minutes the repair of the live wire was successfully completed.

“This is the fastest job I’ve ever done in my many years of maintenance work,” Sun said. “The ‘flying man’ equipment allows us to go directly to the job site without climbing burning towers or climbing ladders, saving energy for handling faults. Additionally, double protection of the transmission and spare ropes ensures safety during the entire process,” he said.

The ‘flying man’ equipment is a portable electric lifting device developed for high altitude work and rescue, using a motor to assist personnel in ascending, descending and hovering on suspended insulated cables.

Drones can carry and deploy insulated catenary lines, using small lines to pull larger ones over wires to the ground, creating ascent and descent channels and emergency safety routes for workers working at high altitudes.

Integrating drones and electric lifts into power cable maintenance will become the main approach for live operations, said State Grid Yinchuan Power Supply Co, which uses the device.

“Compared to traditional tower climbing and insulated ladders, it reduces the number of workers working at high heights from two or three to one, saves approximately two hours on each task, minimizes safety risks, reduces labor intensity, and significantly improves operational efficiency and safety.” – said the company representative.