Nexterity wants to automate the hard, dangerous part of pipefitting

The manual labor for pipefitting bolts becomes automated, reducing physical strain and injuries for workers.

Nexterity, a startup founded by former ExxonMobil engineer Lindsey Elliott, is developing a remote-controlled robot to automate the difficult and dangerous task of tightening and loosening bolts on pipe flanges. These bolted flange joints are critical in industries like oil, gas, petrochemicals, water treatment, and food and beverage. Elliott identified a significant labor shortage and a high rate of worker injuries associated with this manual labor, often requiring long hours. Nexterity's battery-powered robot is designed to attach to pipes and simultaneously loosen or tighten four bolts, with different configurations available for standard pipe sizes. The robots are compact, fitting into a Pelican case for easy transport, and Nexterity plans to operate them on a rental basis, similar to construction equipment. The company is showcasing its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt as part of the Startup Battlefield 200.

Nexterity's robotic solution addresses a critical bottleneck in industrial infrastructure maintenance: the manual labor involved in bolted flange joints. By automating this task, the company targets a significant market across diverse sectors that rely on extensive piping systems, from energy to food processing. This development signals a growing trend of robotics and automation being applied to traditionally manual blue-collar jobs, driven by labor shortages and a focus on worker safety and efficiency. The rental model for the robots suggests a strategy to make advanced automation accessible and cost-effective for companies that may not wish to invest in outright ownership.

The impact of this automation extends beyond immediate safety improvements; it could fundamentally alter the economics and productivity of industries that are essential but often overlooked. As Nexterity scales its rental operations, it may influence broader industry standards for maintenance and repair, potentially driving down costs and increasing uptime for critical infrastructure. The success of such targeted automation could inspire similar robotic solutions for other specialized manual tasks within these industrial sectors, creating new opportunities for innovation and job evolution.