Konica Minolta SenrigaN

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2021: Included in Japan's official state technology catalogue

The decision for nondestructive control of Konica Minolta SenrigaN is included in the Catalogue of technologies for support to inspection of the Ministry of the earth, infrastructure, transport and. tourism Japan The product detects breaks in steel materials inside concrete structures. This was announced by the development company on December 9, 2021.

The catalog of technologies to support the inspection was created by the Road Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan in 2019. It contains the operational characteristics of the technologies available to the agency and is intended to stimulate the further use of innovation during the inspection.

In 2019, procedures for regular inspections of bridges and tunnels were revised. As of December 2021, the second stage of five-year inspections is underway. Together with rigorous visual inspections and tests using special tools, the Ministry recommends the use of new technologies. They will help improve work during the third stage, which will begin in FY 2024. Konica Minolta proposed a SenrigaN solution to solve this problem, after which it was included in the technology catalog updated in 2021. The company seeks to make its application an integral part of the infrastructure inspection. Konica Minolta previously offered services using SenrigaN as part of its experimental operation, now the company plans to actively develop the business direction related to ensuring the safety of road infrastructure.

Due to the condition of roads and bridges, which is deteriorating more quickly, in Japan there is an increasing need for rapid detection of breaks in steel materials inside concrete bridges that can lead to destruction, and effective maintenance. To do this, it is necessary to look for breaks in steel materials deep inside concrete bridges. It is impossible to find them using visual inspection, only a special NDT device can help.

SenrigaN, the Konica Minolta solution, generates magnetic forces in steel materials using a special magnet. Their flow is recorded by a sensor, after which these data are analyzed in real time patented algorithm to detect breaks in steel materials inside bridges of railways and expressways, as well as public roads. This allows you to identify the degree of wear and tear and the need to repair or strengthen bridges.

SenrigaN easy to use, the interpretation of its data greatly facilitates remote support services and the application of machine learning technology. As a result, the detection of breaks in steel materials is not delayed even when the organization lacks specialists. The measurement process will also be automated in the future, which will further reduce the burden on employees and, accordingly, increase the efficiency of inspection of road infrastructure.

So far, the decision reveals only those gaps that have already occurred, but Konica Minolta is confident that in the future it will be able to predict them using artificial intelligence, which will analyze the accumulated data. To create appropriate forecasts, the company plans to expand the range of technologies and products for inspection.

The system was praised for field performance tests on Japan's railway bridges and inspections on bridges severely damaged by salt. In addition, the solution was successfully applied to the study of worn-out bridges managed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and other local authorities, as well as during the design and repair of expressways.

Other countries began testing the product: Myanmar, Vietnam and South Korea. Konica Minolta plans to start working with them by leasing the solution to inspection companies and engineering consulting firms. The company plans to distribute the system to other countries of the world, especially in ASEAN, where the transport infrastructure in coastal areas was damaged due to the impact of sea salt.