Valmont Industries and NATE Showcase How Drone Technology Can Improve America’s Aging Infrastructure
Valmont Industries and NATE Showcase How Drone Technology Can Improve America’s Aging Infrastructure
(Omaha, Neb.) Valmont Industries, Inc., a global leader that provides vital infrastructure and advances agricultural productivity while driving innovation through technology, hosted the 2022 NATE UAS Expo on June 28th at Valmont’s Valley campus.
Attended by over 175 stakeholders representing industry and government, the showcase included “all eyes on the sky” as demonstrations of advanced drone technology were in full display. As part of a joint effort with NATE UAS Operations, a first of its kind study, took place to measure the safety and effectiveness of drones operating in proximity to cellular towers.
NATE President & CEO Todd Schlekeway said the UAS Committee plans to collaborate with the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Telecommunications Industry Foundation to publish a white paper summarizing the data and tests from the UAS Expo event. “This will provide the industry with the foundational data and results needed to conserve resources and elevate the awareness to aid in inspection, repair, and maintenance of critical infrastructure.”
Aaron Schapper, Valmont Industries Group President for Infrastructure said drones have a lot of practical use in making sure our nation’s infrastructure runs smoothly. “Many people don’t realize how we’re bringing new technologies to bear in the field. And so what you’re seeing is … the newest and the latest in drone technology, that’s going to work on inspection of our products,” stated Schapper.
Schapper further explains, “Valmont is leveraging drone technology as an effective inspection tool for the utility, wireless, and telecom market. It continues to prove effective as a critical tool to aid in greater safety for workers, increased uptime due to ease of inspection, and shows how technology can fill the gap of industry labor shortages while creating a new breed of job opportunities.”
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts provided insight on how the state is also incorporating drone technologies to be more efficient, expedite response times, and applauded the advancements securing infrastructure improvement. Industry leaders including officials from the FAA, U.S. Department of Labor, and OSHA also delivered remarks during the event.
During the Expo, the following UAS flight activities were on display:
· Radio Frequency Interference: WaterDragon demonstration highlighting the cleaning of towers.
· UAS Rescue flight: new technology demonstrations and UAS Crash Testing to assess drone crash impact on different antenna components on the tower.
· Teltech Group, a logistics/supply chain services and asset management company, conducted live demonstrations to showcase the unique capabilities of its 2nd generation XTD-120 Tethered Drone Solution. The demonstration recreated how Teltech’s equipment was used by Verizon Wireless in Louisiana, August 2020, after Hurricane Laura.
Schlekeway said the show was so successful, NATE and Valmont are already planning the 2nd Annual UAS Expo event for 2023.
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About Valmont Industries, Inc.
For over 75 years, Valmont® has been a global leader in creating vital infrastructure and advancing agricultural productivity. Today, we remain committed to doing more with less by innovating through technology. Learn more about how we’re Conserving Resources. Improving Life.® at valmont.com.
About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure construction, service, and maintenance industries. Today the Association boasts over 1,145 member companies located throughout the United States, Bahamas, Canada, China, Israel, Jamaica, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit natehome.com.
