Pipefitting's most physically demanding task—tightening and loosening the bolted joints that connect industrial pipes—is getting an automation push from Nexterity, a startup founded by former ExxonMobil engineer Lindsey Elliott. The company's remote-controlled robot attaches around a pipe and works four bolts at a time, aiming to reduce the strain that leaves pipefitters exhausted and injured.
The battery-powered robot comes in configurations for standard pipe sizes from two to eight inches in diameter, according to Elliott, and is small enough to fit in a Pelican case carried by one worker. Nexterity plans to treat the units like rental construction equipment, making them easy to deploy across job sites. Elliott told TechCrunch that her design came from conversations with pipefitters and mechanical engineers, noting that the high repeatability of these pipe sizes makes them a strong candidate for automation.
Elliott argues the potential market is larger than people expect, since water treatment, food and beverage, mining, nuclear, and green manufacturing all rely on the same kind of piping. She also pointed to a persistent labor shortage in the trade, saying pipefitters are often asked to work long shifts for months at a time. Nexterity is part of the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt.