Lindsey Elliott has a deep passion for bolts. During last year’s 13th annual Bolting Symposium, she mentioned that the highlight was engaging in Bolting Bingo with the numerous self-identified “torque enthusiasts” present.

Once an engineer and planner for ExxonMobil, Elliott has devoted years to contemplating improvements for the infrastructure used to transport oil, gas, and petrochemicals. Her focus became bolts, specifically those connecting pipe sections (known as “bolted flange joints”). These bolts necessitate arduous physical effort to adjust and are a primary cause of injuries among pipefitters. Similar to various trades, there exists a labor shortage in this field.

“Those individuals become really fatigued when asked to work 12-hour shifts for three consecutive months,” she shared with TechCrunch. “I’ve conversed with pipefitters across the United States and Canada, and I’ve consistently heard that North American pipefitting productivity is notoriously low.”

The remedy Elliott devised at her startup Nexterity, as one of the Startup Battlefield 200 chosen for TechCrunch Disrupt, is a remote-operated robot designed to manage this aspect of the task. This concept could significantly transform this specific blue-collar occupation if widely implemented, enhancing both worker safety and efficiency.

Imagine: more dork, less torque.

The robot consists of two primary components that encircle a pipe. Powered by batteries, it can glide along the pipe once attached and swiftly loosen and tighten four bolts simultaneously.

Elliott mentioned that Nexterity has created several distinct configurations of the robot to accommodate various standard pipe sizes, yet they are compact enough to fit in a Pelican case and be transported by a single worker. This portability allows for easy deployment to different job sites — a crucial aspect of Nexterity’s business model, treating the robot like rental construction equipment.

Elliott explained that she arrived at this specific design following discussions she has had over recent years — not only at the Bolting Symposium but also with members from the Pressure Vessels & Piping Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“From interactions with the individuals, the torque enthusiasts, so to speak,” she shared, “I discovered that 80% of our pipes are between two to eight inches in diameter, known as NPS2 to NPS8. With that level of uniformity, we have an excellent candidate for automation.”

It’s a relatively simple concept, but Elliott believes it holds significant potential.

“Many would be surprised by how large this market is,” she remarked. “Every day, most of us don’t consider piping infrastructure, yet virtually every sector — including water, wastewater, treatment, food and beverage, mining, nuclear, and any form of green and sustainable manufacturing facility — employs the same type of piping.”