From spark to solution

Innovation often starts with one person spotting a better way and having the confidence to share it. In 2023, an MProve submission did just that by suggesting something our welders had never tried before: using a robotic crawler to install and remove welding purge dams.

Purge dam installation is something many of our crews know all too well - a fiddly, hands‑on task that can slow things down on complex piping jobs.

What started as a simple suggestion quickly grew into something bigger, bringing together great minds across Monadelphous, the university sector and emerging engineering talent through the Cooperative Education for Enterprise Development (CEED) program.

That collaboration recently reached an exciting milestone. CEED student and UWA Master of Professional Engineering candidate Jeannette Truong has completed her thesis on the Robotic Purge Dam concept, advancing Brett Waters’ original idea through structured research, trials and validation.

Over the past year, Jeannette worked closely with the Monos Central Welding and Technology and Innovation Teams, as well as our robotics partner Nexxis, building a test rig, running comparative trials and analysing whether a robotic crawler really could improve the way purge dams are installed and removed.

Her findings? A 43 percent reduction in handling time, more consistent results, and far less hands‑on effort for our crews. She also highlighted where this technology makes the most sense and delivers the biggest payoff, particularly on larger stainless‑steel welding scopes.

Idea generator Brett Waters, General Manager – EC Projects, said seeing the concept progress this far has been incredibly rewarding.

“Purge dam installation has long been a critical constraint in complex piping construction projects,” he said.

“We knew there had to be a better way. Seeing this idea evolve into a CEED project - and successfully demonstrate its feasibility - has been incredibly rewarding. It represents a strong first phase of an innovation with real potential to deliver meaningful productivity improvements.” he said.

EC Technology and Innovation Manager, Jason Cippitelli, said the project shows what can happen when people speak up.

“When our teams put ideas forward, it gives us the chance to look at things differently, test new approaches, and see what could make a real difference in the field,” he said.

“This is a good example of how trying something new has shown real potential to improve how we work day‑to‑day.

“That’s the power of speaking up - you never know which idea will turn into the next big efficiency win for our teams.”

Jeannette’s recommendations will guide the next phase as we explore further testing and potential field use with our industry partners.

This project is a great reminder that powerful improvements often begin with simple ideas, and that sharing them can create real opportunities for our people, our partners and our business.

With the 2026 EC Innovation Awards now open, it’s the perfect time to share your innovation. If you’ve got something that could make our work safer, faster or easier, drop it into MProve.

You never know where it might lead.