Control of cutting in a lined pipe

A system for re-establishing fluid communication between a main pipe and a branch conduit extending from the main pipe following lining of the main pipe with a liner, the system comprising:

• a robot sized and shaped for being received in and movable down the main pipe;
• a cutting tool supported by the robot and mounted on an extender configured to move the cutting tool away from and toward the robot, the extender including an electric motor;
• one or more sensors supported by the robot and operable to detect the environment in which the robot is positioned;
• a controller operatively connected to the robot, the cutting tool and the sensors, the controller being configured to position the robot in the lined main pipe proximate to the branch conduit and to extend the cutting tool from the robot toward the liner at a location where the branch conduit has an opening into the main pipe on an opposite side of the liner to cut the liner with the cutting tool, the controller being further configured to active the one or more sensors to monitor the cutting while the cutting tool is activated to cut the liner and to adjust the operation of the cutting based on information acquired by monitoring the cutting tool.

A method of re-establishing fluid communication between a main pipe and a branch conduit extending from the main pipe following lining of the main pipe with a liner, the method comprising:

• positioning a robot supporting a cutting tool in the lined main pipe proximate to the branch conduit, the cutting tool being selectively extendable from the robot for cutting the liner;
• extending the cutting tool from the robot toward the liner at a location where the branch conduit has an opening into the main pipe on an opposite side of the liner;
• cutting the liner with the cutting tool, and controlling said cutting using inputs including at least one of a material of the liner;
• a resin used to cure the liner and wear of the cutting tool.