A tool for cleaning a heat exchanger that includes a lance, and an articulated arm fixedly attached to the heat exchanger at a first end, and associated with the lance at a second end. The articulated arm has at least two joints so that the articulated arm can move the lance along two axes in a plane substantially parallel to the tube face of the heat exchanger. The tool further includes a lance transport mechanism attached to the second end of the articulated arm that moves toward and away from the tube face of the heat exchanger in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tube face, the lance transport mechanism attached to the lance so that the lance moves toward and away from the tube face along with the lance transport mechanism.