Every picture tells a story
January 1st 2010

Thermography used to be expensive, difficult, and primarily used by large industrial facilities or specialised contractors.

Today,however, thermal imagers are compact, easy to use and much more affordable.Ken West, regional marketing manager, Fluke North West Europe, comments

For anyone already carrying out regular maintenance and troubleshooting, adding thermography makes sense.

Regular thermal inspection routes can simply be added to preventative maintenance programmes. A thermal imager will then also be part of the kit when troubleshooting and during installation of new equipment.

As a regular maintenance and troubleshooting tool one particularly strong asset of thermal imaging cameras is that they are 'noncontact' tools; not only are maintenance personnel at a safe distance from electrical infrastructure and hot or moving machinery, but also there is no need for any plant shutdown to carry out measurements.

To capture a specific thermal image usually requires just a squeeze of the trigger.More advanced products enable later connection of the thermal imager to a computer to upload a set of stored images to software supplied with the product. This enables a closer analysis and easy creation of reports to document the findings.

Typical applications Electrical power distribution systems - Three-phase systems, distribution panels, fuses, wiring and connections, substations, electrical vaults, etc.

Electro-mechanical equipment - Motors, pumps, fans, compressors, bearings, windings, gear boxes, conveyors, etc.

Process instrumentation - Process control equipment, pipes, valves, steam traps and tanks/vessels.

Facility maintenance - Buildings, roofs, insulation, HVAC systems.

Useful guidelines Most equipment failure mechanisms involve a significant rise in operating temperature long before catastrophic failure occurs Thermal images are best taken while equipment is operational.

Thermal images can access components and units not easily measurable, such as ceiling runs Thermal measurements help detect imminent failures in nearly all types of equipment, from electrical to mechanical, process, electronic, etc.

Because thermal inspections are fast, they can cover more ground and find problems in areas that would typically be ignored

Choosing an imager Fusion of IR and visual images. Some of the latest thermal imagers employ a technology that integrates infrared and visual (visible light) images in full screen or picture-inpicture views for enhanced problem detection and analysis.

If the thermal imager is fully radiometric it will capture temperature data for each of the thousands of points in a thermal image, while a non-radiometric imager only provides temperature data for a few focal points. A radiometric image downloaded into PC software will enable the user to zoom in and out, allowing exploration of any part of the image in more detail. Some imagers also include the ability to set alarms for problematic temperature levels and to upload previous images for onsite comparison.

Any thermal imager needs software, but there are key points to consider. Is the software included in the price? Are future updates free of charge as well? Are licences needed for multiple team members to load it? Does it easily create good looking reports for management and customers? Fluke offers a range of solutions, starting with the entry-level Ti9 aimed at electrical and electromechanical infrastructure for under £2.5k. The Fluke Ti10 and Ti25 thermal imagers are suitable for troubleshooting electrical installations, electro-mechanical equipment, process equipment, HVAC/R equipment and others.

Both models feature IR Fusion, a technology that integrates infrared and visual (visible light) images in full screen or picture-inpicture views for enhanced problem detection and analysis. The latest Fluke Ti32 Thermal Imager, also featuring IR Fusion, incorporates a powerful 320x240 sensor to provide high-definition, strikingly crisp, detailed images for under £7200.

Thermal imagers suitable for industrial maintenance are now affordable. Since the tool works by producing heat pictures of the equipment, the user can immediately see the effects. Learning how to use them and how to use analysis and reporting software should prove easy, but just like any other troubleshooting situation, the person behind the imager needs to draw on experience to help analyse the readings.

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