Benefits and advantages of infrared thermography:
Infrared thermal imaging provides a real-time, non-contact, non-destructive way to efficiently and effectively identify, analyze and prioritize issues at a fraction of the cost and disruption of other methods. Early detection of problems through thermal analysis - often long before they can be detected using other methods - can facilitate correction of issues before they become worse, cause collateral damage, or fail causing unscheduled outages and potential property damage.
Infrared thermal inspection methods are effectively employed in a large and ever growing list of applications. Some of the more common applications of infrared inspections include:
- Predictive maintenance,
- Process control,
- Mechanical systems and rotating assemblies,
- Electrical systems,
- Building envelope, insulation and energy surveys,
- Roofing systems,
- Moisture penetration issues and leak detection,
- Medical and veterinary,
- Many, many more.
Thermography Flaws shows such flaws as loose connections and motors exceding manufacturer specification unseen by the naked eye.
Example of an improperly torqued lug
Result of detection and repair
Result of detection and repair
Here is an instance where a 600A breaker was tripping approximately every 48 hours. This was for a freezer in a grocery food chain where time down was not an option as food would be wasted. After having service techs from the manufacturer come in and not be able to locate what the problem was Total Electric was called in.
Within minutes the trouble spot was located and the system de-energized and repaired. The Freezer was only shut down for a 20 minute period allowing no loss of product.
The thermal image showed the problem area that a simple visual inspection will not. This prevented loss of merchandise and man hours trying to trace the problem.
A loose lug was the issue. In the pictures below you can see the wire as it is being removed from the lug. Properly torqued terminations are key factors in ensuring equipment is operating safely and avoiding catastrophic failures.
