Infrared Thermography A Guide For Establishing a Predictive Maintenance Program

How can infrared thermography impact your bottom line? Evaluate equipment reliably, efficiently, and without disruption to operations. Ensure uninterrupted power. Avoid costly failures and shutdowns. Postpone previously scheduled maintenance of equipment found to be in good condition. Verify new equipment installations to establish a baseline for future inspections.

How can infrared thermography impact your bottom line? In many cases, the savings in insurance claims due to predicted equipment failure have pushed insurance companies to obligate their clients to perform regular infrared inspections as a term of their policy renewal. Many studies have shown that the financial and safety benefits to industrial and commercial facilities far outweigh the costs of implementing and maintaining an effective PdM program.

What is Infrared Thermography? Heat is referred to as the transfer of electromagnetic energy, in the infrared band, through either conduction, convection, or radiation between two or more substances. The measurement of the transfer of this infrared energy is called temperature. There is no heat or temperature without this energy transfer. Infrared energy is invisible to the human eye but can be felt , sensed, and measured.

What is Infrared Thermography? The infrared camera evaluates and converts heat energy into meaningful temperatures. Components in various states of failure will emit more heat as a direct result of more energy dissipated into the component. This extra energy is caused by increased friction in mechanical devices, and higher resistance in electrical devices.

Why use infrared thermography? Just as doctors use temperature in disease diagnosis, infrared thermography allows us to diagnose and pinpoint problems based on the temperature differential of areas. Temperature provides an excellent indication of the condition of equipment. It is the ability of the thermal camera to "see" these early stages of increasing temperature that makes thermography such a valuable technology.

Why use Delmarva Infrared Services?

Why use Delmarva Infrared Services? We use a state-of-the-art database and barcode system which allows accurate equipment tracking and maintenance records as well as a tool for PdM scheduling and maintenance priorities. Field experience with not only the infrared equipment, but also hands on experience with electrical, HVAC and industrial equipment, allowing not only the discovery of problems, but accurate interpretation of exact problems, so they can be corrected quickly and efficiently.

What kind of equipment will be used to perform the inspection? Delmarva Infrared Services uses an extremely lightweight, high-performance, hand-held Fluke & FLIR infrared cameras.

What kind of problems can Infrared Thermography detect? Infrared Thermography has been proven to find, quantify, and document problems caused by: Electrical Mechanical Building Faulty components • Shaft misalignment • Moisture infiltration of roof Poor connections • Worn bushings & bearings • Air infiltration or exfiltration Corrosion • Improper tension of belts & pulleys • Areas of potential mold growth Contamination • Over or under lubrication • Air circulation and distribution Load imbalances • Gear box anomalies • Leaky or clogged pipes and much more • Excess friction • and much more

Electrical Inspections The anomaly, or hot spot, indicates a probable problem with the disconnect.

Electrical Inspections Poor connection to common buss bar in circuit breaker panel.

Electrical Inspections Poor fuse to fuse clip connection.

Electrical Inspections Probable loose or corroded connections.

Mechanical Inspections Infrared Image: Bearing Over Lubrication Digital Image

Mechanical Inspections Infrared Image: Misaligned drive between motor and pump

Roof Inspection Moisture build up under tar and gravel roof.

Building Envelope Missing insulation! Skin temperatures on furnaces, boilers, reactors and storage tanks of all types can be monitored easily using infrared thermography Missing insulation!

Subsurface Leaks Leak in radiant heating system under a concrete pad.

Structural/Refractory Checking for missing refractory lining in an oil refinery cat. cracker.

What information will be provided after the inspection is complete? You will receive an easy-to-understand report that provides thermographic images, digital images, and temperature information to help you determine what needs corrective action and what is operating normally. The written report will include an inventory of all anomalies, and follow-up documentation of past problems. This information is presented in a logical order so that your engineer can formulate an effective repair plan.

A Sample Report Summery Page States the scope of the inspection. Lists the number of locations inspected. The total number of items inspected. A breakdown by severity of the anomalies found. The number of anomalies corrected

A Sample Report Inventory Page Provides a complete list of all items inspected by location Pass / fail notation Tested / not tested notation Thermographic page number of failed items Color coded for easier interpretation

A Sample Report Prioritized List Ranks the anomalies in order of their severity as defined by the “Delta T” or increase of temperature over a like component under similar load and environmental influences. This is provided to aid in the scheduling of corrective actions.

A Sample Report Thermographic Page Includes both the digital and matching thermogram. Provides relevant temperature data for the regions of interest. Provides possible causes and recommended actions. Fully describes location, equipment id, barcode, severity, and inspector id.

What will Delmarva Infrared Services need to inspect your facility? Job site preparation - Clear and safe access to work area Equipment preparation - Equipment to be in normal operation Designated Employee - To open and close equipment panels

Delmarva Infrared Services has experts eager to discuss your application.