Electrical Infrared Scans
By far, the most popular and widely used application of infrared thermography is electrical testing. No other commercial application has achieved the level of interest than that of Electrical IR. Daily, the electrical switchgear and electrical components in thousands of buildings in thousands of cities are called upon to operate safely and efficiently. Electrical IR is an integral part of most Facility Manager's preventative/predictive maintenance (P/PM) program.
Infrared thermography is used to perform P/PM inspections on electrical equipment because "hot spots" in / on electrical apparatus typically indicate abnormalities such as loose connections, overloaded or imbalanced circuits, faulty breakers, damaged switches, faulty fuses and a wide range of other unwanted and potentially hazardous electrical conditions. Before an electrical component burns up, it usually heats up. Thermography can see the excess heat so that problems can be found and maintenance personnel can act to correct the problem before the component fails, causing damage to the component, safety hazards and/or production downtime.
Electrical IR, Infrared Surveys for Preventive/Predictive Maintenance of electrical components, is recognized by most industry professionals and insurance companies as one of the most valuable tools for preventing catastrophic events!
What gets inspected?
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Main Switchgear
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Transformers
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Substations - Indoor & Outdoor
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Circuit Breakers
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Fusible Switches
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Busways / Busducts
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Motor Control Centers (MCC)
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Drives
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UPS / PDUs / Racks
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Controllers
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Motors
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Panelboards & Switchboards
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Cable Systems & Terminations
Mechanical Infrared Scans
Infrared thermography can be used to inspect a wide variety of fixed and rotating mechanical equipment. Thermography may be used to accomplish one or more of the following goals: Preventive/Predictive Maintenance; condition assessment and condition monitoring of operating systems; quality assurance of new installations, repairs or retrofits; and forensics or failure investigations. Some exceptions may be indicative of components that have completely failed, requiring replacement of the subject component.
The theory behind this application is simple. As mechanical devices operate, heat is generated. Excess forces in mechanical systems cause heating. Such forces include friction, misalignment, improper lubrication and improper belt tension. The heat associated with these conditions is detectable with a thermal imager and reported on for the development of corrective actions plans.
