Predictive maintenance with infrared imaging, infrared inspections and infrared diagnostics.
What is Predictive Maintenance?
Predictive maintenance is the ability to identify at an early stage potential mechanical and electrical faults prior to total production breakdown. This process also covers faulty insulation, sediment build-up in piping and many other applications. One of the most important diagnostic tools in this area is infrared thermography (the scientific process of acquiring and analysing thermal information from infrared cameras to identify overheating and malfunction).
By examining installations with an infrared camera, it is possible to spot faulty components which can be replaced prior to failure. Mechanical and electrical equipment will automatically overheat if there is a misalignment at some point in the system. In addition, poor insulation and other anomalies can easily be detected by infrared thermography.
Why do you benefit from infrared imaging, infrared inspections and infrared diagnostics?
Production disruption
The cost to your company in financial terms could be unquantifiable and its reputation severely undermined. You may well loose business as customers decide to go to a more reliable source. Production disruption is extremely costly and with the help of regular professional infrared surverys, can be avoided.
Lowering energy costs
Plant, equipment and electrical components that don't operate at optimum level use considerably more power increasing your energy costs.
Health & Safety
An overriding reason for infrared thermography is not only to maintain efficient production but to protect staff.
Carbon footprint
Serious fires have environmental implications and infrared thermography is a major diagnostic tool in predicting this risk.
Scientific evaluation
An infrared survey can also monitor the deterioration of new generation bespoke electrical or mechanical equipment over a given period which may highlight flaws in design or manufacture.
Due Diligence
If you are acquiring a continuous process business with an ageing mechanical and electrical asset base, some equipment may defective even if the balance sheet value is minimal. The replacement cost of new machinery will be substantial. Infrared thermography can assist in analysing potential problems helping you to assess the merits of the transaction.
Normal Plant operation
What makes thermography so useful is that it's non contact (uses remote sensing), it's two dimensional allowing multiple temperature measurements on the same image and it's real time. Plant can be working normally under full load without interruption while a survey is being conducted. It's easy to measure moving or electrical targets as the surveyor is out of danger.
Other savings
Many insurance companies insist on a variety of fire prevention measures to secure cover and reduced premiums. Infrared thermography in the form of predictive maintenance procedures may well reduce your insurance bill as the risk of fire from electrical sources is reduced (please refer us to your broker or insurance company).