Preventing Failure And Fire With Thermal Imaging

Thermal imaging is now a well proven, industry-standard, predictive maintenance method that identifies electrical and mechanical faults before they escalate to become costly failures.

It is particularly effective when used with infrared windows to monitor the health of fully energised systems.

The technology is not just being used to safeguard (Read More) 

the continuous operation of critical plant however; it is at the front line of fire prevention too. Commonly driven by conditions imposed by insurers, businesses are adopting thermal imaging to reduce both commercial and fire risk.  

Fire prevention

Statistics for industrial fires in the UK make for interesting reading.  Whilst a substantial number can be attributed to the misuse of heat; welding accidents for example, a large proportion is the result of mechanical failure through faulty electrics.  Many are the direct result of electrical failure or malfunction.

Ageing electrical systems are naturally prime candidates for failure.  Old cable coating can become porous.  External factors such as UV radiation can also cause changes to the plastic coating making it more brittle and prone to breakage.  In addition, contact points oxidize and fuses become overloaded.

Asymmetrical loads are common and the reason is rarely a faulty module.  If an older system is extended over time, the upgraded electrical circuit can be exposed to a greater load than was originally intended.  This requires immediate action as excess load can generate heat and pose a fire hazard.

Developments in thermal imaging technology now make it exceptionally easy for anyone to pinpoint the wearing components that are the cause of the abnormal thermal profile. One of the most important introductions is multi spectral dynamic imaging or MSX. Originally developed for scientific applications, the technology captures image data at specific frequencies across the electro magnetic spectrum.
It allows extraction of additional information the human eye fails to capture and the end result is extraordinary thermal image detail in real time. MSX allows easier target identification without compromising temperature data.  

Unlike thermal fusion that inserts a thermal image into a visible light picture, MSX embeds digital camera details into thermal videos and stills.  Indeed the images it produces are so clear there is no need for separate digital photographs to be taken for reports.  

Another area of development is the ability of the modern thermal imaging camera to communicate with other devices.  As well as being able to transmit a thermal image to smart phones and tablet PCs so it can be shared, the camera can also receive measurement data from a wireless enabled clamp meter so load and temperature data can be correlated.  More detail equals greater diagnostic accuracy.

Fixed installation

Whilst the majority of applications in the field of preventative maintenance and condition monitoring are conducted on an increasingly wide variety of hand held models, fixed mounted thermal imaging cameras are also becoming popular.

These are discrete products whose compact design allows them to be accommodated on any production line for quality assurance, process control and also fire detection.  Models are fully compliant with both GeniCam™ and GigEVision™ protocols making them instantly ready for quick and easy network installation.  They are also compatible with major third party software and have multiple input and output ports to satisfy the specific needs of any given application.

An important benefit of infrared over traditional vision technology is that it requires no additional lighting to illuminate the scene.  It achieves the same image quality around the clock.  As a result the system is simpler to install, set-up and maintain.  These cameras can also do their job in the presence of ambient dust and smoke, providing early warning of a potential fire risk.
 
For similar reasons fixed thermal imaging is now used for monitoring all forms of waste and material storage.  Indeed it is highly valuable where there is any danger from self combustion, heat development from pressure, spontaneous chemical reaction and methane build-up.  As it can see the changing thermal profile of the site, it can be set up to sound visual and audible alarms whenever a pre-set temperature threshold is exceeded.

To enable the fixed mounted thermal imaging camera to monitor a particular area or zone it can be equipped with the most appropriate lens for the task.  Or it can be specified with a pan and tilt mechanism allowing the operator to slew to the thermal problem. The flexible set-up of these products allows the easy creation of complete and impressively uncomplicated quality assurance and fire prevention systems.

FLIR Systems Ltd., 2 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4AQ
Tel: +44(0)1732 220011.   
Fax: +44(0)1732 843707.  
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Web Site: www.flir.com