Infrared Inspection Services

Using IR inspection methods for preventative and predictive maintenance saves your facility time and money.

"...infrared inspection programs have proven that on average for every $1 spent on infrared electrical inspections, there is a $4 return on investment for materials and labor from fixing the problems before it fails." - Cost/Benefit Analysis of Infrared Programs, Sandy Sanor, Maintenance Technology, June 2001

Many common benefits of an Industrial Infrared Survey:

• Reduce downtime and emergency repairs.
• Reduce man-hours spent on preventive maintenance by pinpointing areas that need repair.
• Locate potential problems and "shake down" the electrical systems prior to plant start up.
• Minimize scheduled maintenance times by allowing for spare parts to be on-hand prior to shutdown.
• Identifies roof leak areas before they become major roof replacement projects.
• Evaluate and verify repair work.
• Extend equipment life. Increase reliability of plant power distribution system.
• Promotes a more efficient preventative maintenance program.
• Prevents accidents, personal injury and property damage.
• Prevent risk of fire due to electrical failure.
• Reduce casualty loss of equipment

Electrical Systems

As electrical current flows through a conductor, heat is generated. Many electrical defects are accompanied by a rise in temperature for up to several weeks prior to failure. Some defects may be represented as cool components.

What Can Be Detected

• Loose/deteriorated connections
• Overloads
• Imbalanced Loads
• Open Circuits
• Inductive Heating
• Harmonics
• Defects

Benefits:

• Locate problems without interrupting service
• Reduce costly unscheduled power outages
• Minimize preventive maintenance time and maximize troubleshooting effectiveness
• prevent premature failure and extend equipment life
• Identify potentially dangerous and hazardous equipment

Flat Roof Inspection

Water infiltration into low slope roofing systems causes changes in the thermal properties of the roofing system. Usually conducted at night, thermal imaging is capable of detecting evidence of latent moisture due to changes in either the thermal conductivity and/or thermal capacitance of the roofing system.

Benefits:

• Pinpoint water-damaged roof areas quickly and accurately
• Eliminate unnecessary replacement of good roof
• Greatly extend the life of the existing roof
• Document problems before the warranty expires
• Provide facts for planning accurate budgets

Mechanical Systems

As mechanical devices operate, heat is generated. Forces such as friction, misalignment, and improper belt tension cause excessive heating.

What Can Be Detected:

• Misalignment of coupled equipment
• Over/under lubrication of bearings
• Over/under tension of belted systems
• Excessive friction
• Defective Equipment

Benefits

• Locate misaligned coupled equipment
• Increase equipment reliability and life
• Increase production and efficiency while saving energy
• Increase quality of product
• Minimize downtime by planning the requirements before shutdown
• Improve worker productivity and morale by correcting potential problems proactively
• Reduce insurance premiums and deductible payments

Structural Energy Loss

Missing or damaged insulation or water infiltration into insulated systems allows excess energy loss at the point of defect. When performed under the correct conditions, thermal imaging is capable of detecting evidence of latent moisture or physical defects due to changes in either the thermal conductivity and/or thermal capacitance of the insulation system.

Benefits:

• Locate missing, improperly installed or damaged insulation
• Identify costly air leakage energy losses
• Evaluate the thermal performance of retrofits
• Provide hardcopy proof of problems
• Reduce heating and cooling energy costs

Thermal Stratification Analysis

Thermal Stratification occurs in buildings with poor air mixing due to hot air being lighter than cooler air, it simply stacks up the hotter air over the cooler air until thermal buoyancy steady state is achieved. Typically 0.5-2 degrees F per foot of vertical elevation is seen in thermal stratification temperature difference between floor and ceiling.

Effects of Stratification:

• Human Comfort levels are impacted by thermal stratification, so they turn up thermostat to compensate.
• Energy Consumption is higher, due to greater thermal loss through the ceiling with higher ceiling temperatures.
• Moisture can form on the lower levels in severe stratification if temperature falls below dewpoint.
• Mold can form on the lower levels in severe stratification if temperature falls below dewpoint.
• Shopping traffic duration drops in retail locations, since shoppers are not comfortable.

IR inspection cost saving results

IR Diagnostics of Pump

A facility was having continual problems with some to its motor and pump combinations. Pump bearings repeatedly failed. An IR inspection confirmed that the lower thrust bearing was warmer than the other bearing in the pump. Further investigation revealed that the motor-pump combination was designed to operate in the horizontal position. In order to save floor space, the pump was mounted vertically below the motor. As a result, the lower thrust bearing was overloaded leading to premature failure. The failures resulted in a $15,000 repair cost, not including lost production time ($30,000 per minute production loss and in excess of $600 per minute labor).

IR Diagnostics of Steam Traps

Steam trap failure detection can be difficult by other forms of detection in many hard to reach and inconvenient places. Without a good trap maintenance program, it can be expected that 15% to 60% of a facility’s traps will be failed open. At $3/1,000 lb (very conservative), a 1/4-in. orifice trap failed open will cost approximately $7,800 per year. If the system had 100 traps and 20% were failed,the loss would be in excess of $156,000. An oil refinery identified 14% of its traps were malfunctioning and realized a savings of $600,000 a year after repair.

IR Diagnostics of Industrial Roof systems

A state agency in the northeast operated a facility with a 360,000 square foot roof area. The roof was over 22 years old and experiencing several leaks. Cost estimates to replace the roof ranged between $2.5 and $3 million. An initial IR inspection identified 1,208 square feet of roof requiring replacement at a total cost of $20,705. The following year another IR inspection was performed that found 1,399 square feet of roof requiring replacement at a cost of $18,217. A roof IR inspection program was started and the roof surveyed each year. The survey resulted in less than 200 square feet of roof identified needing replacement in any one of the following 4 years (one year results were as low as 30 square feet). The total cost for roof repair and upkeep for the 6 years was less than $60,000. If the facility would have been privately owned, interest on the initial $3 million at 10% would have amounted to $300,000 for the first year alone. Discounting interest on $3 million over the 5-year period, simple savings resulting from survey and repair versus initial replacement cost ($3 million to $60,000) amount to $2,940,000. This figure does not take into account interest on the $3 million, which would result in savings in excess of another $500,000 to $800,000, depending on loan interest paid. Source : O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 2.0