The primary goal of infrared thermography is to confirm machinery is running normally and to detect abnormal heat patterns within a machine, indicating inefficiency and defects. Common applications for using a spot infrared thermometer for preventive maintenance include:

•  Checking bearings and belts
•  Monitoring electrical rooms
•  Energy audits looking for heat loss
•  Fluid-handling systems
•  Water leaks
•  Panel boards & switchboards
•  Rotating motor monitoring
•  Boiler operations and steam system monitoring

Inspecting mechanical equipment using infrared thermography is a big advantage for asset managers tasked with condition monitoring. Even though infrared imagers are simple to use, interpreting the data they produce can be a bit more challenging to break down. It is important not only to have a working knowledge of how infrared imagers work, but also baseline knowledge of radiometry and heat transfer processes.

Infrared thermography is a highly recommended preventive maintenance tool in nearly all industries. Infrared thermography gives accurate, real-time data without disrupting the process flow from shutting down your systems. Working infrared thermography into scheduled maintenance procedures is a great way to catch abnormalities in components and machines quickly. Using baseline thermography on new equipment or after repairing equipment will provide a set of thermal images to compare all other tests against and easily troubleshoot future issues.

Advantages of using infrared thermography in preventive maintenance include:

•  Requires no contact with components or machines
•  Real-time output
•  Can obtain data on large surface areas at one time
•  Easy-to-read visual images
•  Data can be uploaded to software for further analysis
•  Infrared cameras offer great mobility
•  No downtime or production interruptions for testing

Kensa Marine has in house certified Thermographer by the Infrared Institute and is able to offer in-site thermography inspection, third party thermography report analysis, third party thermography report inspection report.