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Infrared thermography for
Commercial and Industrial Applications
Quality infrared inspections performed
on a regular basis combined with timely repairs can
reduce down time, improve profits and safety. Commercial
Infrared imaging is a key tool in any predictive maintenance
program.
We conduct Mechanical Infrared, Electrical Infrared, CMU wall
inspection with BlockwallScanIR, Flat roof inspections with
Thermal Infrared Energy Surveys and work with many other
Infrared applications.
- Heat is usually the first sign of failure, thermal
imaging detects these failures in their early stages
allowing you the opportunity to take preemptive corrective
action
- Infrared is an effective Predictive Maintenance tool
- Pin point wet insulation in flat roofs
- Serve as a quality insurance tool for new installations
or repairs
- CMU walls can have grout inspected without damaging the
wall or slowing the construction process
- No down time for equipment, inspect while in operation
and under load.
- Reduce equipment damage and spare parts inventory
- Save energy
- Improve safety and reliability.
- Save on insurance
premiums
Thermal infrared
cameras can see
overheating motors and bearings, hot or overload electrical
connections and breakers, blocked or leaking heating/cooling
pipes, water/steam leaks, tank levels, reinforcement in CMU walls,
flat roof leaks and missing insulation.
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In both images reinforcement grout shows as
being lighter in color. Missing reinforcement grout shows as a darker region. |
| You might think that the only way you can
know whether the grouted cells, bond beams, insulation and
other components of a CMU (Concrete Masonry Unit) wall are
properly placed, is to open the wall with hammer or drill,
where the grout or insulation is supposed to be and see if
it is there.
BlockWallScanIR™
infrared testing method can
be performed at any time during the construction process
without interrupting any other trades or affecting the
progress of the rest of the building. There are two two benefits arise from having a
BlockWallScanIR™ infrared test performed on your newly
constructed CMU walls. First, a documented record of the
grouted cells and other structural components (in-situ) is
created. Secondly, when and if deficiencies are found, a
report can be generated so that corrections can be made with
surgical precision. The owner gets what he paid for and the designers can
‘literally’ see that their specifications have been followed.
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Infrared flat roof
inspection reveals water trapped under the membrane
and saturated insulation. We work with your roofing contractor
to pinpoint and mark the exact spot which needs
repair.
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The images on the left and below
show an amorphous
shape indicative of trapped water and a saturated
substrate. We work with your roof contractor
so you get the best roofing job possible for
your money. |
| An entire flat roof can be
economically scanned with Infrared to reveal latent
defects. Are you an investor thinking about buying a
commercial building? Don't!!! At least not before
having the roof scanned for leaks by Infrared
Imaging Services. The results of a pre-purchase roof
inspection can save you 10's of thousands in
unexpected roof repairs and if defects are found the
information can be used in the pre-purchase
negotiations to get you a better deal. If you are
seller, proving you roof is in good shape can help
you maintain the asking price. Buying or
selling, get an Infrared roof inspection , its the
best and most cost effective thing you can do for
peace of mind. |
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An infrared inspection of insulated
suspended ceiling tiles can quickly locate missing
or displaced insulating fiber batts. Reducing
energy loss and lowering utility bills. |
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In many parts of the United States a
common building practice for commercial structures is to
elevate the building on support columns and place an
unheated parking garage directly below the first story.
This practice exposes the underside of the first occupied
level and its associated plumbing to the outside
environment.
In
colder regions a common approach is to construct a suspended
ceiling for the garage and to create a heated space between
the underside of the first occupied floor and the garage
ceiling so that water, waste, and sprinkler pipes do not
freeze. To minimize heat loss, batts of glass fiber
insulation are often laid directly on top of the ceiling
tiles. |
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In the image above ,
misplaced insulation batts on top of suspended tiles are clearly visible. At this
facility 100's of tiles had insulation deficiencies like
these causing a significant heat loss problem for the
building owner. An
infrared inspection of a suspended insulated ceiling can
quickly reveal thermal patterns caused by missing,
misapplied, or damaged insulation. Areas exhibiting excess
energy loss may then be visually inspected and repaired.
Computer data centers |
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Computer data centers have racks of equipment
generating large amounts of heat which needs to be effectively
removed. Also present are dedicated power panels, UPS supplies, back
up generators, power transfer switches and hundreds of individual
power cords and outlets! Each one of these items is a potential
point of failure and therefore thermal imaging should be added to
the centers predictive maintenance program. Datacenters - Use our infrared services to ensure
uniform airflow and to find MTBF robbing hot spots. Thermographic
images should be taken as quality control of any newly installed
equipment, center expansion or system overhaul.
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Note the hot spot on this AC plug to one of the
servers in this data center. Of the several plugs in this
cabinet, only this one exhibited a temperature rise
exceeding 15oF.
Thermal imaging can quickly scan hundreds of plugs like
these for the early problem signs leading to decreased MTBF.
Also, if its not hot, you are saving energy!
Infrared is the perfect tool for datacenters, it's non
contact , can be done with the center in full operation and
is predictive in nature giving you the advanced warning
signals you need make repairs BEFORE something fails. |
We provide Infrared video service,
see your thermal process in action!
| This image (right) is an
infrared thermograph showing a pillow block bearing.
Notice the bright yellow glow indicating it is hot and
potentially overheating. This condition, if
undetected and unaddressed, may lead to catastrophic
failure of the part, potentially damage other equipment,
and cause unscheduled down time.
Thermal imaging inspection if perfect for
businesses and factories with electrical distribution
panels, UPS power supplies, steam
systems and HVAC systems. Rotating equipment such
as bearings, belts, motors, gear boxes, and other mechanical
systems can take considerable advantage of the benefits in
early detection and productivity savings thermal imaging technology has to offer.. |
Overheating Pillow block bearing
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Smart companies are saving time money by
incorporating an infrared inspection program into their overall
predictive maintenance strategy
Applications include:
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Electrical Systems – Loose/corroded connections, overloaded circuits, faulty
equipment
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Construction -
CMU Blockwall Scan for missing or improperly placed grout
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Under slab/floor
radiant heating and steam pipe leaks
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Mechanical Equipment – Motors, bearings, belts and transmissions
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Process Equipment – Pipe blockages, coolant leaks, steam traps, tank
levels
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Building Systems – HVAC systems, building envelopes, flat roofs
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Data Centers – Airflow analysis, UPS systems, emergency generators
Scientific
applications -Tire wear analysis
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The
heat build up along the right edge of this tire was caused by an
alignment problem. Using our High Resolution camera, we were
able to detect this problem long before the tire started to
show traditional signs of uneven wear. The problem was
corrected and this expensive tire was saved! |
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The Graph on the left shows the
temperature distribution for the tire image.
This is an example of how a quantitative approach can be
used to extract additional
data from an IR image. Using tools like this graph make
it easier to see and understand the exact distribution of
temperature across the tire's surface
Consult with us to see how High resolution Infrared
thermography can give you insight into your application.
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It takes only a few seconds to
determine that in this image of a Transformer (left),
there is something very wrong and hot. This could be due
to several conditions but only Infrared can find it
quickly and safely.
Infrared is a proven and cost effective way
to find these problems fast and early so they can be
corrected before catastrophic failure occurs, causing
unscheduled down time and loss of production revenue. |
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In this infrared image of a high
temperature steam boiler (left), we can easily see that
the insulation on the inside of this vessel has
deteriorated.
Only infrared imaging provides a fast, safe,
non-contact method of inspection! |
These circuit breakers clearly shows signs of overheating.
Infrared thermography
can quickly identify potential problems with
breakers, inter connections, wire crimps, and loose or
corroded connections.
Any good preventative maintenance strategy
would include an infrared scan of all electrical, moving and
rotating equipment! |
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Here is an image (left)
of three electric motors. The infrared scan clearly
shows the middle motor and bearing are running the
hottest.
The motor at the bottom of the image appears to be
running the coolest and the one at the top of the image
looks to be on its way to being hot. Given that these
are similar motors operating under similar conditions,
they all should be at near the same operating
temperature.
Only infrared imaging can detect these kinds
of problems so quickly and without having to shut down
the line! |
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In this image (left) of
a UPS supply during a load test, a battery which is more
resistive literally screams, "Replace me, I'm
running hot!"
For battery banks, an IR scan is a great way to
perform a quality check of the entire "System" not just any
one cell.
We can see thermal abnormalities in each battery,
connector, and terminal block. Every interconnect cable,
distribution panel, and fuse can be checked!
For preventative maintenance on electrical
systems, it's hard to beat the NON-CONTACT method of
infrared!
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Image above left: a typical example of how infrared
can quickly see a loose or deteriorated connection.. Here we
have a loose connection on a transformer tap.
If
left unrepaired, this part will fail, the transformer will
fail, and anything that it is supplying voltage to will go
down.
Image above right: a hot transformer at
a utility sub station; with infrared imaging it's easy to
see that there is something wrong here!
In very little time, a well-trained
thermographer can see these problems, allowing you to
schedule the repair before unscheduled failure happens.
The cost of an IR scan is small in comparison to
its benefits. Return on investment is very easy to justify! |
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