How is Thermal Imaging Playing a Vital Role in Industrial Facilities in Terms of Predictive Maintenance?

Any industrial facility or plant will typically feature an assortment of machines and equipment. In many cases, these machines will be vital for churning out various products that the factory or plant produces. It goes without saying that these machines need to function in rough environments. In addition, repeated use can often hasten the onset of various wear and tear issues. As a result, the machine or equipment could well break down without any prior indication. Naturally, the malfunctioning of a machine will lead to some amounts of downtime. But, this has its repercussions on the industrial facility too. On the one hand, the breakdown of the machine leads to the loss of productive time. Consequently, this also affects the bottom line of the entity. At the same time, the repair or replacement costs for the machine will likely be exorbitant in some cases. Infrared cameras are increasingly coming into use for dealing with such issues in facilities throughout Australia. 

In many cases, maintenance costs are among the largest factors that affect the budget of an industrial plant or facility. On many occasions, the facility owners will have tried (in vain) to reduce these expenses. But, ignoring the maintenance of the machines will be counterproductive. This has led to many facility owners considering the merits of adopting predictive maintenance strategies. Predictive maintenance is a defect inspection strategy. It involves using various indicators for preparing to deal with future problems. Many people confuse predictive maintenance with preventive maintenance. However, both terms denote different strategies. Preventive maintenance strategies will feature pre-planned and routine measures to prevent the occurrences of major issues. Thus, it involves regular and pre-scheduled service. In contrast, predictive maintenance usually involves observation. Facility inspectors will typically take notes of indicators that could signal major problems. For instance, signs of abnormal fluid leakage or moisture accumulation taking place, could indicate bigger problems in the machine.

In a predictive maintenance program, infrared thermal imagers will usually be the first line of defence. Signs of changes in temperature levels are key parameters when it comes to equipment monitoring procedures. Thermal imaging devices enable workers to measure the equipment temperature easily, without causing any disruption in operations. This is especially so because these devices are non-contact devices. Some industrial units commonly use infrared thermometers to identify faults or problems in their machines. But, these devices only capture temperature at a single point. In contrast, thermal image cameras can capture the entire temperature of the object and produce a two-dimensional image. This makes it easier for the technician to review the critical components and the surface heat of the entire unit to determine the area that requires investigation. 

Increasingly, owners of industrial facilities are using thermal imaging devices for:

Monitoring temperature levels in large motors and rotating machines
Identifying hot spots in electronic equipment
Identifying leaks in sealed vessels
Finding faulty insulation in process pipes and other insulated processes
Finding faulty terminations in high-power electrical circuits
Identifying fuses at or near their current rated capacity levels
Locating overloaded circuit breakers in power panels and,
Identifying issues in electrical switch gear

The use of these devices is not only minimising breakdowns in industrial units. It is saving downtime as well. In addition, thermal imaging devices enhance safety levels too. Not surprisingly, they are becoming vital tools when it comes to predictive maintenance strategies in industrial facilities across the country.