Thermographic readings increase productivity and optimise fire safety in many manufacturing environments. These include power plants, petrochemicals, metal processing plants, paper mills and other production processes.
Hotspots
Hotspots can occur in controllers, frequency converters, components and rotary devices. Hotspots heighten the risk of fire, and increase component, equipment or installation failures. They also present a real fire hazard.
Periodic thermographic measurements
Carrying out periodic preventive thermographic measurements in critical environments reveals the condition of your control cabinet, frequency converter, component or rotary device. This means you can take preventive action. Unforeseen emergencies, malfunctions or failures concerning electrical installations or rotating machinery can be costly. Therefore, Van Meer recommends detecting these potential issues as early as possible.
Infrared thermography directs preventive maintenance
Even a temperature difference of just a few degrees can have a major impact on the way a production process functions. Where the components of control cabinets and rotating devices are concerned, we know that there is a correlation between temperature and the expected lifetime of a device. The rule of thumb is that a 10-degree increase in temperature leads to a reduction in service life. The efficiency/capacity of a control box, frequency inverter, component or rotary device will therefore decrease by roughly half when compared to the lifetime specified by a manufacturer. As a result, you will have to prematurely invest in new components, machines or installations.
Mechanical and electrical components tend to get hotter as their physical state or electrical properties deteriorate. Infrared radiation increases when components malfunction. Thermography detects anomalies invisible to the naked eye and enables corrective action to be taken before expensive system downtime occurs. Van Meer uses infrared cameras to scan a variety of installations, rotating devices and structures. It then translates the thermal imaging into a qualitative analysis. In this way, thermographic inspections make it possible to efficiently inspect control cabinets, frequency converters and rotating equipment for poor connections, overloading and overheating.
Reporting and preventive actions
Using temperature indications, thermography highlights vulnerable points in control cabinets, frequency converters, components and rotating devices and draws attention to areas which require optimisation or where incendiary parts need to be replaced. Once a thermographic measurement has been carried out, you will receive a clear report including images and a recommendation for optimisation or preventive maintenance measures to be carried out.
