Infrared Inspections

• Cost effective
• Equipment shutdown NOT required
• Effective prioritization of repairs
• Improved employee safety
• Minimization of electrical and mechanical related losses and downtime
• Energy savings
• Excellent web based reporting

Infrared inspection of electrical equipment is no doubt one of the most effective ways to reduce electrically related downtime and losses. With many predictive maintenance services and programs, the evaluation requires the equipment be shutdown, costing you downtime as well as testing expense. Using infrared as a predictive maintenance tool is efficient and cost effective. Scanning is conducted under normal operating conditions, and the more heavily loaded the better. There is no equipment downtime associated with performance of the survey. Since most equipment related failures are associated with a change in thermal characteristics, an infrared thermographer can pick these up and identify the probable cause prior to failure. With the cause identified, the maintenance department can schedule only the problem area for repair, thus reducing the time and expense involved in disassembling, rebuilding or repairing components which are in good operating condition. Using a thermographic inspection you identify and repair only what needs repairing.

Problems found during an infrared inspection will be categorized according to the seriousness of the thermal profile, giving you time to repair the problem before failure. With a regular infrared inspection program in place, most problems are identified well before they become critical. Depending on the temperature and criticality of the component, the decision can be made to repair immediately, repair at the first available outage, or monitor on a continual basis until the critical temperature is reached and the repair is made immediately.

Other advantages of a thorough infrared inspection program include improved employee safety by reducing the chances of a catastrophic failure causing injury; reduced downtime by properly managing your electrical maintenance program; and reducing the chance that an electrical failure will cause a fire which could wipe out your business. In addition, loose connections and most other electrical problems generate heat which is in fact, wasted energy. Repair of hot spots can significantly reduce energy costs, especially as the size of the equipment increases. The photos and thermographs below illustrate what can be seen though the lens of the infrared camera versus a standard image camera.

Breaker problems quickly indentified

Infrared can also be extended to effectively deal with mechanical equipment to identify hot bearings, plugged cooling lines, steam trap issues and many more. Progressive companies who want to save money by better defining roof leakage problems and repair needs are turning more and more to infrared roof surveys performed from the air. With roofing costs soaring, why replace the whole roof when only a small area is causing the problem? High resolution cameras combined with GPS coordinates can help you better evaluate your roofs and assure the money you spend is being effectively used.

Infrared inspections are now almost universally accepted by property insurance carriers as a necessary component of any program to reduce electrical related failures and the resultant down time, fires and associated business interruption. If you do not have a program in place, be prepared to see recommendations from your insurer for such programs in the near future. They fully understand the value of such programs as a part of a corporate loss prevention plan.

Matrix Risk Consultants' best advice is for infrared programs to be driven from a corporate standpoint through the Risk Management, Corporate Engineering or Real Estate Management Departments. Contracting with a single supplier to perform all your infrared inspection services adds credibility and consistency to your program. With corporate managed programs, the benefits can be easily documented and justified. Results of the program can be shown to your property insurers to let them know you understand the importance and value of the program to your company and its bottom line.

Matrix Risk Consultants has formed an alliance with Predictive Service of Cleveland, Ohio to offer these services to industry. We partnered with Predictive Service for several reasons. First, they have the ability to perform this service on a global basis. Second, their finished product is delivered in just days through a secure web login. The Viewpoint® software developed by Predictive Service is the most comprehensive tool in the industry to document survey results, allow you to search and sort results by numerous parameters, determine the actual energy savings that will result when the problem is resolved, determine what problems have been resolved and what remains open, and so much more. This would be great for just one plant, but imagine the power at your fingertips when your entire infrared program is developed and data based on line. You can develop corporate reports and even see the total energy saved through repairs completed. Predictive Service has made floppy disks, CDs and video tapes lying around the office obsolete. Don't just have infrared done at your facilities; manage your infrared program through Matrix Risk Consultants and our Strategic Partner, Predictive Service. Call us for more details at 937-886-0000 or email ljones@MatrixRC.com.