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1. Warranty 1 year U S only Ordering information The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager is sold exclusively through authorized thermography distributors To request a demonstration or order a Ti30 imager visit www fluke com thermography or call 800 866 5478 The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager formerly the Raytek ThermoView Ti30 Thermal Imager is now part of the Fluke line of test and measurement equipment Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Thermography PO Box 1820 Santa Cruz CA USA 95061 1820 Fluke Thermography Europe Blankenburger StraBe 135 D 13127 Berlin Germany For more information call In the U S A 800 866 5478 or Fax 831 425 4561 or Ti30support fluke com In Europe M East Africa 49 30 478 00 80 or Fax 49 30 471 02 51 or Ti30support de fluke com or International 831 458 1110 or Fax 831 458 1239 or Ti30support fluke com Web access http www fluke com thermography 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Specifications subject to change without notice Printed in U S A 1 2005 2418199 B US N Rev B Applications for Thermal imagers reports Fluke THERMOGRAPHIC REPORT Company Primex Plastics Problem 3 IDENTIFICATION Location Name Plant 5 wipment Linc 5 Main Drive fuses PROBLEM DESCRIPTION Hot connection at fisse clip 160F at top ISF at botom SERIOUS ANOMOLY ON FUSE CLIP REPAIR ASAP THERMOGRAM
2. For companies that have been operating under the run it until it breaks maintenance philosophy they must have stockpiles of replacement and backup equipment inventory so that downtime can be minimized Investing in idle inventory not only takes cash out of the business but it also involves ongoing costs to store organize and manage Companies generally estimate annual inventory carrying costs at between 10 and 25 of the inventory s value If there is 100 000 worth of spare parts or back up equipment inventory it is costing the company somewhere between 10 000 and 25 000 per year to maintain that inventory Many process plants and manufacturing companies track downtime very closely and know precisely how much an hour of downtime costs them This can vary widely by industry anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per hour Obviously the higher this number the more effort and investment companies will put into predictive maintenance 11 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI Reducing Capital Expenses The final benefit to consider when implementing infrared predictive maintenance is simply the increased lifetime of capital equipment that can be achieved If the average life time of equipment for a company is 10 years and the total value of that capital equipment is 1 000 000 then the company is on average spending 100 000 per year to replace aging equipment If the ave
3. Warning Make sure no one attempts to add to a vessel s contents until you have con firmed the level or available capacity A thermal image of a tank that is completely empty or com pletely full or that has a shiny reflective skin will appear uni form and no product level will be apparent Otherwise the product level will appear as an obvious thermal separation between the headspace and the product A properly captured thermal image will also reveal sludge buildup on tank bottoms which can lead to premature corrosion and make it difficult to calculate the amount of product stored Periodic monitoring will help you determine a cleaning schedule and track any changes in the rate of buildup You will save money by cleaning tanks only when they need it Thermography can also reveal floating materials such as wax An imaging tip and foam as well as layers of dif ferent liquids gases and even solids such as the layer of paraf fin that sometimes forms between the oil and water layers in separators hindering their normal operation Finding and correcting such situations will prevent loss of the separation process and subsequent loss of sales When performing tank and vessel inspections be aware of factors that can introduce errors Environmental conditions the diverse thermal conductive prop erties of different materials natu ral or process related convection within tanks and vessels and even the curved surfac
4. a closed valve pipe blockage etc If both the inlet and outlet temperatures are the same the trap probably has failed open and is blowing steam into the condensate line This keeps the system operating but with significant energy loss Low inlet and outlet temperatures indicate that the trap has failed closed and condensate is filling the trap and the inlet line Also use your thermal imager while your steam system is oper ating to scan Steam transmis sion lines for blockages including closed valves and underground steam lines for leaks heat exchangers for blockages boilers especially their refractories and insulation steam using equipment for any anomalies and recent repairs to confirm their success Consider creating a regular inspection route that includes all key steam system components in your facility so that all traps are inspected at least annually Larger or more critical traps should be inspected more frequently as the potential for loss is greater Over Reporting tip Thermal Applications Inspecting steam systems time this process will help you determine whether a hot or rela tively cool spot is unusual or not and help you to verify when repairs are successful What represents a red alert Steam is very hot and often transmitted at high pressure so any condition that poses a safety risk should take the highest repair priority In many situations the next most impor t
5. couplings gear boxes and other mechanical components Once the inspec tion routes and schedules are finalized he hopes to get the maximum life out of his expen sive high horsepower motors He ll be combining data from visual inspections infrared spot thermometer checks vibration analysis thermography and current phase analysis into a new condition based monitor ing and asset management system The system ties the collected data to the specific piece of equipment and flags anything that is not within predetermined parameters In the future when Gray uses thermography on a motor he ll be able to tie the images or a report to the overall system data for that piece of equip ment and to a work order for use by technicians making the repairs By putting all the analysis data together into one picture he ll be able to deal most effec tively with problem motors and prolong the lives of critical ones 3 Fluke Corporation Thermography and motor condition monitoring at a paper mill Hot connections on the Motor Control Center The gearbox of the separator motor showing extreme white hotspots Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31
6. e Cost of failure Total motor replacement cost US 7 000 downtime 10 hours at US 1 000 per hour US 10 000 US 17 000 e Cost of failure A melted connection can cause the switchgear to fault and shut down power to the facility or cause an arc flash causing major property damage and loss of production Casing e What to look for Use the exterior thermal gradient as an indicator of the internal temperature Other components should not be as hot as the motor housing Each 10 C rise above its rated temperature cuts a motor s life in half e What the image shows An abnormal thermal pattern probably due to air flow obstructed cooling or misalignment e Recommendations Check nameplate for normal operating temperature Use Equipment e Frequency of inspection other test tools to check for inadequate airflow impending bearing failure Thermal Safety Guidelines a P typ a y p shaft coupling problems and insulation degradation in the rotor or stator High voltage substations 1 3 years e Cost of failure Total motor replacement cost plus downtime Transformers annually Gearbox 440 V Motor Control Centers e What to look for A properly functioning gearbox runs temperatures slightly f 3f above ambient about the same as the motor housing case Low lubricant or Air conditioned 6 12 months gear problems often show as hot spots Non air conditioned or older 4 6 months e What the image shows Motor right is uniformly cool while ge
7. insulation and thermal measurements for motors and drives 2 Control contacts check Next check the control con tacts for quality of contact 1 Lockout and tagout the disconnect to the starter 2 Manually engage the starter so the contacts close 3 Set the insulation tester to the low ohms range 4 Measure the resistance across each set of con tacts 5 The reading should be nearly zero If it s higher than 0 1 ohms that set of contacts needs to be replaced 3 Resistance of line and load circuits to ground Then measure the insulation resistance of the line and load circuits to ground However before doing ANY insulation resistance test ing you MUST isolate any electronic controls and other devices from the cir cuit under test Then 1 Lockout and tagout the disconnect to the starter 2 Set the insulation tester to the appropriate test voltage 250 500 or 1000 V 3 Identify the resistance between these points e Line side of starter to ground e Load side of starter to ground 4 Fluke Corporation To pass these tests the line 4 and load circuits need to show high resistance As a general rule AC devices need a minimum 2 megohms to ground and DC devices need 1 megohm to ground to ensure safe operation Note Different companies have differ ent threshold minimums for insulation resistance on used equipment ranging from 1 to 10 megohms Resistance on new equipment shou
8. meaning the pixels are not measuring an absolute temperature They are only showing temperatures relative to one another So while a hot spot might be visible the camera 5 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI cannot tell you what the real temperature of the hot spot is This is a significant disadvantage in PdM applications where so much of the equipment being inspected will have rated operating ranges for temperature Also trending of temperatures over time is only possible if the imager measures absolute temperature Temperature measurement range The needs for temperature are a direct correlation to the applications present within the industrial environment in question In most manufacturing and facilities environments the temperature range needs for the electrical and mechanical equipment will not exceed 250 C However in the metals industries and some others temperatures over 250 C are quite common If this is the case a camera with a higher temperature range may be necessary Ifthe higher temperature requirement is more of the exception than the rule this may be where an outside consultant can help supplement an internal program Another option for higher temperatures is to use an infrared filter to reduce the IR energy reaching the detector This allows the camera to see higher temperatures although the camera may no longer be able to measure accurately those temperatures Image and data st
9. motors because they are expensive to replace in terms of both money and labor Electrical insulation resistance and thermal measurement are three tests that can troubleshoot motors drives and associ ated electrical panels and prolong their operational lifetime Used together thermal imagers can detect potential problems and insulation resistance and electrical tests can deter mine the cause Handheld thermal imagers such as the Fluke Ti30 can collect heat signa tures from a range of motors from 1000 hp down to 5 A thermal imager is good for spot checks to see if motors and associ ated panels and controls are operating too hot and for troubleshooting to track down the specific failed component at fault It can also check for phase imbal ance bad connections and abnormal heating on the electrical supply Application Note An insulation multimeter like the Fluke 1587 can perform most of the other tests you need to trou bleshoot and maintain motors When a motor is having problems check the supply voltage and then use insulation testing to check the starter and con trol contacts measure the insulation resistance of the line and load circuits to ground and winding resist ance phase to phase and phase to ground About thermal measurements A motor s heat signature will tell you a lot about its quality and condition If a motor is overheat ing the windings will rapidly deteriorate In f
10. production assets determine how often they need to be monitored set up an inspection route and schedule and regularly measure key indicators 3 Fluke Corporation Then they compare those measure ments over time looking for changes in operating conditions that indicate potential breakdowns Available moni toring and measuring methods include infrared IR temperature measure ment vibration analysis oil analysis ultrasonic testing electrical measure ment power quality insulation resist ance and thermal imaging The benefits include significantly reduced downtime maximized uptime stocking an optimum number of spare parts and lower labor costs for main tenance Overall PAM programs increase capacity or productivity using existing equipment Some power generation facilities find that the data collected for predictive maintenance is also useful for meeting environmental documentation requirements Thermal predictive maintenance at a coal plant However if the metal surface of a motor casing is shiny it looks like a mirror in the infrared region Instead of seeing the temperature of the motor the infrared camera sees a combination of some of the heat of the motor and some of the heat of objects around the motor To compensate ther mographers paint a black spot on the surface or use a contact temperature probe to allow them to adjust the emissivity until the infrared reading matches the contact pro
11. B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2526394 A EN N Rev A Applications for l Imagers LUJ K Example Tanks and vessels Application Note When technicians want to troubleshoot tank flow disturbances or determine the product level inside a vessel without opening it there is one especially powerful tool to assist them a Fluke thermal imager Above ground tanks and vessels for liquids and gases abound in chemi cal food pharmaceutical and other process manufacturing These vessels may be specially lined to store a variety of fluids from potable water to acids designed for mixing blending leaching heating cooling and oil water separation processes By capturing two dimensional temperature profiles of vessels ther mal imagers can detect temperature differences on the surface that often reveals conditions inside What to check Scan the outside surface of tanks for differences in temperature at differ ent points Also pay attention to gas kets seals and valves at openings What to look for While most large proc
12. Taget Temp 186 C metal electrical connectors can i E E Eo MEE dramatically improve the reliability 14 0 Place anw a a of radiometric temperature eons 202 C Pete nen measurements While there are no aaa Ai Teno standards for how to create such Wind Speed i targets they must be installed while Go Not imi the equipment is de energized Many plants have reported good ET Dnon success using spray paint flat and naai if outside white especially brands ional designed to be used on electronic an components electrical tape and ee eee Bees paper stickers Targets only need be Poepen installed near connection points Infrared transparent windows either a crystalline material or a that might have occurred The new laid Professional reports are easily created using the InsideIR software and a PC or laptop 4 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program BE ASHES OG a t S There are many ways to track the results a program produces The key is to get buy in from management as to what indicators are to be used and then to keep up with accumulating the data The format shown here is clean simple and powerful in the way it portrays a range of possible savings Courtesy of Maintenance Reliability Group LLC thermal image and data document the new condition This can all be included in a report generated back in the office Ma
13. Ungles takes a thermal image and a digital photo of the unit and sends a report to the supervising plant technician Electrical components are not the only thing Ungles monitors at the plant One example is the sludge catcher the big vessel that collects waste from the natural gas At one point says Ungles plant personnel weren t sure their level indica tors were working correctly which meant they weren t sure how much sludge was in the vessel I made thermal images of this unit at the end of a hot day when the vessel had begun 9 1 F Example of a hot connection on panels in the BP Jayhawk Plant power control rooms Abnormal connection heat can be caused by overly loose or tight connections corrosion overloading unbalance harmonics and other electrical problems to cool The image revealed the line between the heated sludge and the unrefined natural gas above it in the vessel which cooled faster Thermography proved to be a failsafe backup to the level indicators A vessel entry to determine the sludge depth would have required a major plant shutdown and an extremely dangerous vessel entry With thermal imaging says Len Fisk we were able to determine this depth for a frac tion of the cost of conventional methods Teamwork tools and techniques How one plant brought thermography in house Thermal images of this sludge catcher vessel revealed the line between unrefined natural gas an
14. and rebuilt after 17 months of operation The problem with this approach is that the mode of operation and system or plant specific variables directly affect the normal operating life of machinery The mean time between failures MTBF will not be the same for a pump that is handling water and one handling abrasive slurries The normal result of using MTBF statistics to schedule maintenance is either unnecessary repairs or catastrophic failure In the example the pump may not need to be rebuilt after 17 months Therefore the labor and material used to make the repair was wasted The second option using preventive maintenance is even mote costly If the pump fails before 17 months we are forced to repair using run to failure techniques Analysis of maintenance costs have shown that a repair made in a reactive Le after failure mode will normally be three times greater than the same repair made on a scheduled basis Predictive Maintenance Predictive maintenance is a condition driven preventive maintenance program Instead of relying on industrial or in plant average life statistics i e mean time to failure to schedule maintenance activities predictive maintenance uses direct monitoring of the operating condition efficiency heat distribution and other indicators to determine the actual mean time to failure or loss of efficiency that would be detrimental to plant operations for all critical systems in the plant or facility At best traditional
15. and heating ventilation and air conditioning technicians working fairly close up and not needing the extraordinary temperature range of the 570 Series New Fluke infrared tools and applications 62 Mini Infrared Thermometer 57X Series Infrared Thermometer Ti30 Thermal Imager 4 Fluke Corporation Three new infrared instruments from Fluke Recommended Basic electrical light Predictive and preventive All types of maintenance Uses industrial maintenance maintenance electrical that require a fast checks process monitoring overview of existing heavy equipment temperature distribution quality assurance programs Temperature 18 to 275 C 30 V to 900 C 10 to 250 C Range Standard 50 to 500 C SubZero option Typical Distance Up to 1 m Up to 10 5 m Between 60 cm and to Target spot 15m Optical Resolution 8 1 60 1 Standard focus 90 1 for temperature D S 50 1 Close focus measurement Accuracy 2 75 2 Sighting Laser point High precision coaxial Single point laser laser sighting Emissivity Pre set to 0 95 Adjustable Adjustable Data Logging N A 574 576 100 data Up to 100 images with points temperature data Data Output N A 574 RS 232 or 1 mV USB 1 1 per degree 576 USB 1 1 Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For m
16. and maintenance inventory just in case equipment unexpectedly fails Each of these problems has a very real cost associated with it The productivity of maintenance personnel is generally stated in terms of labor hours saved and an average labor rate With fully burdened including benefits and overhead labor rates ranging anywhere from 40 to 100 per hour for maintenance personnel the savings from productivity improvements can quickly add up Add on overtime that inevitably increases as unplanned downtime increases both for maintenance and production personnel and improved maintenance practices can have a dramatic impact on labor costs Most problems become much more difficult and expensive to repair after they have catastrophically failed versus if maintenance personnel had intervened sooner Fortunately for owners of thermal imaging cameras most problems associated with electrical and mechanical systems generate heat well before catastrophic failure occurs Often parts that cost pennies if identified early enough can be replaced in time to prevent damage to equipment that costs thousands of dollars Production is impacted heavily by unscheduled equipment failures Production personnel are unable to continue producing product Unreliable equipment lowers yields resulting in rework and scrapped material Ifthe plant is running at capacity in order to meet the demands of the market then downtime will cost them customers revenue and profits
17. are not limited to simply thermographic industry and the founder of Snell Infrared He can be reached at 800 636 9820 or jsnell snellinfrared com More information about thermography and thermographic training can be found at the Snell Infrared web site www snellinfrared measuring temperatures or seeing thermal images If you take time to correlate them moisture thickness coatings material type and parts presence will typically all have their own characteristic thermal signature as well Manufacturing processes are not always simple to look at but doing so can often yield a perspective Thinking Thermally that may be the key to finding solutions to costly problems com Looking ahead In summary now that you have your thermal imager and have been trained to use it here s what to do next 1 Communicate thermography plans with managers and operators 2 Integrate thermography into existing predictive maintenance programs 3 Review safety standards and procedures 4 Create an equipment list schedule and inspection routes 5 Capture baseline images of all critical equipment during first survey 6 Download images after each survey and convert data for tracking 7 Create a report template and distribute results after each survey 8 Set up alarms for image comparison and key indicator tracking over time 9 Modify inspection conditions lists and routes over time as necessary By following thes
18. bathtub curve indicates that a new machine has a high probability of failure during the first few hours or weeks of operation usually caused by manufacturing or installation problems Following this initial period the probability of failure is relatively low for an extended period of time Following this normal machine life period the probability of failure increases sharply with elapsed time or hours of operation In preventive maintenance management machine inspections lubrication repairs or rebuilds are scheduled based on the MTTF statistic Number of failures Break in or Equipment start up Normal life worn out gt Time Figure 1 Bathtub curve The actual implementation of preventive maintenance varies greatly Some programs are extremely limited and consist of lubrication and minor adjustments More comprehensive preventive maintenance programs schedule repairs lubrication adjustments and machine rebuilds for all critical machinery in the plant The common denominator for all of these preventive maintenance programs is the scheduling guideline All preventive maintenance management programs assume that machines will degrade within the statistical time frame typical for its particular classification For example a single stage horizontal split case centrifugal pump will normally run 18 months before its wear parts should be replaced Using preventive management techniques the pump would be removed from service
19. boilers Application Note Furnaces and boilers play important roles if only because of their high operating in many industries as well as in the heating temperatures and their capacity to cause of commercial and institutional buildings injury or death as a result of some failures They heat products in petroleum chemical furnaces and boilers should be included in and pharmaceutical industries and pro predictive maintenance PdM programs duce or handle molten products in glass that monitor their condition while they steel and other industries In most cases operate The purpose of a PdM program is Highly skilled thermographers to detect and prevent imminent report some success checking the failures before they occur to avoid tubes of furnaces and boilers for the shutdown of critical equip hot spots which can signal a ment One especially powerful potential failure Clearly a tool for monitoring the condition breach in the wall of a tube con of furnaces and boilers is thermal taining very hot water steam or imaging which captures two hot product could be cata dimensional images of the tem strophic but those who would perature profiles of objects attempt to use thermography for Thermal images can reveal such monitoring must realize that potential points of failure in fur to do so is difficult and danger naces and boilers and help ous putting both the thermogra extend the life of their refractory pher and the imaging instrum
20. compare current operating tem choice for monitoring large to detect and avoid equipment peratures to benchmarks and accessible relatively high speed bearings but it can only be done safely when transducers can be placed on the bearings For bear ings that are relative small e g in conveyor rollers in low speed operations physically inaccessi ble or unsafe to get close to while the equipment is running thermography is a good alterna tive to vibration analysis In most cases thermography can be performed at a safe distance while the equipment is operating Capturing a thermal image with a handheld imager also takes less time than performing vibration analysis Mechanical equipment should be inspected when it has warmed up to steady state conditions and is running a normal load That way measure ments can be interpreted at normal operating conditions Capture a thermal image of the bearing to be checked and if possible capture images of bear ings in the same area performing the same or a similar function e g the bearing at the other end of a conveyor or paper machine roller or another pillow block on the same shaft detect potential failures a s oa Psd yy 233 A This overheating shaft and bearing may be an indicator of bearing failure lack of proper lubrication or misalignment For more information on Thermal Imagers go to www fluke com thermography 2 Fluke Corporation What to look fo
21. electrical systems e ATS 1999 Acceptance testing of electrical systems National Fire Protection Association NFPA PO Box 9101 Quincy MA 02269 800 344 3555 www nfpa org NFPA 70 B Recommended practice for electrical equipment maintenance NFPA 70 E Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces Occupational Safety and Health Administration e OSHA 1910 OSHA 1926 American Society for Nondestructive Testing ASNT 1711 Arlingate Lane P O Box 28518 Columbus OH www asnt org e SNT TC 1A a recommended practice for the qualification and certification of nondestructive testing personnel e CP 189 a standard for the qualification and certification of nondestructive testing personnel 7 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program Appendix The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager formerly the Raytek ThermoView Ti30 Thermal Imager is now part of the Fluke line of test and measurement equipment Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Thermography PO Box 1820 Santa Cruz CA USA 95061 1820 Fluke Thermography Europe Blankenburger StraBe 135 D 13127 Berlin Germany For more information call In the U S A 800 866 5478 or Fax 831 425 4561 or Ti30support fluke com In Europe M East Africa 49 30 478 00 80 or Fax 49 30 471 02 51 or Ti30support de fluke com or International 831 458 1110 or Fax 831 458 1239 or Ti30support fluke
22. failed closed e What the image shows Trap failed open plus condensation e Recommendations Follow up with visual inspection and ultrasound check Look for closed valves or pipe blockage e Cost of failure Average yearly cost in steam process plant of failed traps US 27 000 to US 54 000 NUE EE Tanks and vessels e What to look for Check liquid and gas levels within tanks look for settling or differentiation between air and solid mate rial and check for blocking at tubes e What the image shows Liquid level and settling e Recommendations Depends on tank contents and cleaning schedule e Cost of failure Hourly tank downtime cost US 800 000 Electrical Deteriorated Connections e What to look for Compare temperatures of connections and switch contacts look for abnormally hot or cool connections e What the image shows Abnormal heating at the point of the connection or switch contact Abnormally cool would mean complete device failure e Recommendations A AT between similar components under similar loading exceeding 15 C 27 F requires immediate repair Use a DMM clampmeter or power quality analyzer to investigate Look for corroded or loose connections e Cost of failure Electrical distribution failure downtime electrical fire Three phase Unbalance and Overloads ISSSSS Y aa cP YX 211 3 amp TT cee e What to look for Compare temperatures between phases on high load 2 connections An ab
23. failures can be very costly A transformer failure in the summer of 2005 in Oslo Norway resulted in a 50 minute power outage for 200 000 customers left people trapped in subways and elevators and cost the power delivery company respon FLUKE o sible for the transformer 10 million Norwegian kroner 1 6 million US in compensa tion to NVE Norway s main power supplier For a failed transformer at your facility you can do an analysis of the cost of repair or replacement lost production opportunity and lost labor costs for affected equipment Follow up actions Whenever you discover a prob lem using a thermal imager use the associated software to docu ment your findings in a report including a thermal image and a digital photograph of the equip ment That s the best way to communicate problems you find and to suggest repairs Perceived internal problems in oil cooled transformers can often be verified by a gas in oil analy sis The presence of methane in the oil indicates overheating Acetylene indicates arcing This test can also be used to help trend the severity of a problem in a transformer that simply can not be taken down for repairs Warning Never draw liquid samples from an energized trans former except via an external sampling valve Also regular gauge and load monitoring and visual inspections for leaks cor rosion et cetera will help guide further maintenance activities In any event
24. have to carry that current The main protection against overload is the overcurrent protection device which should open If it does not open the high current will cause overheating distributed along the portion of the system upstream of the excessive load Wiring mistakes The electri cal system in commercial buildings is a dynamic entity Over time tenants change pro duction lines move and new equipment gets installed In a time crunch mistakes are com mon and although a system may operate just fine for a while latent problems can be created A potential fire hazard exists when someone upsizes a pro tection device without changing the wire size For example simply replacing a 20 amp circuit breaker with a 30 amp circuit breaker could allow existing 12 AWG wiring to carry excessive current A similar situation occurs any time someone connects a smaller gauge wire to a circuit with higher ampacity 3 Fluke Corporation Using one neutral conductor as a return path for more than one phase conductor will enable loads to function but can easily overheat the shared neutral conductor Tests and measurements for detecting heat and failing components The trick with detecting electrical fire hazards is knowing what an abnormal reading looks like The best solution is to gather baseline readings for especially important components and equipment That gives you a point of comparison Then make a habit of pe
25. horsepower units on pumps that supply coating and additives to 1 000 horsepower units powering large opera tions If even that little pump motor fails a whole batch of paper can be ruined or the machine shut down So far Gray keeps thermo graphic records of motors that have needed repair That way Hot casing on a motor for the cream separator Thermography and motor condition monitoring at a paper mill he can go back and check them later to make sure the correc tive action was successful In one case he had a big motor that was running warm It was on a fan pump on the paper machine that supplied the stock to the head box Nobody knew exactly how warm the motor was running but everyone knew that if that pump went down the machine would be dead in the water Gray took thermal images of the motor At the hottest spot on the housing the image showed FLUKE o 284 F The image also showed that the heat was coming from the windings He filed a report and then monitored the motor closely for about a week until it the main tenance team could install a new motor and send the other one out for repairs The replacement was deemed so necessary that they shut the machine down for the transfer rather than waiting for a sched uled shutdown and risking a failure with no replacement Moving toward a formal motor monitoring program As part of the formal motor monitoring Gray will concen trate on shafts
26. imaging for industrial plant maintenance applications is a rapidly developing market because e the equipment software and training are becoming more and more affordable e the technology is becoming easier to learn and use e the applications are intuitive and numerous in an industrial maintenance environment e success stories from leading companies are being shared amongst industry professionals e and competition amongst suppliers of thermal imaging equipment is heating up The great advantage of thermography over some other technologies is that inspections can take place while the equipment is running In fact most inspections can only be done with the equipment running Fortunately the non contact nature of infrared also provides an element of safety not found in other inspection techniques It is an excellent time to be in the market for thermal imaging equipment However companies need to do their homework before making any large investments in equipment software or training They must make sure they are investing in the right solutions that will address their needs and they must make sure that the maintenance program they plan to implement will deliver the return on investment management expects The Investment The challenge with any NDT or PdM technology thermal imaging vibration ultrasound motor circuit testing power quality etc is that the initial investment is substantial typically measured in thousands or tens of thou
27. in production productivity quality and delivery there are plenty of financial reasons to justify an investment in thermal imaging for predictive maintenance 13 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI FLUKE Tests and measurements for electrical fire prevention For the most part industrial and com mercial electrical systems are getting safer and more reliable The U S Fire Administration s most recent report analyzing data from 2001 estimates that 8 7 of the nation s 47 785 non residential fires were caused by electrical distribution equipment That s 32 fewer than in 1998 Strict building codes high quality equipment good system design competent installation and pro fessional maintenance are all factors in driving the downward trend Still this translates to 4 157 commercial industrial and institutional buildings struck by electrical fires in 2001 Commercial low voltage sys tems contain many sub systems switchgear transformers panels receptacles motor controls and lighting to name a few Common to all of these components are connections insulation and over current protection Failures of these fundamental mechanisms are at the root of many electrical fires and are the target of many electrical maintenance proce dures NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications and NFPA standard 70B Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance Application Note
28. increases operating costs and can jeopardize process effi ciency due to heat loss A sound approach to furnace and boiler inspections is to cre ate regular inspection routes that include all key furnaces boilers process heaters and other heat generating equipment A good approach is to determine the fre quency of inspections based on the nature and function of the equipment For example you might perform quarterly inspec tions on indispensable equip ment operating under severe conditions and annual inspec tions on equipment operating under less severe conditions What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should always receive the highest repair priority Clearly one of the most poten tially dangerous situations that might occur is the failure of a fur nace or ladle for a molten mate rial such as glass or steel Imaging Tip Monitoring such equipment serves a two fold purpose 1 to maximize the life of the unit s refractory and 2 to guard against a breakout that discharges very hot molten materials into a facil ity What s the potential cost of failure A catastrophic failure in the glass or steel industry would constitute a multi million dollar production stoppage even if there were no injuries or deaths Cold glass can not be reheated And how does one recover solidified once molten iron or steel Here are some representative hourly downtime costs for
29. make a determination of the existence and or cause of a problem Also advanced software packages provide additional flexibility to the end user while in the field If the end user sets the wrong emissivity or gets back to their office and wants to see an image in a different palette this is no problem They do not have to go back into the field and retake the image The software allows them to change the image and data settings after the fact in the comfort quiet and safety of their office Another consideration for software is whether there is a license agreement Can the software be loaded on unlimited PCs or does the company have to pay a license fee for each additional user Also what about software upgrades Are they offered periodically and if so how much must the company pay to gain access to the new features 7 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI The investment for thermography software can range anywhere from free to thousands of dollars for each individual user Once again matching the needs of the company applications with the solution is very important to make sure the investment will generate the maximum return in the shortest period of time Trainin Training is an important consideration when starting any new initiative or improvement program Predictive maintenance and thermal imaging are no different In order to maximize the return on investment in cameras accessories and software
30. mography requires no physical contact with roofs ceilings walls or floors In addition you can check inaccessible areas and cover a large area in a single image Regular building envelope inspections are key to prolonging the lives of industrial commer cial and institutional buildings New construction and especially new roofs should by thoroughly inspected 6 to 9 months after construction while the structure is still under warranty That time lag allows the structure to expe rience the elements hopefully a rainy season Then perform additional building envelope scans every two to five years Compare them to the original baseline images to establish trends and determine remedies to any deterioration Experts estimate that preventive mainte nance of this kind will double the life your facility s roof Roof inspections should be conducted with the imager mounted on a tripod so that the technician can concentrate on properly adjust ing the camera to maximize the thermal resolution and analyzing the image Safety tip What represents a red alert Give any building envelope condition that poses a safety or health risk the highest repair priority Next any roof leaks or moisture conditions that threaten production electronic data elec tronic equipment or the integrity of the building itself should receive immediate attention What s the potential cost of failure Flat roofs are the parts of com mer
31. of Greg McIntosh Snell Infrared Canada new routes and equipment into the inspection cycle as necessary The optimum frequency of inspection will be determined by the needs of the equipment assets As they age are heavily loaded or are poorly maintained inspections may become more frequent Frequency of inspection is based on a number of factors The key Prioritizing existing equipment is essential to getting a successful program started A database like this one can be sorted according to various parameters as inspection routes are created initially and modified over time Courtesy of Management Resources Group 2 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program drivers are safety the criticality of the equipment the expense of a failure and the frequency with which problems impact production and or maintenance This latter point is important enough that you should devote time to researching past failures through discussions with co workers and by reviewing plant records Once the equipment has gone through several cycles of inspection you may find the following frequencies are a good target Equipment type Frequency of inspection High voltage substations 1 3 years Transformers annually 440V Motor Control Centers Air conditioned 6 12 months Non air conditioned or older 4 6 months Electrical distribution equipment 4 6 months Large motors annually Sm
32. of the measurement Having a photographic record of measurements is a powerful doc umentation and reporting tool At the end of an inspection route a technician using a Fluke 574 or 576 IR Thermometer uploads the collected data and if using the 576 model images At this point she or he has several options The data can be com pared to data recorded earlier Questions can be asked and answered Was the inspection done properly Was this meas urement consistent with earlier ones in terms of location and temperature recorded Is any equipment s temperature trend ing upward or downward The technician can record the equipment data in tabular view tailor high or low alarms to spe cific locations view minimum maximum and average tempera tures for specific locations graph the data to reveal trends and much more If warranted a report on the status of any piece of equipment can be created Then the report may be distributed electronically or printed for phys ical distribution or even posted on a company s intranet If the technician had used the Fluke 576 photos for added impact or to help guide repair personnel to a location could accompany any of the documenta tion and reporting just mentioned 3 Fluke Corporation Three new infrared instruments from Fluke The Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer For technicians just getting started with IR thermometry there is the Fluke 62 Mini IR thermometer Like other IR
33. on investment for their sharehold ers They have a fiduciary responsibility to operate effi ciently and predictive mainte nance is an essential component in fulfilling this responsibility While many people in the power generation industry are familiar with annual infrared thermography surveys as part of PdM the coal plant in this case study uses a thermal imager year round There are two differences in their approach 1 They use a mid range thermal imager with enough pixel count accuracy and temperature range for their applications 2 They use it to troubleshoot problems track critical equipment more closely and follow up repairs after the annual survey Power distribution Delivering consistent reliable electricity is a power genera tor s highest priority For this reason the primary use of infrared thermography at this plant is regular monitoring of power distribution equipment For example 2300 V and 4160 V breakers and trans formers should be inspected with a thermal imager to iden tify problems prior to scheduled maintenance outages Application Note Switchyard Switchyard inspections are normally performed during the pre dawn hours in order to avoid solar reflections and effects from wind During pre dawn the load is lighter but the air is usually calm so any problems that are observed are certain to be significant as they will be much hotter during the period of peak load Tra
34. or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519596 A EN N Rev A 2 Fluke Corporation Thermal Applications Inspecting electric motors FLUKE Applications for I Imagers Inspecting steam systems Application Note According to the U S Department of Energy DOE more than 45 percent of all the fuel burned by U S manufacturers is con sumed to raise steam Steam is used to heat raw materials and treat semi finished products It is also a power source for equip ment as well as for building heat and electricity generation But steam is not free It costs approximately 18 billion 1997 dollars annually to feed the boilers generating the steam Generally speaking steam is a very efficient way to transport heat energy because the amount of latent heat required to produce steam from water is quite large and steam is easily moved in pressurized piping systems that can deliver that energy at man ageable costs When steam gets to its point of use and gives up its latent heat to the environment or to a process it condenses into water which must be returned to the boiler for re conversion to steam Several condition monit
35. phase condition and possibly costly damage to the motor 2 Fluke Corporation Examples This thermal image shows a drive cabinet with hot connections on both A and B phases The exact cause can t be determined solely from the image although it may be a load or balance issue 12 2 F 161 6 F 10 9 F This image shows a warm bearing or seal on the pump Clearly the access is tight but we can still compare the bearing to the housing around it This image shows the motor itself heating up due to reduced airflow or more probably to misalignment EL This image shows another bearing problem with heat also transferring into the coupling on the right side o e ac 3 e 8C 7c Electrical insulation and thermal measurements for motors and drives About insulation Insulation problems on motors and drives are usually caused by improper installation environ mental contamination mechani cal stress or age Insulation testing can easily be combined in with regular motor maintenance to identify degradation before failure and during installation procedures to verify system safety and performance When trou bleshooting insulation resistance testing can be the missing link that enables you to get a motor back into operation the easy way by simply replacing a cable Insulation testers apply a dc voltage across an insulation sys tem and measure the resulting current This allows them to cal cu
36. provide all of capabilities that are required to evaluate critical plant process and systems What combination of technologies is best for your plant Unfortunately there is no easy answer to this question The predictive requirements of each plant are different As a minimum your program should include 1 key operations processes analysis 2 thermal imaging 3 process parameters and 4 visual inspection Lubricating oil and wear particle analysis tribology should be used only where the added information derived will justify the costs Care should be exercised when selecting predictive systems and vendors As a minimum the following should be considered when selecting predictive maintenance systems a Adequacy to Your Specific Needs None of the predictive maintenance systems are perfect Each has its unique strengths and weaknesses For example many of the vibration monitoring systems cannot handle machine speeds below 600 RPM or lack the ability to use a variety of transducers Either or both of these limitations will reduce the benefits that can be derived from your program Define the specific requirements for your systems and make sure that the selected systems will fulfill all requirements b Stability of System and Vendor Predictive maintenance programs are intended to be life of plant continuous improvement programs Therefore it is essential that the systems you select for your plant will remain viable for an extende
37. some selected industries in which boil ers furnaces and process heaters are key to production Pharma ceuticals 1 million Food and Beverage 800 000 Chemicals 700 000 Metals 550 000 These figures are tied to loss of IT performance but are cast in terms of general downtime Follow up actions When you discover a problem using a thermal imager use the associated software to document your findings in a report that includes a thermal image and a digital image of the equipment It s the best way to communicate the problems you found and any suggested repairs Thermal Applications Inspecting furnaces and boilers FLUKE o In general if a catastrophic failure appears imminent the equipment must either be removed from service or repaired while operating In the steel industry both strategies are employed When it comes to ladles for molten product mills generally have enough ladles to take a failing one out of service for repairs and replace it with a sound one However the refrac tory in some kinds of furnaces and heaters in the steel industry can be repaired during opera tions using a grout pumped onto areas of weak or damaged refractory as identified in a ther mal image In either case following repairs new thermal images can be used to assess the effective ness of repairs and evaluate the repair materials used With this information you can continu ously improve your PdM program for furna
38. the engineers technicians mechanics and or electricians must be trained on e how to use the equipment what applications will provide the greatest return on investment the limitations of infrared inspections based on the laws of physics how to properly perform inspections to achieve consistent and reliable results how to interpret results and generate meaningful reports how to safely conduct thermography inspections in an industrial work environment Some manufacturers of infrared cameras provide free training with the purchase of the thermal imager This training may only cover the basic use of the camera or it may be more involved touching on applications as well as best practices for establishing an effective infrared PdM program There are also opportunities to send personnel to more extensive training which will result in a level of certification based on the ASNT standards Through certification an employer can ensure that their personnel are fully trained and qualified to perform thermography inspections Depending on the sophistication of the PdM program more or less training may be required Regardless it is recommended that companies consider their investment in training prior to launching a new PdM program Any investment in hardware and software can quickly be lost if people are not properly trained In fact an untrained technician performing inspections can actually increase maintenance and operational costs compared with doin
39. the memory of previously recorded data If you will be following an inspection route that has been inspected previously upload past results to the camera so they can be compared to new findings If additional equipment is required such as a digital clamp meter for load reading or a voice recorder etc assemble all of it and make sure it s in good working order Sit down with co workers from the area where you will be conducting your day s work Discuss concerns for safety equipment conditions etc and note any unusual conditions that might impact your work Ask about any problems they have noted Because routine inspections should generally be conducted by more than one person this is also a good time to go over your needs with your escort Typically the escort will locate the exact equipment to be inspected remove panel covers take load readings and watch out for the safety of the thermographer while the Fluke Ti30 Imager is being used He or she should also be able to fill in any necessary information about equipment conditions or peculiarities During the pre job meeting it s also important to identify the exact person who should be notified if an alarm or emergency condition is encountered This finding an internal fault in a pole mounted transformer feeding a critical load was considered serious enough that it could not wait for a scheduled shutdown Protocols should be established before the inspecti
40. then describes the location of each stop and the images needed leading the technician through the route This ensures that the correct equipment gets inspected and the correct images recorded The Ti30 has a sighting window that displays the thermal image along with readouts of status and mode At a route stop the technician simply uses the sighting window to frame the required thermal images clicks the trigger and presses the save button up arrow for each one Also available to the tech are features for managing the temperature level and span switching the display from color to black and white and turning on a built in sighting laser Finally the Fluke Ti30 thermal imager comes standard with powerful InsideIR PC software for data analysis and report writ ing for a complete thermal PAM program Included with purchase and with no licensing restrictions and free periodic upgrades avail able via the web the software is the most affordable on the market today Also included is two days of professional thermography training By focusing on applica tions and infrared technology basics this program ensures a fast return on investment Two day training package available in North America only Other training programs vary by region 2 Fluke Corporation Three new infrared instruments from Fluke The 570 Series IR Thermometer Infrared thermometers in the Fluke 570 Series the 572 574 and 576 are among t
41. up displays For some users including professional thermographers and consultants advanced features like voice recording and even heads up displays with Bluetooth technology are considered valuable and well worth the additional investment and added complexity For a person who is using the camera all day every day who has the time to spend learning how to use all of the advanced features and is most concerned about producing a thorough inspection report at the end of the day or week these features can be beneficial However for the person who shares a camera amongst their work group and who values 6 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI simplicity they won t use the camera if they have to relearn how to use it every time they pick it up and durability the more bells and whistles the more things there are to break these features tend to be a distraction To summarize it is important for companies to invest in a thermal imaging camera that fits their needs This means the camera should be appropriate for the majority of their intended applications but not be over specified or loaded with complicated and expensive extras These high end specifications and extras will definitely increase the up front investment so it is important for the decision maker s to validate the company s true needs Thermal Imager Accessories Before purchasing a thermal imaging camera consider the additional accessories tha
42. 205 Westwood Ave Long Branch NJ 07740 1 877 742 TEST 8378 Fax 732 222 7088 salesteam Tequipment NET Education Series FLUKE Three new infrared instruments from Fluke With night vision equipment being used in Iraq and shown regularly on the evening news nearly everyone is aware of what makes this life saving technology possible infrared IR emissions from warm bodies and equipment That s the same kind of energy that makes equipment saving strategies possible wherever sound maintenance procedures are required There are two useful IR technologies available for maintenance IR thermometry and thermal imaging also known as IR thermography The former measures the average temperature of an area on an object s surface The latter uses infrared emissions to make a two dimensional quantitative image of the temperatures at points on an object s surface By contrast the night vision equipment used by US troops in Iraq provides qualitative images that allow the viewer only to identify objects and features The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager Until recently thermography was so complex and expensive that only certified specialists used the technology Now the Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager is changing all of that The Ti30 is an affordable compact handheld ergonomi cally designed device It literally puts thermal imaging into the hands of the people most familiar with a facility and its equipment in hou
43. 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519626 A EN N Rev A Lowest ownership cost for a fully radiometric imager The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager provides the lowest total ownership cost for a full featured radiometric imager The package includes all the hardware software and training required To understand your full investment in a thermography program here are some questions to consider without any additional costs Standard calibration and service rates for the Ti30 imager are also extremely competitive for the industry Docking Station with Universal Power Adapter and USB Connection Hardshell Carrying Case USB Field Cable Rechargeable Battery Pack AA Battery Pack batteries not included Interactive CD with InsideIR Software and User Manual Training Presentation CD Carrying Pouch Wrist Strap Quick Reference Card One Seat in Professional Training Course Product and performance e Is the camera you are purchasing fully radiometric i e measures temperature on every one of the available pixels The ability to measure absolute temperature is critically important to establishing an effective predictive maintenance program for electrical and mechanical equipment Software e Is there an additional
44. A thermal imager will show you energy leaks What you need to get started To perform your own thermal imaging inspections you ll need Thermal imager with fast scanning speed sharp image quality long battery life and on board storage of several images to enable uninterrupted inspections in the field e Software to adjust images analyze results and document findings in reports Training on how to use the equipment to get the best results In summary there are a number of reasons why you should add temperature inspections to your building a we Op and or maintenance inspection checklist Most importantly thermographic surveys can save you a lot of time and effort in locating existing and potential prob lems which can jeopardize not only building performance but also compliance with building health and safety regulations More information about non contact infrared thermometry and thermal imaging can be found at www fluke com iaa_imager Pa e The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager provides the lowest total ownership cost for a full featured radiometric imager The package includes all necessary hardware software and training 3 Fluke Corporation Infrared Inspecting for Building and Facilities Maintenance 4 Fluke Corporation Infrared Inspecting for Building and Facilities Maintenance The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager formerly the Raytek ThermoView Ti30 Thermal I
45. Electrical Manufac turers Association NEMA defines unbalance as a percentage unbalance 100 maximum deviation from average voltage average voltage To help equipment operators determine acceptable levels of unbalance the NEMA has drafted specifica tions for multiple devices These baselines are a useful point of comparison during maintenance and troubleshooting What to check Capture thermal images of all electrical panels and other high load connection points such drives disconnects controls and so on Where you discover higher temperatures follow that circuit and examine associated branches and loads Check panels and other con nections with the covers off Ide ally you should check electrical devices when they are fully warmed up and at steady state conditions with at least 40 of the typical load That way measurements can be properly evaluated and compared to normal operating conditions FLUKE Application Note of all three phases side by side techni cians can quickly spot performance anom alies on individual legs due to unbalance or Caution 2 Fluke Corporation What to look for Equal load should equate to equal temperatures In an unbalanced load situation the more heavily loaded phase s will appear warmer than the others due to the heat generated by resistance However an unbalanced load an overload a bad connection and a harmonic imbalance can all cre ate a s
46. TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS Distance 3A MAINTENANCE ACTION Description Disassemble FUSE CLIP connections clean repair and reassemble REPAIR PRIORITY Subj Rating REPAIR ASAP Temp Rating REINSPECTION Ri ted Date 6102005 5 11 50PM FLUKE How to document thermal findings Creating successful Application Note In any industry optimizing uptime is essential for increasing productivity and competitiveness How Secure the reliability of key production assets and prevent failures through predictive maintenance PdM Typical PAM programs advocate periodic inspections of critical assets and trending those measurement results to spot imminent breakdowns Since increases in temperature are associated with nearly all mechanical and electrical failures thermal imaging has broad application in PdM programs A thermal imager uses infrared technology to capture two dimensional images that reveal the temperature profiles of objects Capturing a thermal image using the latest handheld instru ments takes very little time But what does one do with thermal images after capturing them At a minimum the technician operating a thermal imager should store collected images for comparative reference during the next inspection He or she should also note key temperature points within the target and track those However when an image reveals a situation that may require repairs a report should be cr
47. Use thermal imagers to check energized components for hot loose or corroded connections list procedures for testing the various components of an electri cal distribution system Thermographic testing is covered by ASTM E 1934 Standard Guide for Examining Electrical and Mechanical Equipment with Infrared Thermography Many of the tests aimed at preventing electrical fires also address reliability and safety so a good testing program can deliver all three In fact many industrial insurance companies require evidence of a regular electrical testing program This article reviews the funda mental causes of overheating as well as the tests and tools com monly used to uncover overheating problems 63 4 C 4 9 C 38 0 C 29 5 C Thermal image of a loose terminal contact Root causes of overheat ing in electrical systems Combustion requires both heat and fuel Designers of electrical equipment are careful to use fire resistant materials making the electrical system a poor provider of fuel The fuel for the fire usu ally comes from some nearby material with the electrical sys tem providing the heat required for ignition Heat is a normal byproduct of the flow of electric current The National Electrical Code takes heat into account and provides tules for building a safe electrical system So how can an electrical system that was designed and built to comply with the NEC still cause a fire Poor conn
48. a later date Using the Ti30 Imager Alltech has found loose 24 volt connections that because of the rating of the wire weren t yet problems Still if those connections had kept vibrating until the screws came out the wires might have come out of their sockets and caused shutdowns Teamwork With basic training on thermal imaging and good communica tion on the plant floor many different facility teams can benefit from thermal imaging For example the plant uses extremely cold processes to remove the unwanted gases from the natural gas In one case a nitrogen pump had a persistently leaky seal It had to be changed out regularly The electricians took a ther mal image of the pump An engineer took one look at the image and realized immediately that there a restriction prevent ing the seal from receiving enough cooling airflow As a result the seal was overheating and melting The software included with the imager helps the user set up inspection routes for the regularly scheduled inspections at the plant and in the field Teamwork tools and techniques How one plant brought thermography in house and to adjust measurement parameters such as emissivity RTC temperature level and gain for particular locations and pieces of equipment Ungles use the same soft ware to report his inspection results It uploads all of the images I ve taken and allows me to add side by side digital photographs so that the te
49. about 30 percent of the repairs were either unsuccessful or had made things worse There had been a significant disconnect between the outside thermog raphers and the facility s inter pretation of what repairs were needed Now Gray and his crew can work on the problem until the repair is satisfactory Since infrared imagers can monitor undesirable thermal buildup in an array of critical process systems Gray also uses the Ti30 to detect dysfunctional pumps under performing heat exchangers and a host of other equipment including gearboxes bearings and motors Motor monitoring The mill is still in the process of developing its own thermal inspection routes So they started out by using thermal images on an exceptional occurrence basis In other words if someone walks past a motor and notices it s hot then Gray take a ther mal image to find out where and why the motor is hot If vibration data indicates a bad bearing or imbalance he can confirm those findings with the camera by finding out if the motor is hot and where it s hot A motor s heat signature tells them a lot about its quality and condition In particular every increase of 10 C on a motor s windings above its design operating temperature cuts the 2 Fluke Corporation life of its windings insulation by 50 percent even if the over heating is only temporary The mill has approximately 3 000 motors ranging from frac tional
50. ace roof damaged contents energy waste from heating cooling loss gt ia Nm L Pipes e What to look for Check all transmission lines including underground for temperature anomalies indicating leaks and condensation in the bottom of the pipes e What the image shows Yellow areas indicate abnormal hot spots possibly related to a breakdown of the insulation The cold blue band is probably a buildup of product on the inside e Recommendations Further inspection and repair Moisture and insulation leakage e What to look for Check ceilings and walls for cool and hot thermal anomalies Moisture can be hot if conducting and cool if evaporating Air leakage can be into cool or out of hot a building e What the image shows Moisture in a drop ceiling Pe e Cost of failure Total loss of steam to production costs Recommendations Follow up with core samples and a moisture meter Check for for leaks Ps K US 1 100 000 an hour water pipe breaks fire sprinkler discharges uneven insulation and damaged seals e Cost of failure Damage to building structure material labor heating cooling loss energy waste mold health risk Valves and traps e What to look for While system is operating compare inlet outlet temperatures and check for condensation at the bottom of the trap If inlet outlet are same trap has failed open equally low inlet outlet temp means trap
51. act every increase of 10 C on a motor s windings above its design oper ating temperature cuts the life of its windings insulation by 50 percent even if the overheating is only temporary If a temperature reading in the middle of a motor housing comes up abnormally high take a thermal image of the motor and find out more precisely where the high temperature is coming from i e windings bear ings or coupling If a coupling is running warm it is an indicator of misalignment There are three primary causes for abnormal thermal pat terns typically most are the result of a high resistance con tact surface either a connection or a switch contact These will usually appear warmest at the spot of high resistance cooling off the further away from the spot This thermal image shows a classic pattern in the center phase connection on the line side of a breaker note how the conductor cools off at the top of the image Load imbalances whether normal or out of specification appear equally warm throughout the phase or part of the circuit that is undersized overloaded Harmonic imbalances create a similar pattern If the entire con ductor is warm it could be undersized or overloaded check the rating and the actual load to determine which Failed components typically look cooler than similar normally functioning ones The most com mon example is probably a blown fuse In a motor circuit this can result in a single
52. ails for distribution to the appropriate personnel for action Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 n Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 n Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 7 2005 2519615 A EN N Rev A FLUKE Applications for I rmal imagers Monitoring transformers Application Note Most transformers are cooled by either oil or air while operating at temperatures much higher than ambient In fact operating temperatures of 65 C for oil filled units and 150 C for air cooled transformers are common Nevertheless problems with trans formers often manifest themselves in overheating or hot spots making thermal imaging a good tool for finding problems Power and distribution transform ers change electric current from one voltage to another They accomplish this process when electricity flowing through a coil at one voltage induces current in a second coil The amount of change is a function of the num ber of windings on the coils The following discussion focuses on moni
53. aller motors 4 6 months assumes vibration analysis MCA and lub analysis are also being used It s also vital to inspect all new equipment both as part of the acceptance process as well as for larger equipment to establish a baseline If equipment is damaged on arrival inspect it as soon as possible to determine its actual condition Some plants send their thermographers off site to inspect new equipment before it s delivered often finding deficiencies and problems before the equipment is accepted When repairs or modifications are made to equipment the CMMS must alert the thermographer to conduct a follow up inspection all too often a repair is not adequately made for a variety of reasons so don t assume everything is okay until the follow up proves it Conditions may not be right for an inspection when it comes due This incomplete work must be rescheduled before the next cycle so reserve time for makeup work You will also develop a list of equipment that needs increased monitoring until it can be repaired many thermographers add these pieces into a weekly route until the condition changes Conducting inspections Working from a pre inspection checklist is a good idea e Make sure the Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager is ready to go e Charge the batteries Ensure that the system is within calibration by viewing a black body reference or conducting a simple tear duct check e Clear
54. ams There are a number of reasons for lack of long term commitment However in most cases it stems from the lack of planning and justification in the pre program effort Management must know the true cost and potential benefits of the program before it begins After implementation they must be continually informed of the progress and actual benefits that the program provides Therefore it is imperative that a viable means of quantifying the actual results of the program be developed and the ongoing status of the program communicated to all key management staff Management support should include implementation of a formal maintenance planning function a viable information management program and craftsman skill training in order to gain maximum benefits from predictive maintenance The predictive program will provide the trigger for maintenance activities but without proper planning and repair skills full benefits cannot be obtained The information management program has two functions 1 maintain equipment histories and 2 track program benefits 5 Develop A Program Plan A definite program plan that includes all activities required by a total plant predictive maintenance program must be developed before implementing your program The program plan should include e Specific scope of program e Goals and objectives and e Methods that will be used to implement maintain and evaluate the program The plan should also include specific re
55. an infrared thermography maintenance program John Snell Snell Infrared Growing a successful infrared program involves planning and action You ve taken the first steps by purchasing a Fluke Ti30 thermal imager and getting some basic training This document outlines steps that will help you grow your thermography program into a key part of the way your company does business Getting Started Gain support from management Send management a summary of what you learned in thermography training and your ideas for what can happen next Communicate what you would like in the way of support and find out how thermography performance results will be measured Practice reading thermographic images Aim for using the camera 2 3 times each week over the next six months to gain expertise Plan your work track your findings and document your results from the beginning Meet regularly with first level managers line supervisors and other co workers Explain what thermography involves demonstrate the camera ask for their support and set up a mechanism for them to request thermography surveys Set up a trophy board of thermal image discoveries to help communicate your program throughout the facility Integrate with other predictive maintenance efforts Thermography is often part of a larger predictive maintenance PdM program Data from several Application Note technologies such as vibration motor circuit a
56. and investigate with core samples industrial commercial and institutional buildings including moisture in roofs walls and insulation What to check Check the outside walls and roofs of buildings after they have expe rienced a thermal load e g a solar load on a hot dry day East facing walls might be checked in the afternoon and in the North ern Hemisphere south and west facing walls and roofs after sundown A significant thermal gradient 15 or 20 between the inside and outside is essential in order detect thermal anomalies attributable to the difference in heat capacity between the materials of construction and the additional moisture load When potential wet spots in exterior walls and roofs are identified follow up with an inspection inside the building to further refine the outdoor find ings Inside inspections can also independently pinpoint moisture in ceilings and walls caused by leaks water pipe breaks fire sprinkler discharges or other water producing events Fast action with a thermal imager fol lowing a water producing acci dent can identify which materials must be dried or replaced For more information on Thermal Imagers go to www fluke com thermography 2 Fluke Corporation What to look for Collecting thermal images is a good first step in analyzing a structure and identifying sus pected problem areas Unlike other moisture detecting tech nologies such as meters ther
57. and propane Then Alltech added thermal by products Then the imaging to their electrical company delivers the refined services Up until that point This story is about a BP natural natural gas to a pipeline electrical and thermography gas operation in Ulysses headed east had been handled as two sepa Kansas The Jayhawk plant One of the plant s contrac rate services but as it turned processes gas from the wells of tors Alltech Instrumentation amp out Alltech s knowledge of the several different companies Electrical Service has long plant s equipment their daily including its own To get the performed onsite electrical presence and their ability to gas from its wells to the plant installation and service work make electrical repairs created BP uses compressor stations for the main facility and its gas a far more efficient all in one that boost the pipeline pressure fields Their daily work ranges service of the natural gas after it flows from replacing electric motors Now according to Len Sisk out of the ground At the plant and running conduit to auto Maintenance Team Leader at several processes strip waste mation controls to wiring for the BP plant We re realizing products off the gas verify AFR air fuel ratio controllers significant cost savings just by the refined natural gas meets for the compressors and helping doing more thermal imaging proper BTU contents for field and plant technicians distribution and produ
58. ant kinds of problems to deal with are those that can affect production capabilities What s the potential cost of failure The cost to an operation that completely loses its steam system varies from industry to industry Among the industries that use the most steam are chemicals food and beverage processing and pharmaceuticals Hourly down time costs for these industries are estimated between 700 000 and 1 100 000 an hour Viewed another way in a 100 psig steam system if a medium sized trap fails open it will waste about 3 000 per FLUKE o year If your facility has per formed no maintenance of steam traps for three to five years expect 15 to 30 percent of your traps to have failed So if you have 60 medium sized traps on your 100 psig system losses from blow by are likely to be between 27 000 and 54 000 a year Follow up actions The DOE program for Steam Trap Performance Assessment recommends sight sound and temperature as the dominant techniques for inspecting steam traps According to their data implementing a basic annual inspection of the steam traps and associated equipment with infrared inspections will likely reduce steam losses by 50 to 75 A sensible approach to a steam system management pro gram is to establish repair priori ties based on safety steam energy loss and possible impact on production and quality loss Whenever you discover a problem using a thermal i
59. arbox left R ret has a 158 F hot white anomaly at bottom right Electrical distribution equipment 4 6 months e Recommendations Investigate mechanics lubrication gears immediately Fluke Corporation Large motors annually e Cost of failure Unit failure replacement cost lost production see above PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Smaller motors 4 6 months Printed in U S A 7 2005 2507950 G ENG N Rev A http www fluke com thermography http www ti20 com Assumes vibration motor circuit and lubrication analysis also being used
60. ated software to document your findings in a report including a thermal image and a digital image of the equip ment It s the best way to com municate the problems you found and the suggested repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2518864 A EN N Rev A Maintenance Routing Both preventive and predictive maintenance programs rely on periodic inspections of the critical assets that comprise a plant or facility These inspections range from visual inspections to nondestructive testing performed using a variety of instrumentation While the methods vary all inspections require plant personnel to periodically visit each of the systems machines and or equipment within the plant The logic used to develop the frequency sequence and actual route used to perform these inspections is critical to the success of the inspection program The frequency and sequence of inspections should be predicated on the unique requirements of each system an
61. ated uses the actual operating condition of plant equipment and systems to optimize total plant operation A comprehensive predictive maintenance management program utilizes a combination of the most cost effective tools i e thermal imaging vibration monitoring tribology and other nondestructive testing methods to obtain the actual operating condition of critical plant systems and based on this factual data schedules all maintenance activities on an as needed basis Including predictive maintenance in a comprehensive maintenance management program will provide the ability to optimize the availability of process machinery and greatly reduce 4 the cost of maintenance It will also provide the means to improve product quality productivity and profitability A predictive maintenance program can minimize unscheduled breakdowns of all electrical and mechanical equipment in the plant and ensure that repaired equipment is in acceptable condition The program can also identify problems before they become serious Most problems can be minimized if they are detected and repaired early Normal mechanical failure modes degrade at a speed directly proportional to their severity If the problem is detected early major repairs can be prevented in most instances Benefits Effective use of preventive maintenance including predictive technologies will eliminate much of the 33 to 50 of maintenance expenditures that are wasted by most manufacturin
62. be While issues like emissivity are minimized by dirty metal surfaces other issues like reflections convective losses due to wind and other condi tions can lead to erroneous conclusions More advanced infrared ther mography involves learning the principles of heat transfer reflectance mirrors emittance walls and transmission windows Special settings for each piece of equipment can also be obtained from the annual consulting thermographers Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519659 A EN N Rev A Thermography and motor condition monitoring at a paper niill Measuring tools Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager Operator Bill Gray paper mill plant maintenance reliability specialist Equipment inspected Motors pumps heat exchangers gear boxes bearings MCCs Testing Functions Case Study Until three years ago the only thermography performed at the specialty paper mill featured in this case study was do
63. been author ized to remove panel doors or make other electrical adjust ments necessary to get clear thermal images That meant the facility s electricians had to be involved As licensed electri cians Alltech now does all of that They re also able to inter pret the electrical significance 2 Fluke Corporation of the thermal images and in some cases proceed immedi ately to repairs and then verify their success with additional thermal images Technique Every year Alltech spends about three days scanning the plant for electrical problems The two power control rooms are divided into sections or buckets that contain switchgear and breaker sources for the power supply and distri bution The electricians monitor everything in the buckets checking all of the operating stations and making thermal images of all the electrical connections from relays to transformers Among other things they use the imager to look for loose connections because that s where major problems such as meltdowns often occur Because the Ti30 Thermal Imager can measure compo nents to one quarter of a degree says Ungles we can find wire lugs that are loose but overheating only slightly That means that we can detect potential problems long before they become serious problems In some cases we can tighten lugs on the spot if it s safe to do that For more serious problems and for equipment carrying very high voltage
64. c points of critical plant assets is a consistent indication of its operating condition While changes in load emissivity and other variables may cause a slight change in surface temperatures these changes are not enough to skew the benefits that on ee can be derived from the resultant trends and projections of probable failure Therefore qualitative analysis of infrared data can be used as an effective predictive maintenance tool Quantitative Inspection A few applications where an infrared or thermal inspection is the dominant technology are not suitable for qualitative techniques In these applications the precise temperature or temperature distributions is an absolute requirement As a result the slight variations caused by changes in emissivity atmospheric conditions and other factors that could distort the readings acquired by the thermal imager or non contact point thermometer In these applications the accuracy needed for effective analysis is critical and the response characteristics of the instruments used must provide the added accuracy need for proper analysis In addition the unit must have the ability to accurately define the spot size of the target object to avoid distortion in the value measured due to the environment in the background FLUKE Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI by Jason R Wilbur Thermography Segment Manager Fluke Corporation May 11 2005 Introduction Thermography or thermal
65. camera display prompts the user exactly where to take images improving accuracy The new images are easily compared to previous scans helping to identify potential problems before they cause failure Expand your predictive maintenance program The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager enables plant thermography specialists to manage a much larger infrared predictive maintenance program and delegate inspection routing responsibilities to appropriate personnel such as electricians and mechanics who specialize in the equipment being inspected This frees the trained expert to handle program management image analysis and interpretation and report generation Obtain high quality thermal images with a simple click of the trigger Download images and data into the companion InsideIR software for analysis and reporting Assign a unique name preset emissivity and RTC values assign alarm limits and add meaningful comments to each measurement location pea ope pee a eee ed Inspections can now be delegated to electricians and mechanics those most familiar with the equipment They simply follow the on camera step by step routing instructions point focus and shoot Easy to learn and easy to use e Single level menus make set up easy without the complicated multi layer decisions other imagers require Gain and level controls can be set to automatic or changed manually for maximum flexib
66. cause of the problem needs to be determined 2 Fluke Corporation e Cooling fans pumps Inspect fans and pumps while they are running A normally operating fan or pump will be warm A fan or pump with failing bear ings will be hot A fan or pump that is not functioning at all will be cold Problems with surge protection and lightning arrestors leaking to ground and current tracking over insulators can also be detected using thermography However finding such problems requires the capture of subtle temperature differences often under difficult to monitor conditions Ultrasound or some other technology might be a more reliable monitoring technique for these problems For thermography to be effec tive in pinpointing an internal transformer problem the mal function must generate enough heat to be detectable on the outside Oil filled transformers may experience internal prob lems with the following e Internal bushing connec tions Note connections will be much hotter than surface temperatures read by an imager indicate e Tap changers Tap changers are devices for regulating transformer output voltage to required levels An external tap changer compartment should be no warmer than the body of the transformer Since not all taps will be connected at the time of an inspection IR inspection results may not be conclusive A good approach is to create reg ular inspection routes that include the transformers on a
67. ce and boiler refracto ries Source IT Performance Engineering and Measurement Strategies Quantifying Perfor mance and Loss Meta Group Oct 2000 Fibre Channel Industry Association as found on the Web site of the Association of Contin gency Planners Washington State Chapter www acp wa state org Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 n Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 n Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2524871 A EN N Rev A FLUKE Teamwork tools and techniques How one plant brought thermography in house Application Note Testing Functions Case Study Measuring tools Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager Operator Barry Ungles Alltech Electrical Service and Len Sisk maintenance team leader at BP Jayhawk Gas Plant By using thermal imaging Alltech determined that insufficient airflow and cooling was causing this pump seal to fail saving a 100 000 project from ongoing seal failure Inspections Electrical valves pipes vessels compressors motors switchgear helium nitrogen
68. ce related costs associated with delays reduced capacity operation overtime premiums and product quality Safety and environmental compliance should be included in your evaluation In some cases your accounting department can help develop a close approximation of the true costs of maintenance Explain the reason for your request and let them help quantify the historical plant costs The cost history developed at this time is extremely important Initially it will be used to develop a cost benefit analysis and justification for your predictive maintenance program Later this data set will become the baseline for quantifying the actual benefits derived from the program Plants should not shortcut this part of the program implementation Accuracy and completeness of this data set is critical to the long term success of your program The majority of programs that failed in the first two years following implementation can be directly attributed to the lack of quantified results 2 Select Predictive Systems and Vendors Another major contributor to program mortality is the selection of either the wrong predictive technologies or a vendor who cannot provide long term program support Extreme care must be used during this selection process A total plant predictive maintenance program must use a combination of monitoring and diagnostic techniques to achieve maximum benefits None of the individual technologies such as thermal imaging and vibration
69. ce with repairs The tool Thermal imaging is ideal for measuring electrical equipment and this plant has plenty of it about 115 000 kilowatts coming in Until recently the facility had been using a secondary contractor from six and a half hours away to conduct annual thermal imaging surveys of its key electrical equipment This arrangement was prob lematic When plant personnel needed a problem assessed six and a half hours was too long to wait for a thermographer especially in downtime situa tions Then new thermal imagers came on the market that were more affordable than the traditional models but still powerful enough for facility maintenance and significantly easier to use So Alltech purchased a Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager sent their operations manager Barry Ungles to training and began inspecting plant equipment At first says Sisk the facility didn t realize the full potential of having an in house imager But within months Alltech had moved from just on demand inspections to inspecting switchgear junction boxes and other high voltage systems conducting regular inspections of field equipment and taking over the annual thermal inspec tion contract Sisk has already found uses for the imager in vessel pipe and valve inspec tions and plans to use ther mography to inspect low temperature cryogenic processes as well The in house move made sense The thermography only contractors hadn t
70. cerns and lost production costs Basic vs advanced thermography Much of the equipment in coal fired power generating stations can be efficiently inspected using comparative infrared analysis In this case the plant continued to hire out the annual survey so that it had professional thermal images of all critical equipment to compare their own images to during the year For example most of the metal surfaces in a coal fired plant are heavily oxidized and coated with fly ash This means that most of the surfaces of interest generally have an emissivity of about 0 95 Since that s the default emissivity setting on most thermal imagers those surfaces yield accurate thermal images year round Se Am 2 e hee oe _ Examine transformers comparing similar connections under similar loads Predictive maintenance basics Predictive maintenance is especially important to power generation facili ties because so many are running past their original design lives Preventing unplanned downtime while operating aging equipment on a fixed budget doesn t leave too many options Predictive maintenance PdM involves monitoring equipment over time for conditions that indicate impending failure determining whether corrective action is required and if necessary taking that action before the equipment fails The goal is to avoid unplanned downtime and schedule repairs PdM technicians identify critical
71. chni cians can translate the hot spots on thermal images to locations on the digital photos I add notes and analysis to each image and rate the inspected equipment designating which should get attention first For example if a wire is rated for a maximum temperature of 150 F and my scan shows that wire fastened into a terminal lug that is more than 200 F then I know I am looking at a melt down fairly soon 4 Fluke Corporation Teamwork tools and techniques How one plant brought thermography in house In general says Ungles I use high medium and low designations for scanned equip ment with problems Low means it can be addressed sometime Medium means it needs to be to taken care of relatively quickly High signi fies do something right away Each year I put together a book of my findings and the facility keeps that book on hand to guide its PdM activities In additional to thermal imaging the BP plant in Ulysses also uses oil sampling analysis and vibration analysis on its compressors VOC packing leak detection on valves and pumps hi pot insulation resistance testing and regular switch gear cleaning and electrical maintenance The only warning here is to watch out for snowballs As this plant found out once thermal imaging comes in house appli cations for it appear every where operation costs start to drop and efficiency improves What s a plant manger
72. cial industrial and institu tional buildings that are the most likely to fail and they are expen sive to replace Factors vary so much from facility to facility that it s difficult to put a price on roof replacements but one expert writing in 1989 came up with a range of weighted averages between 4 50 per square foot for mechanically attached single ply roofs and 8 00 per square foot for coal tar built up roofs Follow up actions Before checking your building for moisture be aware that this kind of inspection constitutes one of the most challenging uses for IR thermography Buildings vary with respect to kind use con struction techniques building materials size and so on Source Benchmark Inc Roof amp Pavement Consultants at 6065 Huntington Ct NE Cedar Rapids IA 52402 319 393 9100 The fig ures are from an article Factors Affecting Roof System Costs by Kent Mattison P E Thermal Applications Moisture in building envelopes FLUKE Conducting effective thermal building surveys requires under standing construction methods and the thermal characteristics of building components as well as how to account for changing thermal conditions within and around buildings Then follow ing the IR inspection determine where inside heat sources are and whether they affected the exterior images Finally perform further analysis to confirm the findings Infrared inspections provide the most cos
73. closure the escort should close the cover to ensure the safety of anyone in the area If necessary post signs or barricades around an area during the inspection When the inspection is complete meet briefly with the area manager s and review your findings Prepare them for what you ll say in your report let them know when the report will be coming and discuss when your next inspection cycle will occur Download any data you ve collected after each route as soon as possible to reduce the risk of accidental erasure Delete any unnecessary images and process the rest individually fine tuning temperature measurements and making any adjustments to temperature level and span settings Enter any supplemental data into the Simple painted markings like theses are often used for high emissivity targets that dramatically increase the reliability of radiometric measurements report page along with the visual image of the equipment inspected When the inspection report is special plastic installed in electrical panel covers especially high inside electrical control cabinets are not transparent to infrared It may be possible to modify these with hinges or if necessary routing small holes in them over the connectors and fuse clips Modify equipment guards and covers on conveyance systems and motor couplings so that bearings and couplings can be inspected Consider installing a small hinged door or using metal me
74. com Web access http www fluke com thermography 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Specifications subject to change without notice Printed in U S A 2 2005 2435910 A US Rev A Infrared inspecting for building and facilities maintenance Application Note How to find problems lurking behind the scenes a e be fixed rather than perform ing repairs regardless of actual need Repeated temperature measurements of the same targets can determine whether repairs were successful and help anticipate future repairs Simply point shoot and read Infrared thermometers measure the infrared energy emitted from surfaces and convert the information into a temperature reading They are easy to operate simply point the instrument at the target pull the trigger and read the temperature value Because you re measuring from a distance instead of having to touch the object with a probe you can check temperatures on operating equipment and in hard to reach Surface temperature can tell documented with handheld spaces safely and without you a lot about a building s infrared thermometers and special setup Laser sighting structural elements plumbing thermal imaging cameras By helps you easily mark small installations and HVAC and scanning surfaces with such targets from optimal distances electrical systems Problems inspection tools you can in low light and in tight spaces that are otherwise invisible to quickly l
75. connection in the switchgear disconnect or motor connection box can usually be pinpointed by a thermographic inspection and confirmed using a multimeter clamp meter or a power qual ity analyzer FLUKE o c Impending bearing failure When the thermal images indicate an overheating bear ing generate a maintenance order to either replace the bearing or lubricate the bear ing While somewhat expen sive and requiring an expert vibration analysis can often help you determine the best course of action d Insulation failure If it will not too greatly impact production de rate the motor in accor dance with NEMA standards Generate a work order to replace the motor as soon as possible e Shaft misalignment In most cases Vibration analysis will confirm a misaligned coupling If a shutdown is possible dial indicators of laser alignment devices can be used and the misalignment can be corrected then and there Whenever you discover a prob lem using a thermal imager use the associated software to docu ment your findings in a report that includes a thermal image and a digital image of the equip ment It s the best way to com municate the problems you found and the suggested repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853
76. cost for professional reporting software e Is there a licensing fee for each additional user or desktop Training and ease of use e Is training offered at no additional cost e Is the camera easy to use e Will your electricians and or mechanics with only some basic training be able to use the camera as a tool to help them do their job better Re calibration service and repair e How much does it cost to send the camera in for calibration e How much do basic repairs cost e How likely is it that the lens will be scratched Additional batteries chargers or replacements e How does the battery recharging time compare to the battery discharging time e How many batteries and charging stations are needed to get through a full day of inspections Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager Unbeatable solution for infrared predictive maintenance Both preventive and predictive maintenance programs rely on periodic inspections of critical plant assets To optimize a program s success maintenance personnel develop inspection routes by determining the frequency sequence and physical course for equipment needing inspection The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager uniquely supports thermography inspection routing After the first inspection the images taken can be combined in the InsideIR software with location names and temperature data and uploaded to the imager for use as a routing guide During subsequent inspections an on
77. cross the fuses and switches can also show up as unbalance at the motor and excess heat at the root trouble spot Before you assume the cause has been found double check with both the thermal imager and multi meter or clamp meter current measurements Neither feeder nor branch circuits should be loaded to the maximum allowable limit Circuit load equations should also allow for harmonics The most common solution to overloading is to redistribute loads among the cir cuits or to manage when loads come on during the process Using the associated software each suspected problem uncov ered with a thermal imager can be documented in a report that includes a thermal image and a digital image of the equipment That s the best way to communi cate problems and to suggest repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2518873 A EN N Rev A Developing an Inspection Program There are no easy solutions to the high costs of maintenance T
78. d predictive maintenance solution Before making any investments in thermography companies should thoroughly assess their critical equipment applications and organizational needs Only then should they investigate the products and solutions available The market is changing rapidly and products are becoming more affordable all the time A few years ago to begin a new infrared PdM program might require an investment of 50 000 or 100 000 Today a company can get started for under 10 000 Once the right solution has been identified often lower and mid level managers must sell the investment decision up the chain Even at the 10 000 investment level most companies required several approvals Approvals are more likely if the discussion is based in a solid Return on Investment Analysis One must be realistic about the costs of starting an ambitious infrared PdM program Most good managers will quickly see though any efforts to sugarcoat the initial investment requirements Fortunately for most companies the benefits of an effective PAM program far outweigh the up front investments required Whether it is the elimination or reduction of annual or semiannual thermographic inspections by outside consultants the reduction of unnecessary 12 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI maintenance activities the elimination of unplanned downtime the increase in life expectancy for critical capital equipment or the improvement
79. d and qualified personnel using the appropriate personal protective equipment PPE should remove electrical panel covers Capture thermal images of all connections that have higher temperatures than other similar connections under similar loads 2 Fluke Corporation An imaging tip What to look for In general look for connections that are hotter than others They signal high resistance possibly due to looseness tightness or corrosion Connection related hot spots usually but not always appear warmest at the spot of high resistance cooling with distance from that spot As noted overheating connec tions can with additional loos ening or corrosion lead to a failure and should be corrected The best solution is to create a regular inspection route that includes all key electrical panels and any other high load connec tions such as drives discon nects controls and so on Save a thermal image of each one on the computer and track your measurements over time using the software that comes with the thermal imager That way you ll have baseline images to compare to that will help you determine whether a hot spot is unusual or not and to verify repairs are successful Loose or corroded electrical connections What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the high est repair priority Guidelines pro vided by the NETA InterNa
80. d heated sludge saving the plant from a major shutdown required for manual verification In another case says Sisk the plant wanted to determine which valve in a faulty system needed to be replaced Conven tional troubleshooting methods were ineffective due to plant operating constraints and replacing all of the valves would have cost 15 000 So the plant used the thermal imager to locate temperature deviations in the system identi fied the faulty unit an replaced just one valve The imager also saved a 100 000 project at risk due to faulty pump seals when the vendor engineers could not solve the problem Thermal imaging revealed that the seal failure stemmed from overheat ing caused by insufficient flow and cooling not from a faulty unit If the pump seal had simply been replaced and the real problem left uncorrected the failure would have lead to a spill 3 Fluke Corporation In the gas fields the Alltech electricians use the Ti30 Imager to monitor mechanical devices Thermal images can detect alignment problems in rotating equipment for example between a motor and a compressor With a thermal image they can quickly discover when a bearing is heating up because of misalignment They also use thermography to monitor 24 volt control circuits On these low voltage installations the imager permits them to pinpoint loose connec tions as potential future prob lems tighten them and prevent failures at
81. d in the program Database development requires a tremendous effort in both manpower and time A typical microprocessor based predictive maintenance program may require as much as 10 man years to develop in a large integrated process plant Even small plants must invest an average of 1 3 man years in this startup effort However the time is well spent The initial investment will greatly reduce the manpower and time required to maintain your program and will greatly improve the benefits derived from the program Many program failures result from shortcutting the database development step In part this is driven by the absence of accurate machine data and by the restrictions of many predictive maintenance systems To achieve maximum benefits from your program invest the time and manpower required to establish a complete database 9 Maintain the Program Do not quit after the implementation phase is complete Many programs fail because the plant staff did not follow through after the development stage Follow the program plan Meet each of the schedules and milestones developed in the program plan Constantly evaluate the program s progress and correct any errors or problems that may exist A successful predictive maintenance program must be dynamic Follow through 10 Communicate Communication is absolutely necessary for long term success All successful programs have a well defined communications plan that includes transmittal of correct
82. d time period Competition within the predictive maintenance arena is fierce and many of the early players have gone out of business merged with other companies or constantly change their system structure All of these factors will affect the long term status of your program Your evaluation should include Financial strength of the vendor History of product development Technical support and Existing client base 3 Training Requirements and Support Most predictive maintenance vendors will offer some level of training However most of these training programs are directed toward the use of a specific system i e software and instrumentation rather than comprehensive use of the technology ig As a reference I have used all of the predictive maintenance technologies for more than 30 years and still learn something new every day There are a number of vendors that offer technical training that can support your predictive maintenance program However you should carefully evaluate the merit of their courses before electing to use them as training support In general independent training companies with no association with equipment manufacturers can provide high quality training with an unbiased approach 4 Get Management Support Lack of a total commitment from plant or corporate management to provide the resources required to implement and maintain a program is the single largest reason for failure of predictive maintenance progr
83. d will vary depending on the type of manufacturing or production performed by a plant or the makeup of a facility s equipment Normally these requirements are clearly understood and a concerted effort is made to match them with the specific requirements of plant assets However the same level of effort is not normally given to the actual route or sequence of inspection tasks that are performed This oversight has a substantial negative impact on the efficiency of the recurring inspection process Without proper planning the routes used to perform inspections can more than double the man hours required There are three primary criteria that should be considered when developing the routes that will be used to perform preventive predictive inspections Travel Time Regardless of whether the inspection is visual or uses instruments such as thermal imagers the time required to inspect or acquire data is normally substantially less than the time required to move from point to point Therefore routes should be developed to minimize the time loss In addition to the time lost to travel excessive elapsed time between inspection points can also reduce the effectiveness of the inspections Most preventive and predictive inspections rely on single point sequential data acquisition methods These methods assume that the relative operating condition as represented by the temperature thermal image or vibratione will remain constant as each of
84. dition ally these inspections would be performed during periods of maximum load however local conditions at that time of day can mask serious problems Boilers pipes traps and valves While delivery of electricity is essential efficient production is equally important At this coal plant for example steam is produced from coal fired boilers and electricity is produced from steam driven turbines When steam valves leak or fail high energy content steam or water blows through to the condenser This represents significant money down the drain The thermal imager allows maintenance staff to regularly scan the pipes valves and traps identifying these problems early on and control ling the operational cost of electricity production From the Fluke Digital Library www fluke com library 2 Fluke Corporation Energy losses are not limited to the steam lines Infrared thermography is used to inspect the boilers to identify areas of insulation breakdown Hot areas on the boiler walls indi cate areas of worn insulation and significant energy losses Infrared thermography helps identify these areas so they can be repaired during the next maintenance outage Motors At most plants with in house imagers nearly all of the infrared analysis is qualitative and comparative examining similar pieces of equipment under similar load A primary example is the inspection of pulverizer motors The steam boilers are hungr
85. e steps you ll develop a successful thermography program that will reduce maintenance costs for your company while improving productivity at the same time 6 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program Thermography Standards ASTM ASTM 100 Barr Harbor Drive West Conshohocken PA 19428 2959 phone 610 832 9500 fax 610 832 9555 e ASTM E 1934 Standard guide for examining electrical and mechanical equipment with infrared thermography e ASTM E 1213 Minimum resolvable temperature difference MRTD e ASTM E 1311 Minimum detectable temperature difference MDTD e ASTM E 1316 Section J Terms e ASTM E 344 Terminology relating to Thermometry and Hydrometry e ASTM E 1256 Standard Test Methods for Radiation Thermometers Single Waveband Type e ASTM C 1060 Standard practice for Thermographic Inspection of insulation Installations in Envelope Cavities of Frame Buildings e ASTM C 1153 Standard Practice for the Location of Wet Insulation in Roofing Systems Using Infrared Imaging International Standards Organization ISO American National Standards Institute 212 642 4900 ISO 6781 Thermal insulation qualitative detection of thermal irregularities in building envelopes Infrared Method e ISO 9712 Nondestructive testing qualification and certification of personnel International Electrical Testing Association NETA PO Box 687 Morrison CO 80465 MTS 199X Maintenance testing of
86. eated describing what the image shows and possibly sug gesting a remedy The report can then be circulated to personnel responsible for equipment relia bility who can investigate the problem further The following discussion describes how to set up a ther mal imaging process that leads to truly useful reports For more information on Fluke Predictive Maintenance Products and Services go to www fluke com thermography 2 Fluke Corporation Preparing for reporting route planning First key operations mainte nance and safety personnel identify which equipment quali fies as critical A critical asset is one that if it fails creates a safety or health hazard endan gers property or adversely affects productivity or the product Then those units are grouped together into one or several inspection routes using the software that accompanies the thermal imager A route description includes the location of each stop and the images to be collected there This information is then loaded into the thermal imager to guide the image collector technician on the route Preparing for reporting reminder notes Supervisors should also use their thermal software to create route specific reminder notes Typically these reminder notes include e Safety First information general safety guidelines as well as specific dos and don ts for each stop e Specific instructions on where to stand and what to view a
87. ections Vibration or thermal stress can cause con nections in power distribution systems to loosen Contamination can corrode connections Both factors increase the resistance of the connection All terminals and splices are potential candidates for overheating although the more current a connection car ries the more critical it is to maintain low resistance Consider that if a connector in a 50 amp system presents just 0 1 Ohms of resistance it will dissipate 250 watts at the interface of the con nection Furthermore if the condition is allowed to persist oxides will build up on the con nection interface causing the resistance to increase Ultimately this can result in what is called a glowing connection which can generate significant heat without tripping protection devices 2 Fluke Corporation Loose connections that period ically make and break can also cause series arcs Arcs are electri cal discharges across an air gap In this case the arc is generated across the small gap between conductors as the connection opens repeatedly The resulting heat is very focused and may lead to insulation failure or fire if a combustible fuel source is nearby Switches relays and circuit breakers are also forms of con nection They are designed to open and close repeatedly with out overheating but they are subject to the influence of vibra tion heat and contamination just as any other connection Ins
88. ections thermal imagers and non contact point infrared instruments can be used to satisfy both the qualitative and quantitative predictive maintenance requirements of most plants As a rule the majority of the equipment population of a manufacturing or process plant as well as most facilities can be effectively evaluated incipient problems identified and appropriate corrective maintenance tasks identified using relatively simple qualitative inspections A smaller population of equipment where specific absolute temperature values are critical must be evaluated using exact temperature values or quantitative techniques The majority i e 75 to 85 of these requirements both qualitative and quantitative can be satisfied using only thermal imagers or non contact point infrared thermometers Qualitative Inspections Tracking relative changes in the variables that define the operating condition of critical plant or facility assets is a proven means of scheduling corrective maintenance activities The vast majority of critical plant systems can be effectively evaluated using this relatively simple straightforward technique Petrochemical electric power generating and a variety of other industries have successfully used this method for more than 50 years Prior to the development of microprocessor based instrumentation and computer based predictive maintenance systems periodic monitoring was done by simply recording data from installed analog instrum
89. enome non called arc tracking can result causing intense localized heating similar to other arcing Lightning One of the func tions of the ground system is to provide a low impedance path to earth allowing a lightning strike to pass with as little damage as possible Surge suppressors rely on a good ground path to operate effectively Periodic testing of the ground system and the resistance between the ground electrode and earth helps to insure that this system will work when it needs to Harmonics Most of the cur rent that flows in a US electrical system cycles at 60 Hz Harmonic currents contain higher frequency components that generate heat throughout the system Harmonic distortion is present in any elec trical system that supplies electronic loads like motor drives computers control systems or production machines Extreme distortion and heavy loading can cause overheating in electrical equipment especially in older distribution systems The third harmonic is caused by single phase loads like com puters and other office machines This harmonic adds in the neutral in a 3 phase system and can cause the neutral conductor to overheat if it is too small Avoid electrical shorts by testing the insulation resistance on cabling Periodically examine power quality for voltage sags harmonics and other causes of overheating Overloading If a load draws too much current the system components upstream of the load
90. ent insulation at risk Also it requires substan The following discussion tial knowledge training and focuses on using thermal imaging experience to get reliable results or thermography to troubleshoot in environments as harsh as the furnaces and boilers especially inside of a furnace or boiler the refractory insulation directly By contrast as long as a unit inside a unit s exterior wall or does not have a shiny surface the insulating lining of vessels exterior thermographic inspec handling or conveying molten tions of furnaces and boilers are material relatively safe and easy and can help determine the unit s health What to look for What to check Use a thermal imager to check any Critical furnace process To protect personnel and prop heater or boiler prioritizing those erty furnaces boilers process whose failure could threaten heaters and other heat generat human health or safety property ing units have insulation or productivity or the product itself refractory lining their external 2 Fluke Corporation walls Using a thermal imager technicians can look for hot spots on the walls The hot spots will reveal where the refractory is less effective The goal is to max imize the useful life of the refrac tory and to schedule repairs before a burn through of the unit s wall results in fire injury or worse Of course a secondary concern with ineffective insula tion or refractory is energy loss which
91. ents such as flow meters pressure gauges and thermometers As predictive technology evolved these installed devices were replaced with portable instruments that acquired data from critical assets uploaded the data to computer based programs that developed trend charts that plotted the rate of change and projected or predicted when the monitored parameter would reach a level that could result in failure or loss of function of the asset This type of analysis establishes the acceptable range for each variable and specific alert and alarm limits are designated that determine when corrective actions will be taken Analysis of condition is limited to the rate that each variable changes and a determination of when it will reach the absolute fault limit when failure is probable To be an effective predictive maintenance tool tracking of periodic measurements of variables such as temperature vibration pressure and other parameters must be accurate indications of changes in the asset s operating condition As a result its value is limited with some predictive technologies For example vibration levels vary widely with normal changes in load and process condition of critical process systems As a result periodic measurement of vibration levels without normalizing for load induced changes is not a viable evaluation technique This is not the case with temperature monitoring using infrared technologies In most cases the surface temperature at specifi
92. epresents the maximum allowable rise in tem perature of the motor above ambient Most motors are designed to operate in ambient temperatures that do not exceed 40 C Generally speaking each 10 C rise above its rated temper ature cuts a motor s life in half Regularly scheduled infrared inspections of electric motors identify motors which are starting to overheat Even an initial ther mal image will reveal whether a motor is running hotter than a similar motor doing a similar job What s the potential cost of failure For a specific motor you could do an analysis based on the cost of the motor the average amount of time a line is down from a motor failure the labor required to change out a motor etc An imaging tip Of course productivity losses from downtime vary from indus try to industry For example lost production from a papermaking machine can be as much as 3 000 per hour while in the steel casting industry losses can be as high as 1 000 per minute Follow up actions If you suspect overheating is the result of one of the following consider the action described a Inadequate airflow If a brief shutdown is possible without affecting the plant process shut off the motor long enough to perform minor cleaning on the air intake grills Schedule a thorough motor cleaning during the next planned plant shutdown b Unbalanced voltage or an overload The usual cause a high resistance
93. erent reliability problems discovered by the use of predictive technologies When these problems are eliminated the typical result is a reduction in labor and material cost of between 35 and 60 5 Increased useful life Typically the useful operating life of plant assets will be extended by 33 to 60 Detecting incipient problems or deviations from optimum operating conditions before damage to equipment occurs derives this benefit Making minor adjustments or repairs and not permitting a minor deficiency from becoming a serious problem can extend the effective useful life extended almost indefinitely Summary Artificially high maintenance costs caused by a combination of ineffective management methods and the lack of timely factual knowledge of asset condition represent a substantial opportunity for almost every manufacturing and production facility worldwide Effective use of the preventive predictive technologies provides the means to take advantage of this opportunity Used correctly the 33 to 50 of wasted maintenance expenditures can be eliminated and effective use of plant resources both production and maintenance can be achieved and sustained Thermal predictive maintenance ata coal plant Functions As monopolies electric utilities are charged with providing the highest quality product to the public at the lowest possible cost Simultaneously as publicly owned companies they also need to generate a return
94. ermal Temperature Range 10 to 250 C 14 to 482 F Accuracy 2 or 2 C 3 or 3 C from 10 to O C Optical Optical Resolution 90 1 Slit Response Optical Resolution 225 1 Minimum Diameter Measurement Spot 7 mm 0 27 at 61 cm 24 Field of View FOV 17 Horizontal x 12 8 Vertical Target Sighting Controls and Adjustments Single laser Meets IEC Class 2 amp FDA Class II requirements Focus Focusable 61cm 24 to infinity Temperature Scale C or F selectable Palettes Gray Ironbow or Rainbow Measurement Modes Automatic Semi Automatic or Manual LCD Backlight Bright Dim Off Selectable Adjustable Emissivity 0 10 to 1 00 by 0 01 Reflected Background Temperature 50 to 460 C 58 to 860 F Environmental Ambient Operating Temperature 10 to 50 C 14 to 122 F Relative Humidity 10 to 90 Non Condensing Storage Temperature 25 to 70 C 13 to158 F without batteries Other Storage Capacity 100 images Power Rechargeable battery pack or 6 AAs not included Battery Life Minimum 5 hours continuous use Image Frame Rate 20 Hz Thermal Analysis Software InsideIR included PC Software Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 98 2000 or XP Weight includes batteries I kg 2 2 Ib
95. ers often have applications for thermal imagers in the development of new production processes plastic thermoforming mold development The facilities maintenance team may have a desire to complete a thorough roof inspection every other year Research development and design engineers also often have a need for measuring temperatures accurately as they develop new products The advantage of sharing this technology across an organization is that it becomes easier to justify the initial investment it speeds the payback time and it lessens the budget impact on any single department Thermal Imagers Thermal imagers come in all shapes and size with various features and benefits and with a very wide range of price tags Luckily the process of evaluating imagers is simplified significantly if the critical equipment and applications are known Some of the key performance specifications for a thermal imager are listed below e array size and type example 160x120 uncooled focal plane array thermal sensitivity of the array example NETD 200 mK or 0 2 C optics field of view options example 17 x 12 8 fixed optical resolutions or distance to spot ratio example D S 90 1 form factor including size and weight example pistol grip form factor lt 1 kg radiometric accuracy measures absolute calibrated temperature example 2 C or 2 e temperature measurement range example 10 C to 250 C or 14 F to 482 F 4 Fluke Corporatio
96. es of the vessels themselves can all affect thermal image accuracy Other tank and vessel condi tions that can be monitored using thermography include damaged refractory or liners and leaks in tank walls Under the right con ditions a damaged refractory or liner will show up as hot or cool spots Most leaks occur because of the failure of a seal or gasket although sometimes corrosion will lead to a leak in a vessel s wall Whatever its origin a leak is likely to manifest itself as a temperature anomaly What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose safety or environmental risks should receive the highest repair priority Those would include conditions that might lead to potential leaks or overflows of vessels containing hazardous materials Any malfunction that could disrupt production must also be avoided Thermal Applications Example Tanks and vessels FLUKE o What s the potential cost of failure The cost of a failed tank to a company depends on many factors including whether a hazardous spill is involved An uncontained leak in a large oil tank for example might cost a company US 700 000 or more at least US 500 000 for an environmental cleanup and US 200 000 for a replacement tank Regarding downtime caused by tank or vessel problems here are some representative hourly downtime costs for selected industries that use tanks and vessels extensively Pharma ceuticals US 1 mi
97. es or at least all major components for all critical equipment in the plant The alternative is to rely on equipment vendors that can provide immediate delivery of all required spare parts Even if the latter is possible premiums for expedited delivery substantially increase the costs of repair parts and downtime required to correct machine failures To minimize the impact on production created by unexpected machine failures maintenance personnel must also be able to react immediately to all machine failures The net result of this reactive type of maintenance management is higher maintenance cost and lower availability of process machinery Analysis of maintenance costs indicate that a repair performed in the reactive or run to failure mode will average about three times higher than the same repair made within a scheduled or preventive mode Scheduling the repair 2 provides the ability to minimize the repair time and associated labor costs It also provides the means of reducing the negative impact of expedited shipments and lost production Preventive Maintenance There ate many definitions of preventive maintenance but all these management programs are time driven In other words maintenance tasks are based on elapsed time or hours of operation that are based on statistical or historical data for specific types of plant equipment Figure 1 1 illustrates an example of the statistical life of a machine train The mean time to failure MTTF or
98. ess tanks have built in visual or electronic indicators for tracking product levels they are not always reliable Thermography can reveal the interface between the liquid and the gas usually air in a vessel indicating how full it is and whether the contents have settled or separated inappropriately Knowing the correct levels avoids overfilling when a level sensor is faulty and The temperature differentiation in this image probably indicates the SUSULSS reliable inventory figures for transition between substances a gas and a liquid as well as some raw materials and or finished prod potentially uneven settling ucts allowing companies to balance processes and avoid product short ages or overruns This tank may have leaks in the seams 2 Fluke Corporation Tanks usually contain liquids or gases The gases have a higher heat capacity than the liquids meaning the liquid prod ucts change temperature much more slowly than the gas in the headspace Since most tanks are located outside their contents heat up during the day due to solar loading and cool off at night This temperature differ ence between the product and the headspace can usually be readily observed through most tank walls This technique works best in the hours following sun set Imaging the tanks in broad daylight is often difficult but favorable results are often achieved by examining the northern or shady side of the tanks during daylight hours
99. f maintaining plant machinery has been a major part of plant maintenance operations since the first manufacturing plant was built and on the surface sounds reasonable A plant using run to failure management does not spend any money on maintenance until a machine or system fails to operate Run to failure is a reactive management technique that waits for machine or equipment failure before any maintenance action is taken It is in true a no maintenance approach of management It is also the most expensive method of maintenance management However it should be said that few plants use a true run to failure management philosophy In almost all instances plants perform basic preventive tasks i e lubrication machine adjustments and other adjustments even in a run to failure environment However in this type of management machines and other plant equipment are not rebuilt nor are any major repairs made until the equipment fails to operate The major expenses associated with this type of maintenance management are High spare parts inventory cost High overtime labor costs High machine downtime and Low production availability Since there is no attempt to anticipate maintenance requirements a plant that uses true run to failure management must be able to react to all possible failures within the plant This reactive method of management forces the maintenance department to maintain extensive spare parts inventories that include spare machin
100. fe unbal ance percentages vary for other equipment What s the potential cost of failure Motor failure is a common result of voltage unbalance Total cost combines the cost of a motor the labor required to change out a motor the cost of product dis carded due to uneven production line operation and the revenue lost during the time a line is down Assume the cost to replace a 50 hp motor each year is 5000 including labor Assume 4 hours of downtime per year with income loss of 6000 per hour Total Cost S5000 4 x S6000 29 000 annually Follow up actions When a thermal image shows an entire conductor is warmer than other components throughout part of a circuit the conductor could be undersized or over loaded Check the conductor rat ing and the actual load to determine which is the case Use a multimeter with a clamp a clamp meter or a power quality analyzer to check current balance and loading on each FLUKE o phase On the voltage side check the protection and switchgear for voltage drops In general line voltage should be within 10 of the nameplate rating Neutral to ground voltage tells you how heavily your system is loaded and helps you track harmonic current Neutral to ground volt age higher than 3 should trig ger further investigation Loads do change and a phase can suddenly be 5 percent lower on one leg if a signifi cantly large single phase load comes online Voltage drops a
101. follow the guidance of NFPA 70B Chapter 9 lBackground information supplied by John Snell amp Associates 2Source www aftenposten no english Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2531346 A EN N Rev A Applications for I Nermal imagers FLLJ KE Industrial gearboxes Application Note Many industrial machines use gearboxes to alter and or vary the standard speeds of electric motors The lifeblood of any gearbox is the oil within it that lubricates the gears If the oil level in a gearbox gets too low or loses its ability to lubricate the gearbox will eventually fail preceded by overheating That s where thermal imaging comes in Traditionally preventive mainte nance for gearboxes has con sisted of regularly checking their oil levels and replenishing lost oil Some maintenance depart ments add a predictive element to gearbox maintenance in the form of oil sampling and analysis Oil analysis usually performed by an out
102. frared systems Most of these instruments use a single eye viewer that forces the user to look through the eyepiece to acquire thermal images During these periods the technician is blind to his or her surroundings As a result there is a real potential for injury or worse When this type of instrument is used the route must be configured so that the actual inspection point will permit the technician to remain motionless in a completely safe location The only alternative is the addition of a safetyman that will act as the technician s eyes during the data acquisition sequence The routes must also consider the areas to be inspected In addition to safety concerns pertaining to confined spaces the remoteness of inspection areas should be considered A substantial percentage of inspections must be conducted in remote areas such as basements behind machinery and other lightly traveled areas Should an accident occur in these areas there could be a considerable time lapse before the technician would be missed In these cases the route should include either a safetyman or a report in system that would alert a responsible person if the technician fails to return within a prescribed time sz Summary Preventive and predictive inspections are essential to effective maintenance management but they must be performed properly Careful consideration must be given to ensure that best practices are followed at all times Even apparently simple things s
103. g and production plants Based on historical data in the USA the initial savings generated by effective preventive predictive maintenance programs fall into the following areas 1 Elimination of unscheduled downtime caused by equipment or system failures Typically reductions of 40 to 60 are achieved within the first two years and up to 90 reductions have been achieved and sustained within five years 2 Increased manpower utilization Statistically the average wrench time of a maintenance craftsperson is 24 5 or about 2 hours per shift By identifying the precise repair task needed to correct deficiencies within a plant asset as well as the parts tools and support needed to rectify the problem preventive predictive maintenance can dramatically increase effective wrench time Most plants have been able to achieve and sustain 75 to 85 effective utilization 3 Increased capacity The primary benefit of effective preventive predictive maintenance programs is an increase in the throughput or production capacity of the plant Short term i e 1 to 3 years increases in sustainable capacity have ranged between 15 and 40 Long term improvements of 75 to 80 have been achieved 4 Reduction of maintenance expenditures In some cases actual maintenance expenditures will increase during the first year following implementation of an effective pteventive predictive program This increase typically 10 to 15 is caused by the inh
104. g nothing at all Service and Calibration Costs Before making any investment decisions in thermal imaging equipment consider the ownership costs associated with service and calibration over the life of the instrument There is a very wide range of costs from camera manufacturers for basic service and calibration of thermography equipment Depending on the brand and model of camera costs for an annual calibration could be as little as 350 or as much as 2000 Proactive Predictive Maintenance Inspection Routing Finally once the equipment is in hand the software has been installed and the training has been done it is time to actually perform regular inspections of the critical equipment 8 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI in a facility The effort required to establish a PAM program identify the equipment determine the inspection techniques and technologies for each determine the frequency of inspections required and logically plan the inspections in the form of inspection routes is not at all trivial Once the program is up and running the effort involved to collect store analyze and report on the data is also significant It is helpful if the thermal imager being used supports the concept of inspection routing Some cameras even provide guidance to the user in the field while they are executing an inspection route It becomes much easier to manage a broad based PdM program if the tools in use are desi
105. gned such that the actual electricians and mechanics can easily gather the data on their own freeing the expert to manage the overall program Companies should be aware that PdM techniques often initially generate more maintenance work than there was before Electricians and mechanics will be busy not only executing inspection routes but also fixing potential problems or finds The workload is very different from a run it until it breaks approach Initially the workload will be greater but if the program is well designed and executed very quickly the PAM approach will take less maintenance and production manpower and resources as the activities transition from reactive to proactive This will most definitely improve the companies overall efficiency and effectiveness Maximizing the Return The benefits of investing in thermal imaging equipment software and training and implementing an in house infrared PdM program include e eliminating existing expenses such as annual or semiannual thermographic inspections by outside consultants e reduction in unnecessary preventative maintenance activities e improve maintenance efficiency and reduce unplanned downtime e reduce capital equipment expenditures by increasing the life expectancy of capital equipment e improve production efficiency and quality Eliminating Existing Expenses Many companies hire external consultants rates may range from 750 to 1500 per day to inspect their facil
106. he amount of time and effort required to select predictive methods that will provide the most cost effective means to evaluate the operating condition of critical plant systems establish a program plan create a viable database and establish a baseline value is substantial The actual time and manpower required will vary depending on plant size and the complexity of process systems For a small company the time required to develop a viable program will be about three man months For large integrated process plants this initial effort may be as much as 15 man years Are the benefits worth this level of effort In almost every instance the answer is an absolute yes Here are 10 steps that can help you implement a successful total plant predictive maintenance program 1 Determine Existing Maintenance Costs The most difficult step in the initial justification of a predictive maintenance program is the determination of actual maintenance costs Most plants do not track all controllable costs that are directly driven by the maintenance operation In most cases the cost accounting function limits cost tracking to actual labor and material used to maintain plant equipment They do not include the impact of maintenance on availability production capacity operating costs product quality and the myriad of other factors that limit plant effectiveness In addition to maintenance labor and material costs your evaluation should include all maintenan
107. he most advanced available They all feature accuracies of 0 75 of reading and high resolution represented by distance to spot ratios of 60 1 This ratio means for example that at a distance of 60 inches from an object these thermometers will measure the temperature of a spot about one inch in diameter In other words they can measure the tempera ture of small objects at a relatively long distance and very small objects close up In fact the Fluke 572 574 and 576 models are available with a close focus option featuring a 50 1 distance to spot ratio and a minimum measurement spot to be as small as 6 mm 24 in Many models of IR thermome ters have a laser beam for sighting a target but a single beam in the middle of a spot only tells the user where the center of the spot is All Fluke 570 Series units have a three dot sighting system that reveals not only where the center of the spot is but also where its edge is The Fluke 570 Series laser sighting also features a special laser that appears twice as bright to the human eye while maintaining the same safety rating as less bright lasers This feature makes accurate sighting easier in a vari ety of lighting conditions and at varying distances All thermometers in the Fluke 570 Series record temperatures from 30 C to 900 C 25 F to 1600 F a sizable range Such a wide temperature range extends the applications for 570 Series thermometers It means
108. hermal software makes the transfer possible and helps maintenance personnel organize the results into reports Thermal Applications Moisture in building envelopes FLUKE o The reason for a report is to pro duce action such as the writing of a repair order or further moni toring What typically gets reported then are anomalies e g motors or bearings running hotter than others or equipment apparent temperatures trending toward an alarm situation Reporting options Using the thermal software tech nicians can enhance the images for better viewing in the report describe the image analysis annotate spot measurements at specific locations in images and incorporate any comments entered during the route Typically a report includes both thermal and digital images It also includes the date time and equipment designation and possibly a problem number and a work order number It might also include diagnostic com ments if the reporter is compe tent to make such judgments For a detailed listing of what a report might include see Para graph 7 Report of the latest edition of ASTM Standard E 1934 Standard Guide for Exam ining Electrical and Mechanical Equipment with Infrared Ther mography Reports created with the software accompanying Fluke handheld imagers may be saved as Microsoft Word documents and PDFs This capability allows a reporter to either print out hard copies or attach them to e m
109. ible level of inefficiency and hope to compete in the world market Similar data for other countries is scarce but we believe the situation is pretty much the same The dominant reason for this ineffective use of maintenance expenditures is the lack of factual data that quantifies when and what kind of maintenance is needed to maintain repair or replace critical machinery equipment and systems within a plant or facility Typically maintenance organizations do not track equipment performance maintenance tasks performed failure history or any of the other data that could and should be used to plan and schedule tasks that would prevent premature failures extend the useful life of critical plant assets and reduce their life cycle cost Instead maintenance scheduling has been and in many instances still is determined by equipment failures or on the perceptions of maintenance personnel who arbitrarily determine the type and frequency of routine maintenance For example most facilities that employ thermographic inspections have it done once a year or every 6 months This is a purely arbitrary decision not support by any kind of factual data In addition middle and corporate level management has ignored the impact of the maintenance operation on product quality overall operating costs and more importantly on bottom line profit The general opinion has been Maintenance is a necessary evil or Nothing can be done to improve maintenance costs Pe
110. ility Squeeze trigger once to freeze an image then choose whether to store it or discard without saving Direct access switches for laser temperature scale palette backlight and measurement modes means changing takes only a second Designed for the industrial maintenance environment The Ti30 thermal imager enables infrared inspections all day every day The camera s 5 hour battery life and 100 image storage capacity are more than enough for an entire shift of uninterrupted inspections Other systems would require three batteries multiple chargers and or additional memory devices for similar performance With the rugged Ti30 thermal imager maintenance organizations can conduct thermographic inspec tions anytime anywhere and identify potential equipment problems before they cause failure Use the Ti30 imager regularly not just in a crisis or for an annual maintenance check Versatile solution for plant maintenance professionals e High performance features for the expert packaged in an easy to use device for beginners e Adjust key image parameters emissivity RTC temperature level and gain in the field on the camera or back at the office on the PC e Large clear LCD display works well both indoors and outside e Use the docking station for USB communications in the office or the USB field cable when working remotely e Use the rechargeable battery pack or the standard AA pack InsideIR software Po
111. imilar pattern Measuring the electrical load is required to diagnose the problem Note A cooler than normal cir cuit or leg might signal a failed component It is sound procedure to create a regular inspection route that includes all key electrical connections Using the software that comes with the thermal imager save each image you capture on a computer and track your measurements over time That way you ll have baseline images to compare to later images This procedure will help you determine whether a hot or cool spot is unusual Following corrective action new images will help you determine if repairs were successful What represents a red alert Repairs should be prioritized by safety first i e equipment conditions that pose a safety risk followed by criticality of the equipment and the extent of the temperature rise NETA InterNational Electrical Testing Association guidelines dictate immediate action when the difference in temperature AT between similar electrical components under similar aarete llar mm mle Detecting electrical unbalance and overloads loading exceeds 15 C 27 F or when the AT between an electrical component and the ambient air temperatures exceeds 40 C 72 F NEMA standards NEMA MG1 12 45 warn against operating any motor at a voltage unbalance exceeding one percent In fact NEMA recommends that motors be de rated if operating at a higher unbalance Sa
112. imminent failure of any piece of critical equipment constitutes a red alert The same key operations maintenance and safety personnel who determine which production assets are criti cal should play important roles in quantifying warning and alarm levels for those assets Note alarm levels for specific equipment can be set on Fluke handheld thermal imagers What s the potential cost of failure For a failed gearbox on a specific mechanical drive at your plant you can do an analysis of the cost of the repair lost production opportunity and lost labor costs At one automotive facility for example the estimated cost of the failure of one of the transfers FLUKE o that move vehicles through assembly stops the entire line And even though most of these units are equipped with a backup drive it once took main tenance personnel from 45 min utes to one hour to manually switch to the backup At losses of US 3 500 per minute a failed gearbox cost more than US 200 000 in lost production in addition to repair or replacement costs Follow up actions When you find an overheating gearbox its thermal image may offer hints as to the cause of its abnormal operating temperature For example if an oil pump has failed its inlet and outlet temper atures will be the same But whatever the suspected cause of overheating you can arrange to follow up by checking the oil level oil quality and metal parti cle c
113. in electrical power supplies predict operational machinery failure detect block ages in supply pipes and identify product inconsistencies Given the number of process industries and associated equip ment variations the possibilities for thermal monitoring are end less One approach is to monitor critical assets the most often fol lowed by equipment in harsh environments For example the sludge solvents and particulates found in many processes puts extra stress on motors affecting bearings windings and insula tion That stress shows up as heat detectable by a thermal imager What to check Power distribution systems Consistent high quality power is essential for process manufac turing Thermal imagery can identify bad electrical connec tions imbalances overloads harmonics and other impending electrical equipment failures and prevent both uneven or inade quate power supply as well as downtime LAA Sud E gt dA o Motors fans pumps conveyors Thermal inspec tions of the bearings shafts cas ings belts gearboxes and other components that emit heat before failure can prevent unex pected equipment breakdowns on moving equipment Heat processes Paper glass steel and food product produc tion all require the uniform appli cation of heat These processes often utilize thermocouples or infrared temperature sensors for thermal control Frequently spot measurements are not adequate due to pr
114. ities on an annual or semi annual basis Often this inspection or survey is required by the company s insurance company Unfortunately there are some limitations to this approach to thermography 1 Often the thermographic report gets filed away and no actions are taken 2 These reports frequently contain images of every piece of equipment inspected without effectively highlighting those pieces of equipment that have a real problem or need immediate attention 3 Ifand when the problems identified in the report are acted upon there is no way for the company without the consultant s help and fees to verify that the repair actually eliminated the problem 4 Although the consultant is the one who will capture the images analyze the data and create the reports maintenance personnel must typically accompany the 9 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI consultant throughout their entire inspection in order to provide access to equipment and identify potential safety hazards so plant personnel are also involved in these inspections 5 In order for consultants to reduce their liability they typically highlight all issues even if they are marginal problems It is up to the maintenance team at this point to determine what issues really require their attention By bringing the inspections in house most of the limitations listed above can be eliminated in addition to the consultant fees Sometimes the consulta
115. ive actions identified by the program feedback from manufacturing and a regular program status report that is circulated throughout the plant and corporate management team Program justification is a never ending process Management and other plant team members must be continually informed of the program s status and the benefits derived from it Failure to communicate will severely reduce the potential for a successful program The Payoff Although the effort required to implement and to maintain a total plant predictive maintenance program is great so are the benefits that can be derived Properly implemented and maintained predictive maintenance as part of a total plant performance management program can reduce the negative impact of maintenance on availability product quality and operating profit Predictive maintenance can transform the maintenance operation from an expensive support function to a full member of the profit generating team in your plant Do not expect an easy quick fix Like all things of value a certain amount of effort is required to gain positive results If you follow these steps you can establish a total plant predictive maintenance program that will provide maximum benefits for your plant FLUKE Electrical insulation and thermal measurements for motors and drives Insulation multimeters and thermal imagers Two testers that go great together Most facilities need to get maximum life out of their
116. late and display the resistance of the insulation Typically the test verifies high insulation resistance between a conductor and ground or high insulation resistance between adjacent conductors Two common exam ples include testing motor wind ings for insulation from the motor frame and checking phase con ductors for resistance from bonded conduit and enclosures Insulation multimeters com bine the insulation resistance functions above with the other tests needed to investigate motor drive and electrical trou ble from basic supply measure ments to contact temperature The key difference is that insula tion resistance tests are per formed on de energized systems while electrical tests and ther mal are almost always per formed on live operating systems 3 Fluke Corporation resistance testing Electrical and insulation resistance tests on motors 1 Visual inspection First look for a reason NOT to energize Remove power from the motor and starter or drive following lock out tagout procedures and disengage the motor from the load e Conduct a visual smell and heat inspection interview the client and check the nameplate Look for loose connec tions at the starter and check all fasteners e Use a DMM to check the supply voltage then the voltage starter contacts Don t risk a fire from a pos sibly shorted motor If the supply is good then there s a motor problem Electrical
117. ld test much higher from 100 to 200 megohms or more If the load side resistance values are acceptable then proceed to the next test If they aren t then start trac ing the problem is the insu lation breakdown in the load side of the starter the cables or the motor Electrical insulation and thermal measurements for motors and drives Winding resistance phase to phase and phase to ground Take insulation resistance measurements phase to phase and phase to ground Good results e Balanced comparative low resistance values on all three stator phases e High resistance values on the phase to ground insulation test Problems e Gross resistance deficien cies such as a phase on phase short e Any winding to winding resistance imbalance If the readings differ by more than a few percent the motor is probably unsafe to energize Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 6 2005 2517897 A EN N Rev A Implementing
118. ll essential electrical circuits Save thermal images of each one on the computer and track tempera ture measurements over time aarete Lare male Thermal Applications Monitoring transformers using the software that comes with the IR camera That way you ll have baseline images with which to compare later images that will also help you determine if temperature levels are unusual and following corrective action determine if maintenance was successful What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should get the highest priority for repairs However the imminent failure of any piece of critical equipment constitutes a red alert Key operations mainte nance and safety personnel should play roles in quantifying warning and alarm levels for the power supplies to critical assets Note alarm levels for specific equipment can be set on Fluke handheld thermal imagers Throughout personnel responsi ble for monitoring transformers should keep in mind that like an electric motor a transformer has a minimum operating tempera ture that represents the maximum allowable rise in temperature above ambient where the speci fied ambient is typically 40 C It is generally accepted that a 10 C rise above its maximum rated operating temperature will reduce a transformer s life by 50 percent What s the potential cost of failure For power delivery companies transformer
119. llion Food and Beverage US 800 000 Chemicals US 700 000 These figures are tied to loss of IT per formance but are cast in terms of general downtime Follow up actions Use the reporting software that comes with the imager to docu ment findings and include both a digital image of the equipment as well as a thermal image It s the best way to communicate the problems you found and any sug gestions for correcting them Fol lowing corrective action take a new thermal image to assess the repair s effectiveness Source IT Performance Engineering and Measurement Strategies Quantifying Perfor mance and Loss Meta Group Oct 2000 Fibre Channel Industry Association as found on the Web site of the Association of Contin gency Planners Washington State Chapter www acp wa state org Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 n Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2526382 A EN N Rev A Applications for I Nermal imagers FLLJ KE Inspecting furnaces and
120. mager use the associated software to document your findings in a report including a thermal image and a digital image of the equip ment It s the best way to com municate the problems you found and to suggest repairs Source Washington State Chapter of the Association of Contingency Planners Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519581 A EN N Rev A Applications for Imagers Loose or corroded Thermal images of electrical systems can indicate the operating condition of the equipment in those systems In fact since the beginning of thermography more than The reason thermography is so applicable to the monitoring of electrical systems is that new electrical components begin to deteriorate as soon as they are installed Whatever the loading on a circuit vibration fatigue and age cause the loosening of electrical connections while environmental conditions can hasten their corroding Briefly stated all electrical c
121. mager is now part of the Fluke line of test and measurement equipment Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Thermography PO Box 1820 Santa Cruz CA USA 95061 1820 Fluke Thermography Europe Blankenburger Stra e 135 D 13127 Berlin Germany For more information call In the U S A 800 866 5478 or Fax 831 425 4561 or Ti30support fluke com In Europe M East Africa 49 30 478 00 80 or Fax 49 30 471 02 51 or Ti3Osupport de fluke com or International 831 458 1110 or Fax 831 458 1239 or Ti3O0support fluke com Web access http www fluke com thermography 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Specifications subject to change without notice Printed in U S A Printed in U S A 2 2005 2436027 A US Rev A Applications for Thermal imagers LUJ KE Inspecting bearings Application Note When a motor bearing fails the motor heats up and lubrication begins to break down The windings overheat and then the tem perature sensor cuts out and stops the motor Worst case the shaft binds up the rotor locks up and the motor fails completely Many predictive maintenance loss By using thermal imagers to What to check PdM programs use thermogra capture two dimensional infrared G Il ki ibrati phy to monitor the apparent maps of bearing and housing Sie y e y a nee f temperatures of operational temperatures technicians can analysis is the PaM technology o equipment using the heat values
122. n Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI e image and data storage capacity example internal flash memory stores 100 images and corresponding data e battery life example five hours in continuous use e manufacturer s length of warranty example one year Array size and type The larger the array the more resolution pixels in the thermal image Costs for imagers are directly proportional to the size of the array since these components contain the core infrared imaging technology While larger arrays do typically produce nicer images for predictive maintenance customers the picture quality from a 160 x 120 array is more than sufficient in most applications Thermal sensitivity or NETD This is the smallest temperature difference the thermal imaging camera can resolve 200 mK or 0 2 C indicates that the camera can resolve two tenths a C temperature difference Some cameras can resolve as little as one tenth or half a tenth C temperature difference Again these cameras produce very high quality images but also typically come with a higher price tag For maintenance applications there are very few applications if any requiring the ability to resolve less than 0 2 C temperature difference Field of view and Optical Resolution The optical system in an infrared camera has a limitation to how much the camera will see of a given object at a given distance This is determined by the field of view If man
123. nalysis airborne ultrasound and lube analysis can all be used to study the condition of a machine asset Ideally these technologies will work from and with the same computerized maintenance management system CMMS to access equipment lists and histories as well as to store reports and manage work orders e Establish written inspection procedures Written inspection procedures drive the quality of the data collected and ensure the inspection is done safely Key ingredients include safety conditions required and guidance for interpreting the data National Fire Protection Association NFPA 70E requires that all personnel be educated about the risks they face when working near electrical equipment Personal protective equipment PPE must also be made available to minimize the risk if an accident should occur For thermographers PPE generally includes flash resistant clothing and a face shield As a starting point for creating your specific inspection procedures review the industry standards that currently exist See appendix See if your company has procedures that can be used as a guide and then start with the major electrical and mechanical applications and refine as you develop the program Avoid prioritizing findings based on temperature alone Temperature measurements identify problems extremely well and may help characterize problems but they aren t the best way determine the cause of a failing component Your i
124. ne by a consulting firm that inspected the switchgear once a year The inspectors usually found hotspots that needed to be eliminated but after plant technicians performed a fix it would have been cost prohibi tive to call the consultants back to verify that each repair was successful That was a problem The mill runs 24x7 and they can t afford unscheduled shut downs In particular they wanted to be able to inspect switchgear more than once a year to monitor other equip ment before and after repairs and establish baselines on new equipment Then the facility purchased a Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager Bill Gray the plant s mainte nance reliability specialist trained in its use and became a Level I Thermographer Gray began conducting thermal 4 3 C Hot connections FLUKE Application Note inspections of equipment as needed Now having used the thermal imager for two years he s using the experience he s gained to develop a formal motor condition monitoring reli ability maintenance program Post repair and other applications The paper mill still contracts with outside thermographers to monitor the switchgear once a year because of the time it takes to do a complete survey The contractor surveys about 5 000 pieces of equipment over a week However when Gray started taking thermal images of the repairs performed as a result of those outside thermographers findings he discovered that
125. nned while running Capture thermal images as well as digital images of all critical gearboxes that are running hotter than normal Look too for leak ing seals Thermal images can reveal hot oil running down gearbox cases Be aware that while all exces sive heat generated in mechani cal drive components is the result of friction it may have sources other than inadequate lubrication For example its source might be friction caused by faulty bearings misalignment imbalance misuse or just normal wear Thermography is a good first step toward a complete analysis of a critical mechanical drive s condition An imaging tip Thermal Applications Industrial gearboxes Using a thermal imager you can also monitor the temperature of critical gearboxes over time and establish trends that will dictate when maintenance is required to prevent failure A good approach is to create regu lar inspection routes that include the gearboxes on all key produc tion assets Save a thermal image of each one on the computer and track your measurements over time using the software that comes with the thermal imager That way you ll have baseline images with which to compare later images They will help you determine whether overheating is unusual or not and if corrective action is successful What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should get the highest priority for repairs However the
126. normally hot phase can indicate unbalance or overload e What the image shows Abnormal heating along the entire circuit or phase run not just at the connection An imbalance heats both the line and load sides of the phase lt a e Recommendations Use a DMM clamp meter or power quality analyzer to measure load Look for a power delivery problem low voltage on one leg bad connections insulation resistance breakdown or harmonics iG TT TA e Cost of failure Reduced load equipment efficient lifespan and or replacement electrical distribution failure downtime electrical fire higher utility rates Substations SS e What to look for Examine transformers and compare similar connections aX iN Bearing and shaft under similar loads looking for hot or cool anomalies Heat can be caused y re ee g What to look for Compare bearing and housing temperature against baseline by harmonics connection degradation unbalance or overload YI XA Y images or other known acceptable thermal values Compare end bell to end e What this image shows Hot secondary connections on transformer ay ALY Oe 1 EIN AS OOM SU One ens l ek erate PORON e What the image shows Warm bearing with heat transferring to coupling gt RSH ST SE TePOVO UGE ondua an beta WTA oie CIR ee Gausa OY Vanes e Recommendations Conduct a vibration analysis measure lubrication check windings check electrical load balance
127. nspection procedures should address the conditions required to locate From the Fluke Digital Library www fluke com library problems using thermography as well as acknowledge the other technologies needed to troubleshoot further Creating inspection routes Begin by using existing lists of equipment from a CMMS or other inventory Eliminate items that aren t well suited for infrared measurement and focus on equipment that creates production bottlenecks If possible look at history to guide you where have failures occurred in the past Use a database or spreadsheet to group the remaining equipment together either by area or function into roughly 2 3 hour inspection blocks The lists may not be up to date so you can expect the first inspection cycle to take more time as you locate equipment update lists deal with access issues and so forth During your first pass also consider taking digital photos of each piece of equipment and storing the images in the equipment database for later reference as needed If thermography is new in your plant the first few inspection cycles may yield a large number of finds Subsequent inspections should go more smoothly After about three cycles re organize the routes so they are more efficient and add IR Inspection Process This flow chart is an example of how thermography can logically fit into an overall maintenance program that includes other PdM technologies Courtesy
128. nt may not be eliminated completely but simply paired back to specialized inspections for which in plant personnel either don t have the equipment or are not trained It is clear that for many companies simply outsourcing the thermographic inspections on an annual basis to outside consultants is not a solution that will provide the best return on investment Eliminating Wasteful Maintenance Practices Preventive maintenance is based on the idea that regular maintenance of critical equipment will keep that equipment up and running While this is generally a true statement often companies are finding themselves investing in manpower and materials to perform regular maintenance on equipment when that regular maintenance really isn t needed Predictive maintenance techniques are used to assess the condition of the equipment before taking maintenance actions In this way actions are only taken when the machine s condition warrants the action not before There are even cases where preventive maintenance actions if taken too soon or too often can actually lower performance levels Applying grease to bearings should be done somewhat regularly but if grease is overdone the bearings can actually fail prematurely Finally with better tools maintenance personnel can be more effective and efficient While a thermal imager is considered the ideal tool for predictive maintenance it is also very useful simply as a troubleshooting tool When
129. o mon itor line an auto manufacturer moved from vibration analysis to a combination of vibration and thermography to determine that normal operating temperatures for bearings on the line fell within a specific range The com pany s PdM personnel well trained in thermography now treat a bearing running above the upper limit of the normal operat ing range as an alarm situation When using thermography on bearings not normally monitored using vibration analysis or even when spot checking bearings try to follow the lead of the auto motive company and establish some alarm criteria as you would for other condition moni toring technologies Some ther mography experts for example have established rules of thumb for allowable temperature differ entials Ts for bearings on spe cific types of equipment using specific lubrication techniques grease oil bath etc What s the potential cost of failure For a failed bearing in a specific motor pump drive or some other critical component you can do analysis of the cost of the repair lost production opportunity and FLUKE o lost labor costs At one automo tive facility the estimated cost of the failure of a specific pump is more than 15 000 for repairs plus lost production of 30 000 per minute and labor costs of more than 600 per minute Keeping that pump running is worth the effort Follow up actions All rotating equipment generates heat at
130. ocate temperature the naked eye are suddenly variations which are often S i More than temperature clear as day when you look indications of underlying readings through an infrared lens Air problems and document them leakage moisture accumulation with detailed images in reports The latest generation of blockages in pipes structural By pinpointing potential infrared thermometers includes features behind walls and over sources of problems you also temperature comparison and heating electrical circuits can save valuable inspection time documentation features to better all be detected and visibly and repair only what needs to support your inspection efforts a From the Fluke Digital Library www fluke com library Infrared imaging cameras such as the Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager can identify thermal anomalies within new or existing buildings These features include data logging or the ability to store temperature readings for multiple locations along an inspection route and audible alarms set by the user to indicate temperatures above and below acceptable ranges Looking behind the scenes Thermal imaging cameras are another kind of handheld infrared temperature measure ment tool These devices imme diately show you the hot and cold spots in the form of thermal images Traditionally the high price tag of thermal imagers has been prohibitive leading many facilities to outsource thermography inspections only
131. ocess variations Line scanners provide continuous thermal profiling in these cases while portable thermal cameras can troubleshoot problems and determine the optimum spot to install the thermocouple or infrared sensor Pipes In processes fluids need to be delivered to the right place at the right time and in the right amounts If a pipe is obstructed it can cause a chain reaction that throws an entire process loop out of tune creat ing oscillation This will cause motors to cycle on and off too frequently which in turn causes more frequent current surges that stress the electrical system and 2 Fluke Corporation SS Sy TURTIT RS add harmonics that lower system efficiency and ultimately lead to equipment failure Thermography can often pinpoint an obstruc tion allowing corrective action before the whole loop goes down and the loop can be re calibrated by a multi tasking tech using loop calibrators and digital multimeters Valves Process control valves are also critical to delivering flu ids to processes at the right time A thermal imager can monitor for leakage stiction sticking or excess friction Also a valve s excitation coil may overheat from working too hard pointing to a problem such as current leakage or valve size mismatch When thermography indicates a prob lem technicians can follow up by calibrating the valve or the valve s positioner What to look for In specific processes
132. of the critical components the motor shaft coupling motor and shaft bearings and the gearbox Remember each motor is designed to operate at a specific internal temperature The other components should not be as hot as the motor housing What to look for All motors should list the normal operating temperature on the nameplate While the infrared camera can not see the inside of the motor the exterior surface temperature is an indicator of the internal temperature As the motor gets hotter inside it also gets hotter outside Thus an experi enced thermographer who is also knowledgeable about motors can use thermal imaging to identify conditions such as inadequate airflow impending bearing failure shaft coupling problems and insulation degradation in the rotor or stator in a motor In general it is a good idea to create a regular inspection route that includes all critical motor drive combinations Then save a thermal image of each one on a computer and track measure ments over time That way you ll have baseline images to compare to that will help you determine whether a hotspot is unusual or not and following repairs to help you verify if the repairs were successful What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the highest repair priority After that consider that each motor has a maximum operating temperature that usually appears on its nameplate and r
133. on to handle situations like these effectively 3 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program Whenever you enter an inspection area take a moment to get oriented determine an emergency exit strategy and note any potential hazards Many thermographers begin an electrical inspection by looking first at the panel covers while they are still closed if any appear abnormally warm it may be appropriate to take further safety precautions before accessing the equipment inside Airborne ultrasound detection equipment can provide a very useful supplemental signature and a level of assurance that things are safe Unless you are conducting a first time baseline inspection only record thermal images when problems or exceptions are located Take time to look at the finding from several different angles and collect any other data that might be useful for your analysis including additional visual images of the component Don t worry about actually measuring temperatures until after you ve found a problem At that point if it is appropriate the correct emissivity and reflected temperature correction RTC can be used Additional analysis is often easier to do back in the office at the computer For electrical enclosures such as an MCC panel open only as many panels as is safe If enclosure doors are left open for too long any problem hot spots may cool off Once you ve completed inspecting an en
134. once a year However new lower cost high performance cameras make it possible to bring thermal imaging in house Thermal surveys can identify and establish the extent of ther mal anomalies within new or existing buildings for example Inspecting electrical systems Locate overheating components safely in electrical systems expressed as hot spots in thermal images Regular inspections of electrical installations should be conducted at full load to identify potential problems such as loose connections load imbalance and overloads which when not attended to FLUKE o can lead to outages equipment damage and safety risks including fire Checking for missing and damaged insulation Inspections both inside and outside structures show you the location shape and intensity of insulation Recent amendments to Parts L1 Dwellings and L2 Non Domestic Structures of the UK Building Regulations which came into force in 2002 place particular emphasis on insulation continuity throughout the structure Key to building conformance is that those responsible for achieving compliance can document that infrared thermography inspections have documented that insulation is reasonably continuous over the whole visible envelope Pinpointing air leakage points UK Building Regulations also place emphasis on greatly reducing air leakage or the uncontrolled movement of air into and out of a building which can compromise
135. onnections will over time follow a path toward failure If not found and repaired these failing connec tions lead to faults Fortunately a loose or corroded connection increases resistance at the con nection and since increased electrical resistance results in an increase in heat a thermal image will detect the developing fault before it fails Detecting and correcting fail ing connections before a fault occurs averts fires as well as impending shutdowns that can be critical to manufacturing commercial and institutional operations Such predictive actions are important because when a critical system does fail it inevitably increases costs FLUKE electrical connections Application Note four decades or more ago the principal commercial application for thermal imaging has been electrical system inspection requires the reallocation of workers and material reduces productivity threatens corporate profitability and impacts the safety of employees customers and or clients The following discussion focuses on using thermal imaging to troubleshoot loose over tight or corroded connections in elec trical systems by comparing the temperatures of connections within panels What to check Check panels with the covers off and power at ideally at least 40 of the maximum load Measure the load so that you can properly evaluate your measure ments against normal operating conditions Caution only author ize
136. ontent of the oil or perform acoustical testing or vibration analysis Whenever you discover a problem using a thermal imager use the associated software to document your findings in a report including a thermal image and a digital image of the equip ment That s the best way to communicate problems you find and to suggest repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 9 2005 2531331 A EN N Rev A FLUKE Applications for Imagers Thermal process monitoring Application Note In process manufacturing uniformity is essential Technicians rely on monitoring of all kinds from fixed mount sensors to handheld thermal imagers to track the condition of product and critical equipment That s because temperature measure ment and control is one of the single most significant variables for uniformity across process industries Temperature monitoring can detect overheating delivery sys tem components help solve irreg ularities
137. orage capacity Internal memory has some advantages over external options such as memory sticks or flash media cards The user doesn t have to worry about losing the external memory devices and the user interface is not complicated by selecting the memory location for the camera to use The important question is whether the camera holds enough images for a full day of testing or will the stored images need to be downloaded to the PC several times each day In most environments 100 or even 50 memory locations is sufficient to support a full day of uninterrupted inspections Battery life Similar to internal memory capacity battery life is a convenience issue Does the camera s battery life provide for a full day of uninterrupted inspections This will require only four or five hours of continuous use battery life since during a day of inspections the camera is typically not continuously in use Is the discharge time faster or slower than the charging time It should be at least three times faster to charge the battery as it is to discharge otherwise you will need multiple batteries and chargers which can be quite expensive Is there a convenient power option besides a customer rechargeable battery pack It can often be a life saver if off the shelf alkalines can be substituted instead of the custom rechargeable battery pack With batteries think convenience cost and reliability Advanced features like voice recording and heads
138. ore information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 4 2005 2446724 A US N Rev A Applications for Imagers Detecting electrical unbalance and overloads Thermal images are an easy way to iden tify apparent temperature differences in industrial three phase electrical circuits compared to their normal operating condi overloading tions By inspecting the thermal gradients Electrical unbalance can be caused by several different sources a power delivery prob lem low voltage on one leg or an insulation resistance break down inside the motor windings Even a small voltage unbal ance can cause connections to deteriorate reducing the amount of voltage supplied while motors and other loads will draw exces sive current deliver lower torque with associated mechanical stress and fail sooner A severe unbalance can blow a fuse reducing operations down to a single phase Meanwhile the unbalanced current will return on the neutral causing the utility to fine the facility for peak power usage In practice it is virtually impossible to perfectly balance the voltages across three phases The National
139. oring technologies are useful for monitoring steam systems to determine how well they are functioning Among those technologies is infrared IR ther mography in which technicians use thermal imagers to capture two dimensional images of the surface temperatures of equip ment and structures Thermal images of steam systems reveal the comparative temperatures of system components and thereby indicate how effectively and effi ciently steam system components are operating What to check Using a combination of ultra sound and thermal inspections significantly increases the detec tion rate of problems in steam systems Check all steam traps and steam transmission lines including any underground lines In addition scan heat exchang ers boilers and steam using equipment In other words examine every part of your steam system with a thermal imager What to look for Steam traps are valves designed to remove condensate as well as air from the system During inspections use both thermal and ultrasonic testing to identify failed steam traps and whether they have failed open or closed In general if a thermal image shows a high inlet temperature and a low outlet temperature lt 212 F or 100 C that indi cates that the trap is functioning correctly If the inlet temperature 2 Fluke Corporation is significantly less than the system temperature steam is not getting to the trap Look for an upstream problem
140. ow where the problem areas are and can anticipate their condition in the larger picture of plant operations Reports organized using the green yellow red indicators quickly show whether overall plant asset health is improving a powerful communication to managers Key indicators to track your results Analysis of data over the long term is very important so plan on accumulating it in forms that facilitate this process The benefit is twofold First you will see trends that may not be obvious in a day to day analysis 5 Fluke Corporation Implementing an Infrared Thermography Maintenance Program For instance you may discover that the motor shop is doing a poor job or that a certain brand of fused disconnect consistently has problems The second benefit is that you will see what s working or not about your program You ll see where problems are continuing to occur enabling you to justify dedicating resources in those areas or decreasing the frequency of inspection because few problems are being found It can also help target maintenance investments and allocation of maintenance funds to get the best returns In addition to your measurements also track increased machine asset availability production production quality and the distribution of maintenance dollars and total maintenance costs over time Enroll your manager and the maintenance team in tracking this data The assumption is that if you conduct your ins
141. pections on time perform follow up inspections etc the results will show up in the bigger picture Other opportunities Using thermography to look at other manufacturing process applications can have great value One thermographer found warm air from the production process blowing directly onto a heat exchanger Interestingly the process had shut down repeatedly due to the failure of the exchanger to provide adequate cooling Engineers had planned to add a larger exchanger to solve the problem Another thermographer in an automotive assembly plant happened to look at the incoming tires and noticed how cold they were When he showed the image to the area manager the two quickly connected this condition to a seasonal problem they d had for years in which the tires failed to mount properly on the rims The solution Bring the tires inside long enough to warm up a condition documented by another thermal image The buildings we work in may also have problems that can solved with thermography Facilities maintenance can use thermography for roof moisture inspections locating building air leakage analyzing the distribution About the author of conditioned air from HVAC locating John Snell is a long time leader in the underground drains pipes and lines solving comfort related problems in the office workspace and inspecting battery backup UPS for computers systems Of course thermographers looking at processes
142. r Problems with bearings are usually found by comparing the surface temperatures of similar bearings working under similar conditions Overheating condi tions appear as hot spots within an infrared image and are usually found by comparing similar equipment In checking motor bearings this procedure entails comparing end bell to end bell for motors and bearings of the same type or stator to end bell temperatures In general it is a good idea to create a regular inspection route that includes all critical rotating equipment If a route for regular vibration analysis already exists thermography can be added eas ily to these existing bearing monitoring efforts In any case save a thermal image of each piece of key equipment on a computer and track your meas urements over time using the software that comes with the thermal imager That way you ll have baseline images for com parison They will help you determine whether a hotspot is unusual or not and help you ver ify when repairs are successful What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the high est repair priority Beyond that determining when action is Imaging tip Thermal Applications Inspecting bearings required in your facility to keep a bearing from causing the loss of a crucial piece of equipment is an case by case undertaking that gets easier with experience For example on one difficult t
143. rage lifetime can be extended by 10 due to improved maintenance practices then the annual costs to replace aging equipment drops to 90 000 per year saving 10 000 each year in replacement costs Another advantage to incorporating thermography into the maintenance tool box occurs when new equipment is purchased and installed Many companies use thermography to verify the proper installation of new production lines furnaces motors electrical distribution systems substations etc It is always more cost effective to find problems with equipment when it is new and still under warranty then once the warranty has expired Also equipment is not always installed properly which can turn a properly running piece of equipment into a failing piece of equipment very quickly Conclusion The primary objective of any predictive maintenance program is generally to improve operational performance Produce more and higher quality products on time with less cost while generating more profits Any actions or programs that don t generally support this primary objective will quickly fall out of favor with management With the proper knowledge and tools maintenance and reliability managers can easily justify the implementation of an infrared predictive maintenance program A thermal imager with the necessary accessories PC software for storage analysis and reporting and professional thermography training form the critical components to any effective infrare
144. rforming these tests once a year That will spot other kinds of failures in the works as well yielding predic tive maintenance cost savings as well as fire prevention Here are the most common tools and measurements that testing professionals use to check for overheating or an inclination towards overheating Visual inspection Electricity may be invisible but the effects of heating on metal and insula tors are not Discoloration or charring is a sure sign that com ponents are overheating Also be alert for smells like an overheat ing component would produce Tests and measurements for electrical fire prevention Thermography Thermal imagers can read the infrared energy emitted by an object and create a visible image of the object s surface temperature Hot loose connectors show up dra matically on these thermal pictures especially in comparison to cooler tight connections This non contact technique is perfect for checking energized compo nents and scanning operational equipment but it can t measure concealed thermally insulated insulation or connections Likewise electrical panels must be open for the imager to meas ure the components Follow NFPA 70E safety procedures and wear appropriate personal protective equipment PPE in these instances Connection switch resist ance Another method for checking connectors is by electri cally measuring the resistance of the connection On an energized s
145. rhaps these were true statements 10 or 20 years ago However the development of microprocessor or computer based instrumentation and maintenance management systems provide the means to optimize maintenance effectiveness Microprocessor based instrumentation such as infrared monitoring and vibration devices can be used to monitor the operating condition of critical plant equipment machinery and systems The knowledge gained from these instruments provides the means to effectively manage the maintenance operation As a minimum they provide the means to reduce or eliminate unnecessary repairs prevent catastrophic machine failures and reduce the negative impact of ineffective maintenance operation on the profitability of manufacturing and production plants When their full capability is used these instruments provide the means to optimize total plant performance useful equipment life and life cycle costs of the facility and its assets Computer based maintenance management systems provide the historical data Rje and means to use the data derived from predictive maintenance technologies such as infrared monitoring and vibration Industrial and processing plants typically use two types of maintenance management either run to failure or preventive maintenance Run to Failure Management The logic of run to failure management is simple and straightforward When a machine breaks down fix it This If it ain t broke don t fix it method o
146. rmal inspection of a simple centrifugal pumping system should start with the suction supply i e tank deaerator etc and follow the suction piping to the pump and continue down the discharge piping to reasonable end point Using this sequence will measure the change in temperature from the source to the pump quantify the temperature change within the pump and from the pump to the end of the transfer system On continuous process systems such as paper machines primary metals printing etc the routes should follow the process flow Safety In most cases the inspector or technician must be in close proximity to operating systems machines or equipment in order to observe or acquire predictive maintenance data Therefore safety must be a primary consideration during route development Routes should be developed that assure personnel safety as the technician travels from inspection point to inspection point as well as while they acquire data When predictive instruments are used consideration should be given to the methods used to acquire data For example most vibration monitoring instruments use a coiled cable to connect a transducer to the data logger In its relaxed state this cable forms a loop of about two feet that swings around knee level as the technician moves from point to point This loop can easily entangle with moving shafts or other machine components Special attention should also be given to inspections using fully imaging in
147. rotating equipment seems overloaded or is too noisy inspecting the equipment with a thermal imager can quickly help the user to identify a heat signature and more importantly a source Many electrical problems can also be more quickly identified with the help of an imager Finally safety is also an important benefit when using a thermal imager Because thermal imaging is a non contact technology users can stay out of harms way while inspecting live or rotating equipment Improving Maintenance Efficiency As with any predictive maintenance technology the ultimate goal is to keep equipment up and running This means we must reduce the amount of unplanned downtime Unplanned downtime leads to many problems for a production facility e maintenance personnel must drop whatever else they are working on to address the unscheduled down time 10 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI e often equipment that fails unexpectedly is very expensive to fix versus if maintenance had intervened before catastrophic failure had occurred e overtime costs increase when downtime events are unscheduled e customer orders are shipped late e revenue may be lost forever to the competition depending on the product often true for commodities e production quality and yields decline e scrap increases as the production process unexpectedly stops especially true in processing industries e the need to carry additional spare parts
148. s minimized in the event of a strike Obviously the need is more urgent if you are responsi ble for facilities in lightning prone areas A ground resistance test is usually performed during a system shutdown because the ground electrode must be discon nected temporarily Transformer turns ratio Insulation failure inside trans formers can result in shorted turns effectively reducing the number of turns on the effected side A transformer with shorted turns is prone to overheating You can check the ratio on a low volt age transformer by isolating the secondary from loads and using a voltmeter to compare the primary voltage to the secondary voltage A more accurate approach is to use a special transformer wind ing test set which will give a precise ratio as well as a good picture of the magnetic character istics Tests and measurements for electrical fire prevention Circuit Breaker Testing Circuit breakers are the key to electrical fire prevention Proper testing of circuit breakers requires special equipment and special ized expertise Testing is performed with the breaker removed from the circuit and the tests verify the trip current and delay Power Quality Measure ments Power quality studies can uncover symptoms that signal potential overheating Periodically measuring harmonic distortion will alert you to potential heating problems due to excessive har monic current Voltage sags can be viewed as anno
149. sands of dollars Without the proper analysis companies and or maintenance organizations e may decide not to implement a PdM program because they are unable to identify all of the savings causing them to miss out on operational efficiency improvements e may invest in a suboptimal solution that does not best meet their needs e may spend significantly more money to establish the program than is necessary e and or may not achieve a return on investment Companies need to consider not only the initial equipment costs for the test tools and accessories but also the software costs training costs typical service and calibration costs and overall labor costs associated with performing periodic inspections of critical equipment It is very important for companies and maintenance organizations to thoroughly understand their needs In the case of thermography companies can spend as little as a few thousand dollars or as much as 1 000 000 to establish an infrared predictive maintenance program Clearly not every company needs the million dollar solution but is the 2500 solution really sufficient Finding the proper balance is the goal 2 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI The Return The primary objective of any maintenance or reliability manager is to improve operational efficiency In short they want to keep things up and running for the lowest possible investment Operational efficiency is often measured b
150. se maintenance techni cians and equipment operators Application Note IR thermometers and thermal imagers are essential tools in any comprehensive predictive maintenance PdaM program They prevent failures by identifying condi tions that indicate impending failure and providing data that helps technicians determine whether remedial action is warranted If it is maintenance personnel can repair the equipment before it fails and during a scheduled shutdown The benefits no unplanned downtime and maximized uptime using less labor and fewer replacement parts Only equipment that needs repairing gets repaired Since increases in temperature are associated with nearly all mechanical and electrical failures thermal imaging and IR thermometry have broad application in PdM programs Three new products from Fluke take advantage of that fact The technology behind the Ti30 is as powerful as the instru ments used by specialists but it makes thermal imaging a point and shoot process It has ample on board computer power to collect data for a PAM program and it interfaces with software on a host computer or network so that maintenance managers can track temperature measurements and compare thermal images over time Since consistency is key to effective periodic PdM inspec tions the Ti30 system software allows the supervisor to build and edit a route on the PC and then upload it into the imager The imager s user interface
151. sh instead of solid metal as long as it doesn t compromise safety Thermal mirrors thick sheets of plate aluminum can make it easier to see a thermal signature To view the end bearings of large vertical motors mount a thermal mirror above and angled down To view up under a process or machine place a thermal mirror on the floor Reporting results The software that comes with the Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager supports simple but useful comparisons of asset condition over time An alarm voltage make it possible to inspect the components without opening the enclosure Only install these in complete add the area manager and or operator s to your distribution list temperature can be loaded onto an image before it is uploaded into the camera During the current inspection As a final task update the equipment list with any changes additions or locations that allow for complete inspection deletions The clear plastic touch safe covers that are increasingly prevalent both that alarm setting and the previous image can be used to determine the extent of any changes Modifications to improve inspection quality The following suggestions for modifying plant equipment are ae designed to make your inspections Date Tine inset Logo Delete Logo easier safer and more effective sears e High emissivity targets installed aN n on such components as bus heteedter F bars tubular bus and any large
152. side laboratory reveals if the oil in a gearbox has lost its ability to lubricate and will detect any metal particles in the oil a telltale sign of gear wear that foreshadows a possible failure These gearbox maintenance measures are time consuming and expensive and require shutting down the equipment Also gearboxes often are in inaccessible or unsafe locations that make oil level checking and oil sampling difficult For that reason many predictive maintenance PdM programs also use thermography to detect when a gearbox is running hotter than similar gearboxes performing similar work in simi lar environments 2 Fluke Corporation What to check Use your thermal imager to scan the surface temperature of the gearboxes on every piece of criti cal equipment in your plant as determined by key operations maintenance and safety person nel That is scan the gearboxes on all assets whose failure would threaten people property or product Know the load on each piece of equipment and check each gearbox when it is running at a 40 or more of its usual mechanical load That way measurements can be properly evaluated compared to normal operating conditions If possible for comparison capture images of gearboxes in the same area performing the same or similar functions What to look for Because thermography is a non contact non destructive technology even inaccessible gearboxes in dangerous locations can be sca
153. stly failures in your facility will benefit from including thermal imaging as a condition monitoring technique for electric motors Using a handheld thermal imager you can capture infrared temperature measurements of a motor s temperature profile as a two dimensional image Thermal images of electric motors reveal their operating conditions as reflected by their surfact temperature Such condi tion monitoring is important as a way to avert many unexpected motor malfunctions in systems that are critical to manufacturing commercial and institutional processes Such preventive actions are important because when a critical system fails it inevitably increases costs requires the reallocation of workers and material reduces productivity and if not corrected can threaten corporate profit ability and possibly the well being of employees customers and or clients What to check Ideally you should check motors when they are running under normal operating conditions Unlike an infrared thermometer that only captures temperature at a single point a thermal imager can capture temperatures at thousands of points at once for FLUKE Application Note Electric motors are the backbone of industry The U S Department of Energy estimates that in the U S alone there are 40 million motors operating in industry and the fact that those motors use 70 of the electricity consumed by industry indicates their importance all
154. t each stop to ensure consis tency from trip to trip e How to information about using the thermal imager especially for beginning thermographers e Information about special conditions at specific stops such as high background heat the possibility of heat dissipating winds etc An imaging tip What has all of this to do with reporting In any PdM program it is essential to track and com pare equipment condition from one thermal reading to the next Readings as well as reports must present reliable images for comparison Reminder notes help bring consistency to image collecting and consistency in collecting images is the key to effective reporting Preparing for reporting image collection During route planning the main tenance manager also needs to take initial thermal and digital images for each stop on the route The thermal images serve both as baseline images for com parison and as examples of what to capture at each stop Then if an inspection route is well thought out and reminder notes are followed the chances are good that a technician will secure good usable thermal images The corresponding digital photos make it much easier to interpret the thermal images What to report When a technician has completed the thermal inspection route he or she returns to the mainte nance department and loads the collected images into the com puter or network used to create the route The t
155. t may be needed Depending on the battery life extra batteries and charging stations may be needed to get through a full day of inspections Extra batteries can cost several hundred dollars a piece Also consider the need for a transport carrying case Buying a camera with optional lenses provides a more flexible imaging solution but it is also significantly more expensive Make sure the optional lenses are truly needed and will be used Ideally the company will receive everything they need in one convenient package and they will not have to buy lots of extras just to get started PC Software for Data Storage Data Analysis and Report Generation There are various software solutions available which accompany thermal imaging cameras Some software is very basic only showing images picture files with no ability to analyze data or even create a report Some software will store and analyze data and create reports Some software will also integrate with other PdM technologies and even automatically generate work orders in the CMMS system Again understanding the company s needs is critical to making the correct choice With some of today s affordable thermal imagers advanced storage analysis and reporting software is provided at no additional charge as part of an overall PdM solution For predictive maintenance having the ability to analyze images and data and create reports is very important Sometimes just seeing the image is not enough to
156. t effective means of ensuring that the roof is properly sealed but the pres ence of a thermal anomaly does not indicate the presence of moisture in the roof It is essen tial to follow up with core sam ples and other techniques Reference ASTM C1153 Standard practice for location of wet insu lation in roofing systems using infrared thermography When you have accurately identified moisture in a build ing s envelope targeted mainte nance work can be performed If you discovered the problem using a thermal imager use the software that came with the instrument to document your findings in a report Include a thermal image and a digital image of the relevant area of the building Such reports are the best way to communicate the problems you find and to suggest repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 n Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 n Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519615 A EN N Rev A Qualitative vs Quantitative Inspections Preventive maintenance inspections especially thermal insp
157. tching thermal and visual images is very useful and a second thermal image either a comparison over time or a follow up image can also be included Clearly identify the equipment inspected as well as the conditions found Use the area measurement tool showing the with maximum minimum and average temperatures for the area rather than the spot measurement tool whenever possible This will ensure that the true maximum temperature is being identified It is also important to report the conditions found during the inspection with regard to equipment loading and environmental variables Note both the emissivity and the reflected background temperature corrections used The actual report format can vary widely and can be customized to your needs If possible find a way to tie your report into the work order generated by the CMMS so that your findings can be tracked through their useful life Once the infrared data is correlated with data from other technologies the actual operating condition of all assets will be known and can be reported in an integrated form Those assets that are in an alarm stage red or an unknown stage yellow can then be scheduled for either repair or further monitoring or managed in some other way such as reducing load to minimize the risk of failure Assets in good condition green are ready and available to make your plant profitable Every machine asset may not be green but at least you ll kn
158. termine whether a hotspot or cool spot is unusual or increasing over time and also to verify when repairs are successful Thermal Applications Thermal process monitoring FLUKE o What represents a red alert Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the high est repair priority However the imminent failure of any piece of critical equipment constitutes a red alert The same key opera tions maintenance and safety personnel who determine which production assets are critical should play important roles in quantifying warning and alarm levels for those assets Note alarm levels for specific equipment can be set on Fluke handheld thermal imagers What s the potential cost of failure Here are representative hourly downtime costs for some selected process industries Energy US 2 8 million Pharmaceuticals US 1 million Food and Bever age US 800 000 Chemicals US 700 000 Metals US 550 000 These figures are tied to loss of IT performance but are cast in terms of general downtime Source IT Performance Engineering and Measurement Strategies Quantifying Perfor mance and Loss Meta Group Oct 2000 Fibre Channel Industry Association as found on the Web site of the Association of Contin gency Planners Washington State Chapter www acp wa state org Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe
159. that maintenance personnel and even production personnel can measure the temperatures of equipment or products in process that are very cold or very hot and everything in between Non contact thermometers use the amount of energy emitted by an object and the efficiency with which the object s material emits infrared energy its emissivity to calculate the object s surface temperature While some instru ments have their emissivity preset close to the emissivity of most organic materials and painted or oxidized surfaces all the thermometers in the Fluke 570 Series allow their emissivity settings to be adjusted to match the surface characteristics of spe cific targets The 574 and 576 models also have easily accessi ble preset emissivity settings for common materials Using this feature saves the user time in not having to look up the proper emissivity setting before taking a reading Of course when a thermometer s emissivity setting matches the emissivity of the tar get the reading is more accurate All thermometers in the Fluke 570 Series have a very fast 250 mSec response time This high speed means that one of these thermometers can record accurate readings even in situa tions where target temperatures are changing rapidly It also means that serious problems can be diagnosed immediately with no need to shut down equipment to take a reading Other features of the Fluke 570 Series include backlit liquid cr
160. the efficiency of building environ mental systems While best Obtain high quality thermal images with a simple click of the trigger 2 Fluke Corporation Infrared Inspecting for Building and Facilities Maintenance Download images and data into the companion Fluke InsideIR software for analysis and reporting measured with pressurization testing thermographic surveys can quickly pinpoint leakage points Inspections inside and outside of structures along doors windows vents and pipes immediately show you areas of infiltration and exfiltration Finding areas of moisture accumulation Moisture in trudes through joints and cracks in roofs ceilings and walls and is trapped resulting in structural rot and mold some of which may represent serious health hazards Regular thermographic inspections inside and outside of structures are therefore critical to quickly locate cold spots which are often signs of moisture intrusion Verifying structural elements Thermographic inspections can help you quickly locate support beams pipes electrical cables and flues in poured walls floors and ceilings Simply scan surfaces and detailed thermal images clearly show you subsurface details Evaluating building materials Test the performance of interior and exterior wall surfaces doors and windows under various environmental conditions to determine their ability to retain or reflect heat and cold
161. the costs and most common sources of downtime PdM programs are designed to keep equipment up and running and allow companies to schedule the necessary downtime during periods of production inactivity off shifts weekends periods of slower demand etc Step one is to identify the most critical equipment in the plant This can be done through a simple process walk starting at the beginning raw material end of the process and proceeding to the end finished goods shipment of the process Maintenance records and equipment failure data can also help identify those pieces of equipment that are most prone to failure Evaluating urgent maintenance work orders can also be quite useful since those emergency repair situations are often caused when the most critical equipment in the plant goes down It is important for the maintenance team to discuss this with the production team Production manufacturing often has a very different view of what equipment is most critical to the operation 3 Fluke Corporation Thermography and PdM How to Maximize Your ROI Step two is to evaluate what inspection technologies and techniques are available for the critical equipment and the most common failure modes experienced on that equipment If electrical connections are the most common problem thermography would be the ideal technology to implement More importantly an affordable thermal imager would most likely answer the needs as well or better than the most e
162. the friction bearing points in the system the bearings Lubrication reduces friction and thereby reduces and to varying degrees depending upon the type of lubrication dissipates the heat Thermal imaging lets you literally picture this process while revealing the condition of bearings When thermal images indicate an overheating bearing you should generate a mainte nance order to either replace the bearing or lubricate it Vibration analysis or another PdM technol ogy may help you determine the best course of action Whenever you discover a problem using a thermal imager use the associated software to document your findings in a report including a thermal image and a digital image of the equip ment That s the best way to communicate problems you find and to suggest repairs Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call n the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 n Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 8 2005 2519603 A EN N Rev A Applications for I Imagers Inspecting electric motors A program to avert co
163. the individual measurements is made Unfortunately this is not true and the system s condition is constantly changing However when all of the individual measurements are acquired within a reasonable time span the loss of accuracy is within acceptable limits Therefore it is imperative that routes are designed to minimize the time lapse between points as well as from start to finish of each route In some cases this requirement will force changes in the data acquisition sequence that are less than ideal For example acquisition of vibration or infrared data on continuous process lines such as annealing or papermaking would ideally acquire data from the drive side and then operator side of each process roll This would require the technician to constantly sie move from the operator side to the drive side of the line This would dramatically increase both the interval between measurement points and the total elapsed time to acquire the route To minimize these intervals sequential data is acquired from all measurement points on the operator side and then all points on the drive side of the line Logical Sequence of Inspection Periodic inspections are performed in an effort to anticipate the need for preventive and or corrective maintenance Therefore the data including visual observations should be acquired in a logical sequence that will facilitate this objective As a rule the sequence should follow the process As an example the
164. ther mometers it serves to measure increases in temperature that often indicate potential problems with mechanical equipment electrical circuits and building systems The Fluke 62 Mini is faster more accurate and measures a greater range of temperatures than earlier generations of so called mini IR thermometers It has single point laser sighting and can capture along with the current reading the maximum reading among a range of read ings It measures temperatures from 30 C to 500 C 20 F to 932 F making applications for it quite extensive In addition it is accurate to 1 of reading The 62 Mini has a fixed preset emissivity of 0 95 which is the emissivity value for most organic materials as well as painted or oxidized surfaces So it can t accurately measure the tempera ture of objects with shiny surfaces unless steps are taken to eliminate the reflected energy Typical moves are to compensate by covering the surface with masking tape or flat black paint Of course it is necessary to allow enough time for the tape or paint to reach the temperature of the material underneath The distance to spot ratio of Fluke 62 Mini Thermometer is 10 1 making it best for applica tions where users can safely stand close to targets However despite this relatively low resolu tion compared to the 570 Series and its fixed emissivity settings it can be quite useful to homeown ers auto mechanics
165. time driven methods provide a guideline to normal machine train life spans The final decision in preventive or run to failure programs on repair or rebuild schedules must be made on the bases of intuition and the personal experience of the maintenance manager The addition of a comprehensive predictive maintenance program can and will provide factual data on the actual operating condition of critical assets including their efficiency as well as the actual mechanical condition of each machine train and the operating efficiency of each process system Instead of relying on industrial or in plant average life statistics i e mean time to failure to schedule maintenance activities predictive maintenance uses direct monitoring of the mechanical condition system efficiency and other indicators to determine the actual mean time to failure or loss of efficiency for each machine train and system in the plant This data provides maintenance management the factual data needed for effective planning and scheduling maintenance activities Predictive maintenance is much mote It is the means of improving productivity product quality and overall effectiveness of our manufacturing and production plants Predictive maintenance is not vibration monitoring or thermal imaging or lubricating oil analysis or any of the other nondestructive testing techniques that are being marketed as predictive maintenance tools Rather it is a philosophy or attitude that simply st
166. tional Electrical Testing Association say that when the difference in tem perature AT between similar components under similar loading exceeds 15 C 27 F immediate repairs should be undertaken The same organization recom mends the same action when the AT for a component and ambient air exceeds 40 C 72 F What s the potential cost of failure Left uncorrected the overheating of a loose or corroded electrical connection could blow a five dollar fuse and bring down an entire production process Then it will probably take at least half an hour to shut off the power get a spare fuse from the storeroom and replace the blown fuse The cost in production losses will vary depending upon the industry and FLUKE o the process but in many indus tries a half hour of lost production can be very expensive For exam ple in the steel casting industry lost production costs from down time have been estimated at about US 1 000 per minute Follow up actions Overheating connections should be disassembled cleaned repaired and reassembled If after following this procedure the anomaly persists the problem may not have been the connec tion although a faulty repair remains a possibility Use a multi meter clamp meter or a power quality analyzer to investigate other possible reasons for the overheating such as overloading or unbalance Whenever you discover a problem using a thermal imager use the associ
167. to do Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 9 2005 2519644 A EN N Rev A Buildings Chimney e What to look for Industrial chimneys accumulate materials on the inside lining that can appear as a cool region if the material causes an insulating effect or as a hot spot Hot spots can also indicate cracks gas leaks and developing failures in the refractory insulation e What this image shows Minor cool anomalies indicating possible buildup e Recommendations Monitor over time consider investigating with secondary method e Cost of failure Chimney fire leaking hot gas structural failure Roof e What to look for Anomalies indicating moisture Check outside walls and roof after a hot day Ensure roof is properly sealed e What the image shows Clear moisture differentiation at rubber roof seams e Recommendations Use a moisture meter and or a core sample to verify the thermal indication e Cost of failure US 4 to US 8 sqft to repl
168. toring external and internal conditions of oil filled transformers Dry trans formers also can exhibit both external or internal connection problems and external connec tion problems can be detected as with oil filled units Beyond that dry transformers have coil temperatures so much higher than ambient it is difficult to detect internal problems before irreparable damage occurs Other diagnostic technologies includ ing built in temperature and pressure gauges may be more reliable for assessing the internal conditions in dry transformers The procedures described here should be conducted in conjunc tion with the recommendations of NFPA Standard 70B Recom mended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance Chapter 9 Power and Distribution Transformers What to check At a minimum use your thermal imager to look at external con nections cooling tubes and cool ing fans and pumps as well as the surfaces of critical transformers What to look for In oil filled transformers monitor the following external components e High and low voltage bush ing connections Overheating in a connection indicates high resistance and that the con nection is loose or dirty Also compare phases looking for unbalance and overloading e Cooling tubes On oil cooled transformers cooling tubes will normally appear warm If one or more tubes are com paratively cool oil flow is being restricted and the root
169. turn on investment ROT milestones that can be used to measure the success of the program 6 Dedicated Personnel A key part of a successful program is a full time dedicated staff The program cannot be implemented or maintained with part time personnel Regardless of the predictive maintenance techniques used for the program regular periodic AL monitoring of critical plant parameters is an absolute necessity Most programs implemented with part time staff have failed because activities required to maintain the program have been delayed or ignored because of other pressing demands on staff time 7 Establish Accountability The predictive maintenance team must understand the reason for implementing the program and be accountable for its success or failure Staff commitment is an absolute requirement for a successful program Without this total commitment the program will probably fail Division or area managers must also accept responsibility for program success In most plants these managers control the resources both financial and personnel within their departments Without their full support and commitment to the program little can be accomplished 8 Develop A Viable Database The actual benefits derived from a program will depend on the accuracy and completeness of the database developed for the program All predictive maintenance technologies depend on a clear detailed definition of the critical equipment that is include
170. uch as the routes used to sequence these inspections can and do affect the benefits that will be derived FLUKE Applications for Thermal imagers Moisture in building envelopes Application Note The presence of moisture in building envelopes whether from leak age or condensation can have serious consequences For example moisture in insulation reduces its insulating capability causing heating and or cooling losses and wasting energy Moisture can also cause structural deterioration and foster the growth of mold while a serious roof leak can damage or destroy a building s contents Thermography also known as thermal imaging is well suited to identifying wet spots in building envelopes As a diagnostic tech nique thermography captures two dimensional images of the apparent temperatures of equip ment and structures Thermal images can reveal anomalies in roofs and walls that can indicate the presence of moisture as buildings cool after having been under a thermal load This hap pens because water conducts and stores heat better than most building materials So when a roof or wall cools wet or damp areas cool slower than dry areas and show up as hot spots on thermal images The following discussion focuses on using thermal or infrared IR imaging to check for moisture in the envelopes of Cool areas on this roof exposure probably indicate moisture buildup Mark with tape
171. ulation failure One of the reasons that electrical fires are less common is that the quality of insulation is better than in the past But any insulation system will still degrade with age heat and contamination The most extreme form of insulation failure is a short circuit In this case two conductors make contact and remain in contact The resulting overcurrent should cause a fuse or circuit breaker to open But if the overcurrent pro tection device fails to open the circuit upstream of the short cir cuit will be subject to overheating If there s a ground fault a short circuit involving an equip ment ground then the breaker should also open If it doesn t the same overheating arises If there s a resistive connection in the bonding system that limits the current the resulting current may not be sufficient to trip the Tests and measurements for electrical fire prevention upstream protection devices but may still cause heating in the bonding system Parallel arcing occurs when two connectors come close or touch and part It has similar characteristics to series arcing above but tends to involve higher currents This can cause ignition of a nearby fuel source or further degradation of the insula tion Arcing can discharge hot metal sparks that can ignite a nearby fuel source If insulation is subjected to the heat of other failures the surface of the insulation can char and become conductive A ph
172. use your thermal imager to look at product uniformity For example if you have a paper process you proba bly process the paper running it through an oven to cure it The coatings applied often require a combination of time and temper ature to achieve the right cure point and final moisture level Use your handheld thermal imager to examine the thermal uniformity Follow up actions a is of the product as it comes out of the oven Thermal variations are often attributable to other process variables such as non uniformity in moisture or cure In general use your handheld thermal imager to look for hotspots cool spots and other anomalies Here are some sug gestions about critical equipment to monitor and what thermogra phy might detect motors hot bearings and windings motor control centers and switchgear imbalance overloads steam systems failed traps obstructed piping cooling systems fouled cooling towers blocked heat exchangers furnaces and boilers damaged refractory leaking ports pumps hot bearings leaking seals process piping ineffective insulation reduced flow tanks and vessels product or sludge levels leaks valves leakage stiction and conveyors hot bearings and drives Each time you inspect a piece of equipment save a thermal image of it on the computer and track its condition over time That way you ll have baseline data for comparisons that will help you to de
173. werful and flexible The Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager allows maintenance personnel to quickly and easily capture high quality infrared images Because the camera collects 12 bits of information for every one of its 19 200 pixels users in the field can simply point focus and shoot With a properly composed well focused image all further analysis can be performed with the InsideIR software in the quiet comfort and safety of an office In the imager during the scan or later in the InsideIR software adjust e Palette settings e Emissivity e Reflected temperature correction values Level and gain This approach provides flexibility and eliminates the need to re scan equipment if different settings are desired once the user is back in the office The file of images and data can also be e mailed to other Ti30 imager InsidelIR software users making information sharing and cross checking easy Includes professional thermography training course to accelerate return on investment e Practical hands on course designed to shorten the learning curve for new Fluke Ti30 Thermal Imager owners covers Infrared and thermography theory Primary applications for electrical and mechanical systems Taught by certified thermography professionals Fluke Ti3O Thermal Imager Specifications Detector Detector Type 120 x 160 uncooled focal plane array NETD Thermal Sensitivity 200 mK Th
174. xpensive imagers on the market If the biggest problem is with high RPM rotating equipment a combination of vibration and thermal imaging may be in order The first priority must be to have alignment between the most critical equipment failure modes and the inspection equipment technologies that will be used Now that the most critical applications for thermography have been identified it is time to list all of the other possible applications in the facility or company It is still important to have a sense of priority in the list of possible applications The applications for thermography are endless since anything which has a thermal signature can be inspected with a thermal imager While it would be nice to purchase a thermal imaging solution that addresses every possible inspection need it may not make sense to spend an additional 50 000 in order to be able to perform inspections that will only occur every three years or where the probability of finding a problem is very small or just not that important Also remember that for a relatively small investment infrequent or specialized inspections can still be performed by outside consultants who own the more expensive more versatile and more complex equipment Finally think about possible applications outside of maintenance Processing plants often have quality control plans based on regular temperature level inspections at critical points in the process Manufacturing processing engine
175. y for coal Twenty seven 400 to 500 horsepower motors drive the pulverizers which feed the boilers ravi E Wa Le y H ae SR eg Azi F bx NN S ay a Ure Thermal predictive maintenance at a coal plant In advanced PdM systems each aspect of the system may have its own monitoring program For example this coal plant should have a motor casing monitoring program where the case temperature for each motor is regularly exam ined Motors all have NEMA temperature ratings on their nameplates providing the usual operating temperatures as a baseline The normal apparent temperature is approximately 120 140 F depending on ambient conditions As the temperature rise approaches 40 degrees it usually indicates the need to clean the filters When the temperature rise exceeds 40 degrees it indicates that the motor needs to be scheduled for cleaning and reconditioning Since the motors are all about the same size and operating under similar loads it s a fairly simple matter to identify hot motors comparatively and take corrective actions Aa Prioritizing problems Infrared thermography helps identify maintenance needs but prioritizing the problems requires thoughtful evaluation of many factors The most significant problem is not necessarily the one with the hottest apparent temperature Other factors include criticality of the equipment total repair replacement cost safety con
176. y labor productivity both production direct labor and maintenance staff indirect labor equipment productivity or processing rate product quality or yield rate and equipment availability or percentage of uptime In Total Productive Maintenance TPM programs this operational efficiency is often discussed in terms of OEE overall equipment effectiveness where OEE available uptime x maximum processing rate x quality yield rate NOTE An OEE 1 0 or 100 would indicate that the equipment is available 100 of the time can run at the maximum output rate and never produces a defective product Other measures of operational efficiency include amount of unplanned downtime inventory turns and average equipment life span Regardless of how performance is measured it is clear that an effective predictive maintenance program using thermal imaging will improve results especially if the current situation can best be described as run it until it breaks By matching the company s predictive maintenance needs and applications to the right thermography solution companies will achieve maximum return in the shortest period of time In fact most companies that have invested in the proper thermal imaging solution for predictive maintenance find that they can achieve payback on their initial investment in well under one year Analyzing the Investment Infrared PdM Needs Analysis Assessing a company s PdM needs starts with understanding
177. y of the applications involve small objects lt 2 inches in diameter at large distances 50 or 100 feet then a narrow field of view 12 x 9 with a larger D S gt 250 1 will be required If many applications are close up looking at large objects electrical panels in narrow passage ways or building inspections then a wider field of view 40 x 30 and smaller D S 60 1 may be required sufficient For most maintenance applications both electrical and mechanical a field of view between 16 x 12 and 30 x 22 5 is appropriate especially if there is flexibility with most inspections to move closer to or farther away from the target D S performance of 75 1 or higher is also usually sufficient although some smaller electrical components may be difficult to measure accurately at this level Form factor It is important not to underestimate the form factor size and weight of professional tools Thermal imagers should be comfortable to carry around and use all day long They should be well balanced in the hand and easy to grip They should not be too heavy The aiming and display angles should feel natural The buttons wheels and switches should be easy to access and intuitive to use This overall ease of use factor could mean the difference between the tool sitting on the shelf or constantly being in use on the factory floor Radiometric accuracy Some very low cost imagers are non radiometric or only partially radiometric
178. yance but in systems service a consistent load they may be caused by deterio rating connections Many wiring problems become apparent dur ing a comprehensive power quality study Fluke Keeping your world up and running Fluke Corporation PO Box 9090 Everett WA USA 98206 Fluke Europe B V PO Box 1186 5602 BD Eindhoven The Netherlands For more information call In the U S A 800 443 5853 or Fax 425 446 5116 In Europe M East Africa 31 40 2 675 200 or Fax 31 40 2 675 222 In Canada 800 36 FLUKE or Fax 905 890 6866 From other countries 1 425 446 5500 or Fax 1 425 446 5116 Web access http www fluke com 2005 Fluke Corporation All rights reserved Printed in U S A 7 2005 2519680 A EN N Rev A The Basics of Predictive Preventive Maintenance Maintenance costs as defined by normal plant accounting procedures are normally a major portion of the total operating costs in most plants Traditional maintenance costs i e labor and material in the U S have escalated at a tremendous rate over the past 10 years In 1981 domestic plants spent more than 600 Billion to maintain their critical plant systems By 1991 the costs had increased to more than 800 Billion and topped 1 2 Trillion in 2000 These evaluations indicate that between one third and one half of these maintenance dollars are wasted through ineffective maintenance management methods American industry can no longer absorb this incred
179. ys tal displays for viewing in poorly lit areas and the capability to store the last 10 readings and then display them as a bar graph for easy comparison Each also has a high alarm warning that is both audible and visible A Fluke 572 thermometer has all of the aforementioned capabil ities Moving up to the Fluke 574 and 576 add the power of 100 point data logging This feature along with software for logging graphing and analyzing tempera ture data on a PC and an RS 232 574 or USB 576 connection to move the data from the ther mometer to the PC minimizes the time once used to transcribe data and streamlines analysis Reports get written faster and more accu rately and needed repairs are more likely to happen before equipment fails Along with their inherent data logging capability the 574 and 576 models have customizable features such as log names high and low alarms emissivity values for special conditions etc A technician can customize an instrument to conform to his or her inspection route In addition a version of the 574 has been tested by Factory Mutual a US organization and has received a nonincendive Class I Division 2 approval The nonincendive model is not available with the close focus option To all of this the Fluke 576 adds digital photography When a temperature reading is recorded the instrument records the tem perature on the photo of the target along with the date and time
180. ystem a resistive connection will cause a measurable voltage drop across the connection A precise properly rated handheld volt meter will do the job However this test does involve probing an energized system so safety is a concern The technician must closely follow PPE requirements and OSHA protocols On a de energized system using a micro ohmmeter will pro duce much more accurate results This tool applies a dc current of 10 amps or more through a con nector and precisely measures the voltage drop This test shows the resistance of a connection down to a fraction of a micro ohm insuring that the connection will not dissipate excessive heat or identifying connectors that could be hazardous Insulation testing Insulation resistance is measured between phase conductors and between phase conductors and ground conductors Good insulation should have very high resistance An insulation tester applies a high dc voltage to de energized isolated components The instru ment then measures the resistance between the two points This testing can be used to check large segments of insu lation including long lengths of cable transformer windings and motor windings Low insulation resistance readings can indicate that somewhere on that length the cable is breaking down potentially causing a short 4 Fluke Corporation Ground resistance testing Periodic ground measurements can help make sure lightning damage i

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