Detecting electrical unbalance and overloads
Electrical unbalance can be caused by several different sources: a power delivery problem, low voltage on one leg, or an insulation resistance breakdown inside the motor windings. Read more...

Infrared thermal imaging cameras in petroleum and petrochemical processing
On a commonality between many petrochemical production equipment failures, whether lubrication, valve failure, tank settling or electrical-related, is temperature. That makes handheld thermal imagers, which capture two-dimensional images of the apparent surface temperatures of objects, a useful tool for regular predictive petrochemical maintenance. Read more...

Inspecting steam systems
A sensible approach to a steam system management program is to establish repair priorities based on safety, steam/energy loss, and possible impact on production and quality loss. Read more...

Inspecting electric motors
Using a handheld thermal imager, you can capture infrared temperature measurements of a motor's temperature profile as a two dimensional image. Read more...

Loose or corroded electrical connections
Thermal images of electrical systems can indicate the operating condition of the equipment in those systems. Read more...

Tests and measurements for electrical fire prevention
This article reviews the fundamental causes of overheating, as well as, the tests and tools commonly used to uncover overheating problems. Read more...

Implementing in infrared thermography maintenance program
This document outlines steps that will help you grow your thermography program into a key part of the way your company does business. Read more...

Inspecting furnaces and boilers
In most cases, if only because of their high operating temperatures and their capacity to cause injury or death as a result of some failures, furnaces and boilers should be included in predictive maintenance (PdM) programs that monitor their condition while they operate. Read more...

Industrial gearboxes
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. Read more...

Thermal process monitoring
Temperature monitoring can detect overheating delivery system components, help solve irregularities in electrical power supplies, predict operational machinery failure, detect blockages in supply pipes, and identify product inconsistencies. Read more...

Inspecting bearings
Many predictive maintenance (PdM) programs use thermography to monitor the apparent temperatures of operational equipment, using the heat values to detect and avoid equipment loss. Read more...

Pumps, fans and compressors
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. Read more...

HVAC Air leakage inspections
In energy audits of homes and other buildings, technicians use blower doors in conjunction with thermal imagers. The blowers create positive or negative pressures within interior envelopes, making leaks much more apparent in thermal images. Read more...

Motor control centers
One set of tools for monitoring equipment in substations is Fluke's handheld thermal imagers. Thermal imagers capture two-dimensional representations of the apparent surface temperatures of electrical components and other objects. Read more...

Teamwork tools and techniques: How one plant brought thermography in house
This article reviews the fundamental causes of overheating, as well as, the tests and tools commonly used to uncover overheating problems. Read more...

Infrared inspecting for building and facilities maintenance
Surface temperature can tell you a lot about a building's structural elements, plumbing installations, and HVAC and electrical systems. Problems that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye are suddenly clear as day when you look through an infrared lens. Read more...

Electrical, insulation and thermal measurements for motors and drives
Most facilities need to get maximum life out of their 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 associated electrical panels and prolong their operational lifetime.
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Pro Tips: Examining tanks and vessels
Normally, people in industry use level indicators to tell how much product is inside a tank. So why do so many of them also use thermal imagers (infrared cameras) to do the same thing? It's because of the horror stories. Read more...

Applying infrared thermography to predictive maintenance
This document discusses the cost savings of thermal imaging (thermography) PdM, provides guidelines for successfully capturing and analyzing thermographic data and describes how to integrate thermography into a predictive maintenance program. Read more...

Why thermography is good for your business
Electrical contractors typically use thermal imagers for predictive maintenance and troubleshooting, and sometimes during installation. Read more...