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Infrared Thermography
Imagine a pitch-black room with no visible light at all. Now look through a powerful infrared camera at the same room. Suddenly you are seeing a warm radiator against the wall and the people in the room who are sitting around a small table. With experience, you can even recognize who they are. A hot cup of coffee is blazing white and a glass of ice tea is pitch black. Even the places inside the wall where insulation is crushed or wet show as darker than the rest of the wall because they are cooler. In the world of infrared there is no day or night, only warm and cold. This quality of infrared radiation makes thermography the perfect tool for finding electrical and mechanical problems that can't be found any other way.
Infrared thermography is a powerful tool for predictive maintenance. Areas of wear and oxidation generate heat. Sometimes temperature differences of as little as a fraction of a degree can indicate serious problems. A trained thermographer can identify the important temperature differences and provide early warning of problems before fuses begin to fail or vibration analysis can detect a problem. When used with ultrasonic analysis and vibration analysis, infrared thermography allows facility maintenance staff to predict problems before they cause serious damage.
Hot bearings and electrical connections can cost a business a lot of money when they cause a failure of critical equipment. RPU offers a new service to businesses. You can have all of your electrical panels inspected with state-of-the-art infrared inspection equipment. A complete color report will be generated with all problem areas clearly identified. The inspection will be performed by an American Standards for Non-Destructive Testing-Infrared Protocol (ASNT-1 level II)-certified thermographer with five years' experience who works with many of the largest companies in Rochester.
Ultrasonic Analysis
We all know that bats fly using a form of radar.
They have highly specialized ears and can hear
sounds that are almost undetectable by a human.
Ultrasonic picks up sounds that even the bats
can't hear. Extremely high frequencies called
"ultrasonic" can be detected with sophisticated
equipment that "hears" these sounds.
There are many signs of trouble that ultrasonic analysis can help you find:
- Electrical arcing inside an electrical panel
- Failing electrical components create a high frequency signal when they are failing.
- Ultrasonic analysis can identify the difference between normal corona and actual arcing.
- Air escaping from a compressed air line
- Typical compressed air systems are delivering less than 80% of their capacity due to leaks.
- Ultrasonic analysis allows you to find the leaks easily, even on a noisy manufacturing floor.
- Bearing rattle that precedes failure
- With ultrasonic equipment it's possible to actually hear the flat spots and areas of wear on a bearing.
- Long before vibration analysis detects a problem from deflection, ultrasound hears the problem as it begins.
- Ultrasound is not a substitute for a good vibration analysis program; it's another tool to improve your maintenance program.
- Steam leaks inside a boiler or from a steam line
- Ultrasonic analysis is used by utility and manufacturing companies to identify leaking boiler tubes before the tubes rupture.
- Using this technology it's possible to quickly verify that no problems exist with the boiler in operation.
- Steam inside a steam trap
- Ultrasonic analysis allows the operator to actually hear the internal operation of a steam trap.
- Without opening the trap or shutting down the line it's possible to hear internal leaking at the seat or at piping connections.
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