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Examples of Benefits: How IR-Preventive maintenance
programs saves money, increase safety and maintain production integrity: 1. Elimination of unscheduled downtime caused by equipment
failures. History has shown that unscheduled downtime is reduced by
40% to 60% within the first two years and up to 90% if the IR program
is continued for five years. Analysis of maintenance costs have shown
that a repair made after a failure will normally cost three times the
cost of the same repair made on a scheduled basis 2. Reduction in maintenance costs. After initial problems
are corrected, a reduction in labor and material cost range from 35%
to 60%. NOTE: Actual maintenance expenditures will increase during the
first year following the start of an IR program. This increase, normally
10%-15%, is caused by the normal reliability problems discovered by
the program during the first year. 3. Increased useful life of facility assets. Normally,
an IR program can extend equipment life by 33%- 60%. By not permitting
a minor issue to develop into a major problem, effective useful life
can be extended. 4. Increased integrity. Cost savings are a side benefit for public safety facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. where the primary objective is increased life saving abilities. Weaknesses can be eliminated before a stressful emergency exists.
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IR view of bus Bars. Notice the top bar. |  |
Visable view of the same bus bars. |
| What is actually involved in an IPSI-
IR preventative maintenance program. IPSI takes thermal images of key components such as electrical panels, motor controls and motors at least once per year (sometimes, once per month). Past images are compared to previous images. Hot spots that were not there last time indicate developing problems. Also, given the extensive IPSI experience, some problems can be detected on the first visit.
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IR View of a typical Panel Board |  |
Visable view of the same Panel Board |
| Where can IR- Preventive Maintenance
be helpful: Electrical inspections
of buildings, plants, facilities and refineries. Thermal heat loss inspections for buildings, plants,
facilities and refineries. Moisture contamination evaluations in building, condo’s,
plants and facilities. Concrete integrity inspections. Flat roof leak detection. Power generation, generator inspections Electrical motor inspections, mechanical bearing inspection. Cold Storage cooling losses Automotive, fuel injectors, braking systems, and bearings. Consider this typical scenario.: Electrical problems become worse when electrical circuits are added to accommodate additional loads. This is when unnoticed overload conditions can occur. Over time, these minor extra loads add up. The result is a total load current at the circuit breaker or fuse disconnect switch begins to overheat. Combined with a poor or weak connection, conditions are prime for a circuit failure. The reason for regular infrared scanning is to detect thermal anomalies and repair them before a unexpected breakdown can occur and unplanned repairs are required. |
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| More Sample IR images | |||
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IR view of bearing under a conveyer belt. The middle bearing has a problem |
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Visable view of the same bearings |
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IR view of an enclosed bus with a hot spot. |  |
Visable view of the same enclosed bus |
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IR view of a motor control panel. The left cable is overheating |  |
Visable view of the same motor control panel |
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IR view of a switch panel. The Center connection is overheating |  |
Visable view of the same switch panel |
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IR view of transformer plugs.The left plug is overheating |  |
Visable view of the same style transformer plugs. |
The bottom line: Any unexpected temperature rise is a concern! |
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Site Created by Amy Pschierer |
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