thermal images to get you thinking

[murdock]

this is an image of 400 watt highbay light fittings i installed a couple of years ago i just scanned the lights to check the ballasts where still good

[murdock]

this is an image i took while checking MV transfomers for one of my customers

[murdock]

i get called out to find out why motors are overheating...so the first question i ask is where are the infrared images to determine how hot is overheating...eeeish nobody got a thermal imager...so how do you know its overheating...no problem i keep one in my tool box...so i scan the motor to check that the coupling is aligned or just coil heating or maybe even running a bearing even thought ey are brand new motors...before we start looking for other problems like...over loading...cable sizes...voltage unbalance...transfomer sizing...because we are talking about big motors...everyone is already pointing fingers at each other because nobody wants to be the one to foot the bill to repair or replace the problem.

[desA]

These are simply amazing devices.

Did a lot of work with them some years back on automotive heating devices - radiators, condensers, evaporators. Allows you to 'see inside' the device, in terms of fluid distribution & so forth. Very, very helpful.

[IanF]

Murdock
The applications for this technology must be endless, especially for preventative maintenance. What industries have you tried this in?

[123]

Hi there,

I am in the market for such a device, have been considering the flir i5 but not ready to purchase yet. (relatively cheap, can get for 27000 ?? from yellotec -last year price).

Does anyone have experience with the i5?

[Dave A]

Does anyone have experience with the i5?

It's dead easy to use and seems pretty robust. It's fine for scanning electrical panels and the like, but is a bit limited if you want to start getting into the more fancy stuff. Main limitations are the resolution and no zoom.

It's proved very useful and quickly finds problems in electrical installations that would be difficult to detect any other way.

R27k seems a pretty good price. We got one at about R40k around two years a go (although that included some training). If the price keeps coming down like that, it could become a standard item in any reasonably well-equipped electrician's toolbox one day.

[murdock]

i only use fluke equipment...tried and tested for 27 years now and still using them...dont get me wrong flir is a good product...i just dont have any experience using flir...if you go to http://www.irtalk.com/ the fellas there are very helpful and will give you an unbias opinion...people like john snell have been in the thermography field for many years.

[murdock]

Murdock
The applications for this technology must be endless, especially for preventative maintenance. What industries have you tried this in?

i am unfortunatley limited using the ti20...but you name it i scan it.

i have checked from components on pc boards...to animals on game drives...electrical panel hotspots (which was originally why i purchased the unit)...refrigeration plants...aircon ducting for leaks...plastic injection moulding...i carry the unit around with me all the time so if for example i need to chase a wall and i know there are water pipes...i turn on the water run it until the pipe becomes visible on the imager.

if i know we will be travelling to a dam far away to fish a comp. i scan the wheels of the boat trailer to make sure the bearings are not overheating.

and every 6 months or so i do random checks on the wheel bearing even if we are not travelling far.

there is no limit to the uses for a "good quality thermal imager"

[desA]

It's dead easy to use and seems pretty robust. It's fine for scanning electrical panels and the like, but is a bit limited if you want to start getting into the more fancy stuff. Main limitations are the resolution and no zoom.

It's proved very useful and quickly finds problems in electrical installations that would be difficult to detect any other way.

R27k seems a pretty good price. We got one at about R40k around two years a go (although that included some training). If the price keeps coming down like that, it could become a standard item in any reasonably well-equipped electrician's toolbox one day.

So, Dave, you are also into thermal imaging.

Good to know. Do you perhaps have some pictures & experiences to share? The different perspectives & applications would be incredibly interesting. I find these beasts to be pretty amazing - thermo-fluids is my game - lovely to see the real thermal world, in technicolour.

[greasemonkey]

This is scary,you mean to say if you point this thing at my head you will be able to see if there is anything in there and if its vaguely functional?
On a serious note,Where are you based and what do you charge for a session?I have a factory with serious issues

[murdock]

i use to tease my neighbour and tell him i would scan is house at night to check for live activities...had him worried he thought the camera could see through walls...it is a myth...you can see things like pipes in the walls if they generate heat or if they are cooler than the surface temp...but you cannot see through them.

[Dave A]

So, Dave, you are also into thermal imaging.

Good to know. Do you perhaps have some pictures & experiences to share?

From a business perspective we've pretty much stuck to the electrical aspect so far. I know Alan's played with exhaust manifold readings to balance carburettors on bikes - not too sure what else he might have got up to.

Ultimately the potential applications are about as wide as your imagination.

On a serious note,Where are you based and what do you charge for a session?I have a factory with serious issues

I've got the number of a guy in Gauteng we use for our scans up that way. I'll drop you a PM.

[123]

From a business perspective we've pretty much stuck to the electrical aspect so far. I know Alan's played with exhaust manifold readings to balance carburettors on bikes - not too sure what else he might have got up to.

Morning Dave and other Thermographers,

After doing some shallow research I have come to the conclusion that purchasing this device is a "nice to have", as it would take some time (more than 2 years) to get decent ROI, if at all.

I agree it could make life easier in our line of work, but the investment seems weak in contributing to already shrinking margins in my business.

Or am I missing something completely? Has anyone else found a good roi on their IR cameras?

[murdock]

the demand is not great enough...there are already numerous thermography companies out there...and to just have one like i do in my toolbox is an expensive tool...as is the fluke 435 etc...i dont specialise in any of these fields...but having these tools saves my customers a lot of money and i trace the faults rectify them and do backup tests to verify the problem is solved.

this is an issue with thermography the people come out do scans drop off a report then only return at the next inspection date which could be 6 months to a year later...the issue i have with this is firstly not all the equipment is running at 80 & capacity at the time od inspection...secondly how do you know the problem has been rectified unless a followup inspection is done.

with the way my company does things...we are the site installation and maintenance elctrician so when an issue arises i have all the equipment required to carryout the tests and the expertise...to back it.