No facility manager wants to have downtime on their watch, especially when it can be prevented. If the facility cannot shut down for maintenance, then infrared scanning, although not a replacement for maintenance,  might be a good compromise to buy some time.  The benefit of Infrared Scanning (IR scanning) is that it can take place while the facility is still up and running. That means no scheduled downtime!

Why do Infrared Inspections?

  • Detect potential issues in equipment while under load and without shutting down
  • Track problems that are slowly developing over time with reports
  • Schedule a shutdown on your time to fix any issues found during the inspection
  • Save time and money by avoiding emergency calls and rushed equipment repair costs

A plant-wide thermographic survey (infrared scan) on all electrical equipment can help prevent problems. At UIS, our technicians are trained electricians first. They pinpoint the thermal anomalies that threaten the safety and reliability of your electrical systems. They can do this safely, rapidly, and accurately.

Infrared Inspection in 3 simple steps:

  1. UIS Technician takes photos of equipment with a special IR camera
  2. All information is gathered, and a report is created
  3. A technician is scheduled to address any issues found

Snap

When a trained technician is scheduled to take IR photos of a facility, the equipment and power can continue to run like normal. There is no de-energized power or impact on production.  A qualified power technician can take these photos with no interruption to the facility. See the photo below as an example.

Report

A detailed report will be created to summarize the findings (if any) from the infrared inspection. This includes pictures of each piece of equipment tested and will highlight anything that needs further inspection. If there is equipment outside of the recommended range, the report will include further testing and maintenance recommendations.

Fix

After the two above steps have been completed, it is time to schedule a technician to return for maintenance or repair. This scheduled time will most likely require the facility to have scheduled downtime while the repairs are being done. However, early detection of equipment issues is much more affordable than forced downtime due to equipment failure.  Click here for more information on infrared inspections and how Utilities Instrumentation Service can help.

Remember a scheduled shut down is much better than an unscheduled emergency call. Avoid costly off-hour emergency calls with IR Scans and Electrical maintenance.