Versatility of thermal imaging applications across industries improves efficiency in equipment maintenance

Thermal imaging transforms equipment maintenance by detecting issues early, improving efficiency, and reducing costs this technology helps engineers and technicians prevent failures and optimise system performance, ensuring long-term operational success.

Thermal imaging is used in various industries, including healthcare, pest control, animal rescue, termite detection, first responders, law enforcement, contractors, technicians, and engineers. It helps assess body temperature, ensure public health and safety, participate in search and rescue efforts, and detect illegal activity. Portable thermal imaging devices can transform how professionals and industries prevent, seek, and solve common challenges.

Thermal imaging is a valuable service that can help homeowners detect potential moisture in walls, ceilings, and floors. It also identifies areas with inadequate insulation, detects water leaks, and repairs issues by checking for heat anomalies in plumbing fixtures, moisture intrusion, and rot behind the stucco. It highlights the importance of tracking heat from pests and insects like termites to identify active infestations. Thermal imaging can help homeowners save money by detecting heat loss and air infiltration, allowing them to take corrective action before replacing entire roofs or identifying hot spots before equipment failures. By analysing temperature differences between wet and dry areas, thermal imaging can help identify areas for mitigation and save money on repairs.

Improving system efficiency

Thermal imaging cameras are essential for crews and engineers to establish baselines for systems and equipment, enabling them to schedule only necessary maintenance and repairs. They provide insights into equipment lifecycle trends, declining performance, and maintenance schedules. Thermal cameras are handy for spotting issues early in life or near the end. 

Detecting energy losses like cold bridges, heat influxes, and radiator recesses helps assess sustainability and identify defective or missing insulation.

Thermal imaging can be used in the manufacturing and process industries for preventative maintenance, sustainability measurement, and troubleshooting. A recent study by the California Manufacturers and Technology Association and CNA Financial Corporation found that thermography inspections saved customers an estimated 52 million dollars, resulting in an impressive ROI of $8,449 daily savings. This technology offers access, spot checks, and insights inaccessible to the naked eye.

Applications

Thermal imaging is a crucial tool in manufacturing for process control, condition monitoring, and planned maintenance. It helps monitor equipment, liquid levels, and materials in industries like steel, petroleum, injection moulding, and food. It also optimises sampling and monitoring conditions, making production lines more efficient and sustainable. Monitoring line and process equipment ensures minimal interruptions and allows for better operations and maintenance planning. Using thermal imaging, businesses can better monitor and measure their equipment’s functionality, ensuring long-term success.

Oil and gas

Thermal imaging cameras prove helpful in the oil and gas industries for detecting and maintaining gas and chemical leaks, ensuring regulatory compliance, maximising profitability, and ensuring safe working conditions. These cameras are used to trace and rectify leaks of invisible volatile compounds early, ensuring regulatory compliance and profitability. Additionally, thermal imaging cameras are essential for optimising facilities and equipment maintenance, monitoring reactors and external shells, and providing perimeter protection against unauthorised persons and animals, especially in inclement weather or at night.

Electric utilities

Thermal imaging cameras can improve reliability in electrical utilities by enhancing security management and preventing power failures. They can also aid in diagnostics and the early detection of potential issues. Thermal imaging can detect potential failures early and prevent major malfunctions by monitoring the temperature distribution of circuit breakers, air switches, lightning arresters, and capacitor banks. Additionally, thermal imaging can detect hot spots in distribution systems to catch outages before they occur.

Thermal imaging can reduce costs, product loss, inefficiencies, and downtime while increasing safety, profitability, and efficiency. Discover HIKMICRO thermography solutions and select the right camera for your industry and operational needs.

Authored by: Ashish P. Dhakan, MD & CEO of Prama Hikvision India Private Limited