Infrascan Serives have been carrying out Thermographic surveys since 1999 and consider ourselves to be specialist in this Non Destructive Test.
We carry out surveys on Electrical, mechannical and refractory plant.
infrared thermography is a test that can be utilised to identify unbalanced loads, poor connections, deteriorated insulation or any other issues in energized electrical panels or components without dismantling the components. These problems may lead to excess power use, increased maintenance costs, or catastrophic equipment failure resulting in unscheduled service interruptions, equipment damage, or other problems.
The NFPA or National Fire Protection Association assesses that 10% of the fires happening are associated with electrical system failures, like failure of terminals, electrical insulation and related components. Electricity at Work Regulations Act 1989, Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition as amended) suggest that electrical infrastructure be regularly maintained and tested to ensure compliance with safety guidelines.
Performing an infrared testing will highlight problems with electrical infrastructure under load during the testing process as these areas will manifest as anomalous temperatures shown in the live image on the thermal imaging camera. Moreover, failures can result in employees to be bared to live electrical circuits, making them prone to severe injury or death from electrocution. By detecting high-resistance connections and repairing them, the likelihood of a breakdown of the electrical wires and related components will be reduced.
Other benefits of finding and fixing these faults are the cost effectiveness that comes from energy conservation and reduction in shutdown and repair charge. High resistance in circuits causes an increase in current flow. When current flow is increased, the resulting power consumption will increase. Additionally, large current draw can lead to severe electrical circuit components, like circuit breakers, fuses and transformers, to collapse prematurely. These failures result in higher maintenance and repair costs, and resultant business interruptions.
Benefits of Doing Thermography Testing of Electrical Panel
- Determines if the components and system have been properly installed and are not damaged
- Reduces downtime
- Reduces risk of equipment failure
- Increases safety
- Improves insurability
- Reduces liability exposure of the designers and installers
- Improves system performance
- Determines whether components and systems operate properly and meet the design intent
- Determines if components and systems are in compliance with the project specifications and design
- Reduces construction schedule delays
- Saves money