How a thermal camera uses image-based sensors to help with on-site predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance is of ever-increasing importance to process engineers looking to reduce factory downtime.
Tools they might use include IoT sensors that measure temperature, vibration, pressure power draw, or acoustics; vibration analysis sensors for rotating equipment; ultrasonic microphones; drones and robots; motor circuit analysers or infra-red thermography cameras.
Hikmicro has just released such a camera, the SP100H, which deploys an image-based sensor to detect abnormal heat signatures in components such as motor bearings or electrical systems since these can indicate a problem.
The camera, which benefits from a 865,000 pixel resolution and <20 mK thermal sensitivity, delivers “rugged reliability, and workflow efficiency that the electrical power industry demands to prevent failures, ensure grid stability and protect personnel,” according to the company.
Temperature variations
The camera enables engineers and asset managers to accurately detect minute temperature variations in connections, transformers and circuit breakers from a safe distance and with clarity.
This, combined with an integrated software ecosystem made up of Hikmicro’s intelligent Analyser and Viewer App, eliminates workflow bottlenecks and turns raw thermal data and images into actionable and professional reports for management and regulators, to streamline compliance and the inspection process.
The SP100H is the latest in Hikmicro’s SP Series for utilities, substations and power transmission, which offers scalable solutions for everything from routine maintenance and operational checks (SP40/60) to the most critical fault detection and high-resolution analysis (SP100H/120H).
Shadow Zhang, overseas brand manager at Hikmicro, said: “Minor faults can lead to catastrophic downtime, safety hazards, and financial loss. The SP Series is engineered to identify these anomalies early and before they become failures.
“The return on investment is quantifiable because preventing a single substation transformer failure can save huge costs in equipment replacement and lost revenue, while the ability to inspect live equipment from a safe and flexible distance, significantly reduces arc-flash and electrocution risks.”
Latest solution
As the latest solution in the high performance HIKMICRO SP Series, the SP100H’s 1040×832 IR resolution especially pinpoints overheating in small-gauge connections, faulty insulators and internal transformer issues. SuperIR enhancement technology at 30 Hz frequency also means that thermal images are upscaled 4X for exceptional detail in live and recorded radiometric data.
The 90° rotating screen and the 180° rotating lens design make viewing around, between, above, or below the target area much easier.
For more information visit: www.hikmicrotech.com
