Handheld infrared (IR) thermometers have gone from specialist tools to commonplace instruments in just a few years, and Comtest, distributor of Fluke test and measurement equipment, says this shift is transforming how maintenance teams in electrical, industrial and HVAC environments approach troubleshooting. Portable and convenient, these instruments allow technicians to check both product quality and process quality without contacting the equipment being tested.
Fluke’s range of IR thermometers goes further on accuracy. The Fluke 62 MAX+ features two targeting lasers instead of the usual single centre-spot laser. Dual rotating beams trace the outer boundary of the exact circle being measured, so users know precisely what area they are reading.
Temperature measurement strategies
There are three ways to use a non-contact IR thermometer:
• Measuring temperature at a spot: Used to measure and track temperature at a single point, useful for trending an object’s temperature, or comparing a measurement against a specification. High repeatability helps ensure consistency.
• Comparing the temperature of two spots: Used to check the functioning of a steam trap by measuring the temperature of the inlet and outlet. No change indicates the trap has failed open; a very large change indicates it has failed to close.
• Scanning an object and detecting changes within a continuous area: Allows the user to find hot or cold spots on housings, panels and structures, for example, checking the heat sink of air-cooled transformers for cool tubes that indicate restricted or absent flow.
Applications for infrared thermometers
IR non-contact thermometers are suited to moving targets and machinery, hazardous, inaccessible or distant targets, electrical components, broad evaluations of machinery or surfaces and trending records. Insurance companies are also encouraging customers to implement preventive infrared scanning. IR thermometers can perform diagnostics that were previously impossible without shutting down systems.
Electrical maintenance
IR thermometers can check for heat build-up at loose connectors and troubleshoot problems in battery banks, power panel terminations, ballasts, switchgear and fuse connections. Hot spots in the output filters on DC battery connections can also be identified. Inspecting supply power connections and circuit breakers for equal temperatures helps locate faults, and when a thermal overload protection device fails and a motor shuts down, an IR thermometer is effective for determining the source of the problem. Because electrical currents generate heat, temperature monitoring is an efficient way to predict potential equipment failure.
Equipment maintenance
Checking moving parts and housings in motors and gearboxes for hot spots is a common application. Temperature change can indicate developing problems in equipment ranging from ovens and boilers to freezers. Routine temperature audits of generators and their bearings can prevent expensive repairs. Scanning bearing temperatures allows the maintenance engineer to detect hot spots and schedule repairs or replacements before they lead to equipment failure.
Building controls
HVAC components can be monitored for quick energy audits and room balancing. An IR thermometer with a 60:1 distance-to-spot ratio makes elevated vents and returns easier to reach. For example, a thermometer with a 10:1 distance-to-spot ratio allows measurement of a 25 mm circle from 250 mm away; at 3 m from the target, the measurement spot becomes a 300 mm circle.
Compressor head, compressor oil sump, evaporator coil and suction line, discharge line, condenser coil and liquid line, and fan motor temperatures can all be measured quickly. Insulation on all surfaces can be scanned for leakage and losses.
Process and product monitoring
IR thermometers can monitor process lines and check the temperature of different products on production lines, from rubber tyres to plastics and from concrete to food products. A lighted display makes it easier to view results in poorly lit areas. High-temperature alarm warnings, especially when both audible and visible, call attention to temperatures exceeding a specified threshold, even in loud environments.
| Tel: | +27 10 595 1824 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.comtest.co.za |
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