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How To Guarantee Failure As A Thermographer
How To Guarantee Failure As A Thermographer
Ronald Lucier
FLIR Systems, North Billerica, Massachusetts
ABSTRACT
The usefulness of thermal imaging in Predictive/Diagnostic Maintenance (PDM) has been demonstrated and
documented for over twenty five years. Practitioners in the trade generally fall into two categories heroes or
goats! This paper highlights ten common activities that if not properly addressed can lead a thermographer down
the path to failure. By recognizing and avoiding these pitfalls the paths to success will be much clearer.
Keywords: Quantitative thermography, qualitative thermography, corrective action, risk, image subtraction, IRNDT
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE CAN BE A FEW MICRONS
The successful track record of infrared thermography as a predictive maintenance tool is well established. What
isnt so well established are programs and efforts that have not been successful. Over nearly twenty years of
experience I have seen both the successes and failures. The failures seem to have many things in common. In fact
there are ten common attributes. Identifying and avoiding these ten attributes may not guarantee your success.
Ignoring or not recognizing some of these attributes however will probably guarantee your failure.
TEN CRITICAL PITFALLS
1. Over Emphasizing Temperature Measurement
Ever since the introduction of radiometric systems there has been a tendency to rely on temperature measurements
as an indicator of component operability. NETA1, and others have generated equipment severity ratings based on
temperature. Therefore, through training and subsequent research, infrared thermographers have become
accustomed to providing temperature measurements in their reports.
There should be several key questions you ask yourself about temperature measurements:
What is the relative accuracy of the measurement?
Could I defend this measurement in court, against an Expert Witness?
Does the temperature measurement provide meaningful information?
It is important to note that Infrared Cameras do not measure temperature. Radiant energy is measured (Watts) and
from that value and your inputs temperature is calculated. Your measurement accuracy is directly related to the
accuracy of the camera calibration and the accuracy of your inputs for emissivity, background temperature and any
applicable environmental parameters. This also assumes you have the skill to acquire an image in focus and within
the spot size ratio of your system.
Potentially there could be liability for your measurement. Trial lawyers search wide and search deep for anything
that could help or hurt their clients case. If you report a temperature, particularly for a client other than your
employer, be sure of your results and express the uncertainties in your measurement.
A larger issue for temperature measurement is whether that measurement is meaningful or not. The two
thermograms below show a battery and cables. There is a 9 F difference between the good battery stud and the one
overheating. The absolute temperature of the bad stud is 119 F, +/- 3F. The melt point for Lead is 620 F.
Therefore under most common severity guidelines this would be classified as a MINOR problem.
The important information regarding this component is not necessarily the temperature but the electric current (load)
running through it. The stud is hot due to high resistance. As this is a DC application, the power dissipated at the
connection can be calculated using the equation P=I2R. At the time of measurement the battery was being trickle
charged at 60 ma (0.06 Amps). The battery was rated for 200 amps. Ignoring the fact that the resistance and heat
Therefore the typical PDM report may state that the corrective action is
to clean and tighten the connection. In fact this may solve the 60
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It is very tough for a non electrical person to identify electrical components. There is no excuse for not correctly
identifying components yet this is done every day.
Sources for the correct identification of components include plant personnel such as mechanics, electricians,
technicians as well as engineers, management, equipment operation manuals and the industry groups on the internet.
Lesson Learned
You should be able to produce a professional looking report with nice visual and infrared pictures. You should also
correctly identify the components you inspected. If you dont know what it is called, find out!
5. Not Having an Open Mind
I have been promoting the concept of IRBWA (Infrared By Walking Around) for many years. What this means is
that while you have a thermal imager in your hands, take time to look at as much as you can. We live in a thermal
world and there are all sorts of interesting things out there, some of them important! Much of what you see may not
have much relevance. Some of it will. I was with an electrician in a manufacturing plant not too long ago when he
took the IRBWA concept to heart. He located and reported a bad bearing on a conveyor belt roller. A simple task to
many of us but to this electrician it opened up a whole new world to him. Some of the images you obtain with
IRBWA can be very interesting. Some even useful!
There is a downside to not practicing IRBWA. Everyday that you use an Infrared Camera you should be increasing
your own knowledge base. A narrow or limited knowledge base limits your experience and may limit your future in
infrared thermography.
Lesson Learned
Unless your work rules prevent it, keep the camera running! You never know what,s lurking out there.
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