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infrared testing

Can Infrared Testing Reveal as Much as Cutting into a Pipe?

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When you can see condensation or feel heat on a pipe, you know something may be wrong inside of it. Cutting into that pipe to discover a potential problem, though, is a serious and costly step. Infrared testing may be a better choice.

Even where no obvious signs of temperature disturbances are visible, problems may still exist under the surface. In situations like this, IR cameras and trained thermographers are invaluable. All objects radiate IR energy, which an IR camera can “see.” The thermographer reads the thermal radiation patterns to determine the condition of a pipe or other material vital to your business.

Doing this right takes a highly-trained thermographer because of thermal reflectivity. Some of the radiation being emitted from the pipe or other components won’t have anything to do with true surface temperature. Thermographers go through extensive training to learn how to identify, understand, evaluate and control this reflective energy. Thermography also requires deep knowledge of physics and environmental factors that influence surface temperatures.

Thermography has two big advantages or other NDT (nondestructive testing) tech:

  •      Speed – thermography is almost instantaneous
  •      In-situ inspection – large areas or a vast number of objects can be tested in a short period of time

Other advantages include:

  •      Environmentally friendly
  •      No destruction of what’s being examined
  •      Major savings in employee compensation, downtime and machinery costs
  •      Can be done day or night

Contact at (888) 925-4404 or via our online form to talk about inspecting your pipes – and saving you money.

data centers

Keep Data Centers Running with Infrared Testing

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Many companies and business owners think infrared testing is just for heavy machinery and things like a building’s roof or HVAC system. However, having thermal imaging electrical inspections in data centers can help ensure the entire company is running at peak efficiency.

The hardest part for thermographers is surveying the numerous circuit boards and other devices and comparing them among the different surveys. However, this type of detail is exactly what companies need to keep their data centers running.

Negative Impacts of Data Center Downtime

Companies today use infrared testing to avoid costly shutdowns. The financial impact alone of shutting down production for even one hour can be significant. Any industry is negatively affected by data center downtime, so it’s crucial for thermographers to do a thorough job any time they conduct an infrared electrical systems survey. That’s why so many hire a professional.

What happens with an electric systems failure could vary depending on the type of equipment. That’s why thermographic scanning will analyze circuit boards, servers, cooling systems, switchgears and any other electrical equipment. With the highly sensitive equipment, certified thermographers have to keep detailed records just in case some equipment becomes faulty shortly after the testing; it’s that good. The thermographer has to be able to indicate the equipment was in good working condition at the time of the scan.

How Infrared Testing Prevents Electrical Failure

Numerous things can go wrong when dealing with electrical equipment. A plug can overheat, a wire can be exposed or a server could become overloaded. The importance of electrical testing and inspection in data centers can’t be overstated. Due to the size of some data centers, it’s nearly impossible for a maintenance professional to inspect every plug or piece of equipment on a routine basis. That’s why infrared testing is critical to help locate faulty equipment more efficiently.

Servers are Constantly Running

Even when employees go home for the day, data centers and servers never take time off. These pieces of equipment are designed to handle big loads, but malfunctions can happen at any time. As a result, data centers have to have more frequent infrared electrical inspections than other pieces of equipment in the building. Even one server going down could quickly and drastically impact a business.

Performing IR Testing at Data Centers

When you hire a certified thermographer to conduct an IR electrical systems survey at your company, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing every piece of equipment is in good shape. If something needs to be repaired or replaced, you’ll know it right away.

The cost of infrared testing is minimal when compared to the potential consequences of having to shut down a data center. Whether you’ve done infrared testing in your company in the past or not, contact us for details about the process.

thermography inspection

IR Testing Finds What a General Shutdown Can’t

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When it comes to regular maintenance for your commercial building, sometimes human senses simply can’t detect every issue. The benefits of infrared inspection include seeing leaks not visible to the human eye and detecting potential problems without having to shut down the entire building.

Companies are beginning to see the value of getting a thermography inspection regularly, and here’s why.

Advantages of IR Testing

Companies who conduct regular thermal imaging electrical inspections will experience fewer shutdowns. This is because the technology can see much more than even the best structural engineer. At the same time, these inspections help a business reduce costs on labor, wear on machinery and time invested in diagnosing repairs.

Plus, one of the best benefits of infrared inspection is you can keep business running as usual during testing. Depending on the layout of your building, the infrared survey could be completed after hours, but most of the time it isn’t even necessary.

IR Testing is for Any Part of the Commercial Building

From the HVAC system to the roof to the building envelope, infrared testing can get the job done. Most companies start with an infrared roof moisture survey, since the roof is one of the most vulnerable parts of a building when it comes to leaking. However, getting a complete infrared thermography inspection completed frequently will help ensure every part of the building will stay in good shape for years to come.

Improved Preventative Maintenance

IR testing not only shows what is completely faulty, but also what components are weakening due to age. This is especially important for electrical thermography, since you can see if a plug or wire is showing signs of being faulty before it actually stops working or causes other problems.

Many times, preventative maintenance can only do so much, since people can’t look at every little detail of the entire building. By doing a professional infrared thermography inspection, potential problems will be identified so employees can target those areas as part of their regular maintenance schedule.

Decrease Downtime and Avoid a Costly Shutdown

Above all else, companies schedule IR testing to reduce downtime and prevent costly shutdowns. If a machine breaks to the point where it can’t be used for an extended period of time, then significant costs could be accrued in the form of replacing the machine and lost time for employees.

When comparing the cost of an infrared thermography inspection to the cost of a potential shutdown, the comparison is one-sided. Not only does IR testing find things a general shutdown can’t, it will find potential problems more quickly before they become major issues.

As more companies turn toward conducting infrared testing, be sure to contact us for questions or to schedule an appointment and avoid having to shut down your business for even a day.

ICS, your Partner for Thermal Imaging Survey Services

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Infrared Consulting Services Inc. (ICS), an independent leading Thermal Imaging Survey Services & consulting firm, serves clients around the world. When it comes to thermal imaging survey and infrared inspection systems, our 35 years of experience in thermographic imaging services has earned us an outstanding reputation and business from others in the testing industry.

We provide wide range of services
•    Infrared electrical systems survey
•    Baseline infrared survey
•    Infrared building envelope performance survey
•    Infrared mechanical systems survey
•    Infrared steam utilities survey
•    Infrared wall moisture survey
•    Infrared roof evaluation survey
•    High voltage electrical infrared survey
•    Infrared roof moisture survey
•    Boiler and refractory infrared survey

ICS uses the most advanced thermographic analysis and sensors at the time of operation.

How does ICS Thermal Imaging Survey Services help you?

If you are a property owner or manager of a facility, an infrared testing can evaluate and discover expesnsive problems and protect your real estate investment. Infrared Consulting Services (ICS) performs an analysis of thermal imaging survey data that helps you to determine every problem and issue related to your building diagnostics or maintenance programs before they become a serious and costly affair.

Infrared testing is a non-destructive, non-invasive inspection process that utilizes thermographic cameras for their testing. These infrared detectors sense and gather the temperature conditions that lie beyond the range of ordinary sight and visible light. ICS infrared baseline surveys and services can detect minor to major problems before they grow into expensive hazards.

ICS has a team of efficient technicians that analyze, evaluate the performance and security of mechanical as well as electrical systems, roofing and insulation, and steam plants in different industrial areas. To discuss your infrared imaging inspection requirements with a professionally trained ICS representative, kindly visit us at irtest.com or call us Toll Free at 1-888-925-4404.

ultrasonic-testing

What is Ultrasonic Survey Technology and What are its Scopes of Applications?

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Ultrasonic Survey Technology tracks the condition of the valuable electrical assets. It increases factors like safety, durability, and reliability of the particular equipment. This blog is going to talk about the aspects and applications of ultrasonic survey technology.

What is Ultrasonic Survey Technology?

Ultrasonic Survey TechnologyMost problems occurring in machines and electrical equipment produce sound and vibration at ultrasonic frequencies (greater than 20kHz) that cannot be detected by the human ear. Ultrasonic Survey detect faults or loopholes in high voltage equipment and machinery. These problems cannot be identified by either vibration tests or infrared surveys.

What are the typical applications of Ultrasonic Survey technology?

Any type of mechanical impairment or defects will generate ultrasonic sound. Be it the gear or the bearing or any other mechanical glitch, ultrasonic survey technology will provide predictive analysis of varied kinds of faults, such as:

  • Faulty welds
  • Defective steam traps
  • Holes
  • Gasket failures
  • Leaky valves in pipelines
  • Leaks in compressed air systems
  • Electrical discharges

ICS Taking Ultrasonic Survey Technology to New Heights

ICS provides our customers with the most advanced forms of both direct contact ultrasonic testing and airborne ultrasonic testing for:

  • Detection of arcing, tracking, and corona discharge in high voltage equipment
  • Infrared Surveys and airborne ultrasonic scanning services that offer crucial insurance against troubles like outages, equipment damage, or fire.
  • Direct contact ultrasonic testing measures the noise output in decibels predicting problems or performance level of bearings.
  • Leak detection in vacuum systems, steam traps, vessels, heat exchangers, gaskets and seals, and ductwork