■ infra-red thermography

■ thermography
The need for predictive maintenance to ensure optimum efficiency from production plant, machinery and their power supplies play an increasingly important role, for any plant engineer, in today's competitive market place.

Using the latest compact and very portable thermographic systems, Sulzer Dowding & Mills can survey a number of installations in a very short period, whether they are in an office, a factory or on board a sea going ship. Without the need for contact with, or shutdown of the equipment, a survey can identify areas of impending failure by detecting excessive temperatures in electrical and mechanical components. It can also indicate heat losses where installation systems are either inadequate or damaged. The benefits of regular surveys are many including reducing downtime by minimizing breakdowns; optimising planned shutdown time; by identifying the specific equipment that needs attention; reducing costs through energy savings; the protection of expensive capital equipment; reducing inspection and diagnosis time and easy checking of repair work.

Sulzer Dowding & Mills has experienced technicians who are familiar with the technical and operating details of the equipment being surveyed. They can carry out the survey analyse the results and provide a written report with recommendations for further action.

■ electrical equipment
Electric motors and their control circuitry, substations, overhead transmissions lines and transformers, fuse boards, circuit breakers, power semi conductors, cabling and junction boxes are just some of the areas where potential problems are easily detected by infra red Thermography. It can also detect an imbalance in 3 phase systems, where a slight difference in current level in one phase can result in a considerable temperature rise in the conductor.

■ mechanical equipment
Equipment such as belt and chain drives, clutch assemblies, air compressors and pumps can all be inspected quickly by thermographic surveys to locate potential problem areas, although it may not necessarily identify the cause. Excessive temperature rises, usually caused by friction in worn bearings, poor lubrication, misalignment, excessive overload and normal wear and tear, are clearly shown and can be recorded for later analysis.

■ insulation materials
The survey of furnaces, ovens, dryers, kilns, boilers, hot and cold storage tanks and insulated ducting or piping can reveal faulty or inadequate insulation systems, leading to energy inefficiency and the consequent on-costs.