IR – Maintenance

IR-Electrical Predictive and Preventative Maintenance

Why should you call IPSI and schedule an IR-preventative maintenance program?
(IR= Infrared, Thermography):

An IPSI IR-Predictive Maintenance will save you money, increase building safety and help maintain production integrity. As an experienced engineering contractor, IPSI has broad experience with many types of equipment and failure scenarios both mechanical and electrical. Also, as an electrical contractor, we are uniquely qualified to work in live voltage situations. IPSI-IR inspections can provide a record of building status while under actual operating conditions.

Most electrical and mechanical problems at industrial plants are manifested by temperature changes before a failure.

As electrical connections become loose, there is a resistance to current that can cause an increase in temperature. If left unchecked, heat generated can raise to a level where connections begin to melt and connections open. Sometime, fire results.

In addition to loose connections, problems can arise from load imbalances and corrosion. Regular IR inspections can locate hot spots before a severe problem occurs.

Including an IR-Preventive Maintenance program will provide the ability to optimize the availability of process machinery and greatly reduce the cost of maintenance. It will also provide the means to improve product quantity, productivity and profitability.

An IR-Preventive Maintenance program can minimize unscheduled breakdowns of electrical and mechanical equipment in the factory and ensure that repaired equipment is in acceptable condition. An IR program can identify problems before they become serious. Most problems can minimized if they are detected and repaired early. Normal mechanical failure modes degrade at speeds directly proportional to the severity. If the problem is detected early, most major repairs can be prevented.

Examples of Benefits: How IR-Preventive maintenance programs saves money, increase safety and maintain production integrity:

  1. Elimination of unscheduled downtime caused by equipment failures. History has shown that unscheduled downtime is reduced by 40% to 60% within the first two years and up to 90% if the IR program is continued for five years. Analysis of maintenance costs have shown that a repair made after a failure will normally cost three times the cost of the same repair made on a scheduled basis
  2. Reduction in maintenance costs. After initial problems are corrected, a reduction in labor and material cost range from 35% to 60%. NOTE: Actual maintenance expenditures will increase during the first year following the start of an IR program. This increase, normally 10%-15%, is caused by the normal reliability problems discovered by the program during the first year.
  3. Increased useful life of facility assets. Normally, an IR program can extend equipment life by 33%- 60%. By not permitting a minor issue to develop into a major problem, effective useful life can be extended.
  4. Increased integrity. Cost savings are a side benefit for public safety facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, etc. where the primary objective is increased life saving abilities. Weaknesses can be eliminated before a stressful emergency exists.

What is actually involved in an IPSI- IR preventative maintenance program.
IPSI takes thermal images of key components such as electrical panels, motor controls and motors at least once per year (sometimes, once per month). Past images are compared to previous images. Hot spots that were not there last time indicate developing problems. Also, given the extensive IPSI experience, some problems can be detected on the first visit.

Where can IR-Preventive Maintenance be helpful:

  • Electrical inspections of buildings, plants, facilities, and refineries.
    Thermal heat loss inspections for buildings, plants, facilities, and refineries.
  • Moisture contamination evaluations in buildings, condos, plants, and facilities.
  • Concrete integrity inspections.
    Flat roof leak detection.
    Power generation, generator inspections
  • Electrical motor inspections, mechanical bearing inspection.
  • Cold Storage cooling losses
  • Automotive, fuel injectors, braking systems, and bearings.
Consider this typical scenario:
Electrical problems become worse when electrical circuits are added to accommodate additional loads. This is when unnoticed overload conditions can occur. Over time, these minor extra loads add up. The result is a total load current at the circuit breaker or fuse disconnect switch begins to overheat. Combined with a poor or weak connection, conditions are prime for a circuit failure. The reason for regular infrared scanning is to detect thermal anomalies and repair them before a unexpected breakdown can occur and unplanned repairs are required.

    Reviews

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