Although the solutions of electrical equipment, industrial instrumentation and automation supply, implementation and support company Magnet can be used for any electrical or mechanical application, including mining, the company is yet to offer its services to the mining industry, Magnet training manager Johan Roets states.
Magnet introduced its thermal-imaging service, designed to reduce plant breakdowns and costly repairs, optimise production processes and improve safety in the workplace, at the end of 2013.
The system uses a digital camera equipped with infrared optics to detect infrared radiation that is converted into a temperature. While the system is relatively easy to operate, like taking a photograph, technical skills and experience are required to ensure that the correct pictures are taken and that they are analysed correctly, says Roets.
Magnet’s thermal-imaging service forms part of a condition-monitoring programme to determine when and where maintenance is needed on electrical and mechanical installations and components.
Using reliable, noninvasive thermal-imaging instruments, which can scan and visualise the temperature distribution of entire surfaces of machinery and electrical equipment quickly and accurately, allows for preventive action to be taken if there is a fault. This means that production plants can be inspected for maintenance even when systems are under load.
Roets explains to Mining Weekly that thermal-imaging cameras are suited to a vast array of electrical and mechanical applications, noting that thermal imaging detects irregularities that are usually invisible to the naked eye, which subsequently allows for corrective action to be taken before costly system failures or fires occur.
He states the technology is useful when conducting high-voltage and low-voltage inspections in electrical applications. When assessing high-voltage connections, the thermal-imaging service provides useful diagnostics in the case of high-voltage switches becoming oxidised, connections being overheated or incorrectly secured and insulator defects. In terms of low-voltage inspections, the system provides diagnostics on high- resistance connections, corroded connections, internal fuse damage and internal circuit-breaker faults.
Further, during mechanical inspections the thermal detection system diagnoses lubrication issues, misalignments, overheated motors, suspect rollers, overloaded pumps, overheated motor axles and hot bearings, Roets states.
The thermal-imaging service can also diagnose pipework issues, such as leaks, insulation breakdown and pipe blockages, as well as refractory and petrochemical installation issues such as insulation defects and refractory breakdown on a rotary cement kiln.
In addition, the thermal detection system provides flare and tank-level detection, and identifies hot spots in welding robots. It can also be used for aeronautical material and mould inspection, temperature distribution checking for asphalt pavements and inspections in paper mills.
Thermal-imaging technology has become one of the most valuable diagnostic tools for industrial applications, Roets asserts.
A small electrical problem can have far reaching consequences, he says, noting that, as the efficiency of the electricity grid drops, more energy is to used generate heat. If left unchecked, this heat can increase to the point where connections start to melt and this can result in a fire.
Magnet’s system can identify and locate a fault before costly problems occur and Magnet can advise exactly on what needs to be fixed. This thermal-imaging service, which extends from the examination of a fuse box to the inspection of a large industrial installation, ensures cost savings, reduced downtime and improved safety standards.