| Printable Version |
| Commitment to 'investing in the best you can afford' certainly paid dividends for Midlands' company, Thermographic Inspection Services, when it was commissioned to assess the integrity of a cold store roof. Partners Steve Widdowson and Mike Faulder were told to expect temperatures of around -20°C. As this exceeded the published minimum operating temperature of their new ThermaCAMŽ P Series infrared thermal imaging camera, they contacted the FLIR Systems support team for advice.
| |
"Having decided to make a serious investment in thermography we clearly didn't want to risk the camera's long term health in such a hostile environment," explained Steve Widdowson. "However, we decided to accept the project as FLIR Systems assured us that the camera is designed to shut-down automatically in temperature extremes before any permanent damage can be inflicted."
| |
The inspection site was a 180m x 60m warehouse, fitted with huge chillers, designed as a fast-freeze store for potato chips. The owner had systematically been replacing roof insulation and Thermographic Inspection Services task was to assess the integrity of the panel joints. Just for good measure, Steve and Mike took an independent temperature humidity measurement device inside the store and found to their great concern that they were working in -39°C, not -20°C as advised! However, content in the knowledge that their new camera was failsafe, they carried on.
| |
Through the respective partners, Thermographic Inspection Services brings together considerable experience in both mechanical and electrical engineering. The company was formed to provide expert predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, a service that it now conducts nationwide. Steve Widdowson explained that although they initially considered a low-end investment in thermography with a torch-style camera, a professional model offered so much more potential. "We thoroughly investigated the market and it was clear that FLIR Systems could give us all we needed both in terms of camera specification and support."
| |
In the event, the cold store survey took an hour to complete with operators and camera working in an ambient temperature of -39°C. "Even at that extreme, the camera gave us excellent images," Steve continued. "We were on site for more than three hours and we only had to change the battery once. In the P-Series ThermaCAMŽ I really believe we invested in the best and this one project alone certainly vindicated our choice."
|
 This professional infrared thermal imaging camera is built to withstand the rigours of industrial use. It provides high-accuracy infrared imaging and measurement in the range -40°C to +2000°C and resolves temperature differences as small as 0.08°C. Weighing less than 2kg, the camera is contained in a rugged, shock-, water- and dust-resistant IP-54 housing to protect it on-site and in the field. Its Li-ion battery allows over two hours of continuous operation and can be re-charged in the camera from the mains or car 12V supply.
|
|
