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Application Notes:
Thermal Process Monitoring |
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In process manufacturing, uniformity is essential. Technicians rely on monitoring of all kinds, from fixed mount sensors to handheld thermal imagers to track the condition of product and critical equipment. That's because temperature measurement and control is one of the single most significant variables for uniformity across process industries. |
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Temperature monitoring can detect overheating delivery system components, help solve irregularities in electrical power supplies, predict operational machinery failure, detect blockages in supply pipes, and identify product inconsistencies.
Given the number of process industries and associated equipment variations, the possibilities for thermal monitoring are endless. One approach is to monitor critical assets the most often, followed by equipment in harsh environments.
What to check?Power distribution systems. Consistent, high quality power is essential for process manufacturing. Thermal imagery can identify bad electrical connections, imbalances, overloads, harmonics, and other impending electrical equipment failures and prevent both uneven or inadequate power supply as well as downtown.
Motors, fans, pumps, conveyors. Thermal inspections of the bearings, shafts, casings, belts, gearboxes and other components that emit heat before failure can prevent unexpected equipment breakdowns on moving equipment.
Heat processes. Paper, glass, steel and food product production all require the uniform application of heat. These processes often utilize thermocouples or infrared temperature sensors for thermal control. Frequently, spot measurements are not adequate due to process variations.
Pipes. In processes, fluids need to be delivered to the right place at the right time and in the right amounts. If a pipe is obstructed it can cause a chain reaction that throws an entire process loop out of tune, creating oscillation.
Valves. Process control valves are also critical to delivering fluids to processes at the right time. A thermal imager can monitor for leakage, stiction (sticking) or excess friction. Also, a valve's excitation coil may overheat from working too hard, pointing to a problem such as current leakage or valve size mismatch.
What to look for?In specific processes, use your thermal imager to look at product uniformity. For example, if you have a paper process, you probably process the paper running it through an oven to cure it. The coatings applied often require a combination of time and temperature to achieve the right cure point and final moisture level.
What represents a "red alert"?Equipment conditions that pose a safety risk should take the highest repair priority. However, the imminent failure of any piece of critical equipment constitutes a red alert. The same key operations, maintenance and safety personnel who determine which production assets are critical should play important roles in quantifying "warning" and "alarm" levels for those assets.
What's the potential cost of failure?Here are representative hourly downtime costs for some selected process industries: Energy, US $2.8 million; Pharmaceuticals, US $1 million; Food and Beverage, US $800,000; Chemicals, US $700,000; Metals...
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