The Asset Reliability Care – ARC – team at WearCheck continually strives to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of its condition monitoring services. To help customers get the most benefit from thermography, the ARC team has developed a new course highlighting the best ways to capture thermographic imagery. The InfraFocus course, which is mandatory for all WearCheck’s ARC technicians, aims to assist users of thermographic cameras within customers teams to gain new skills.
Focus, composition and angle are important aspects in ensuring accurate thermal images to guide equipment maintenance.
Operations Manager for the ARC team, Annemie Willer, outlines the merits of the course.
“In thermography, a thermal camera captures and creates an image (thermogram) of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object – this is an example of infrared imaging science. The amount of radiation emitted by an object increases with temperature. Hence, thermography allows us to see variations in temperature. When viewed through a thermal imaging camera, warm objects stand out well against cooler backgrounds.
“In industry, thermography highlights machinery components that are outside of the normal or standard operating temperature, indicating a potential problem with the machine. Capturing the correct details in a series of images over time is important, using thermography to gain the best insight into a machine’s condition.”
InfraFocus: elevating industry standards
The two-day InfraFocus course reflects the WearCheck ARC team’s commitment to excellence. This specialised course, developed in partnership with well-known photographer Francki Burger, addresses key aspects of thermographic imaging that are often overlooked in traditional thermography training: focus, composition, and angle.
In thermography, the precision of thermal images is paramount for accurate diagnostics. Focus ensures that the thermal images are clear and detailed, allowing for precise identification of potential issues. Composition and angle are also important as they influence the contextual accuracy of the images, ensuring they capture the relevant thermal anomalies in a consistent way.
Without proper focus, even the best thermographic equipment cannot deliver reliable results. Composition and angle further ensure that each image provides a true representation of the thermal profile of the equipment being monitored. This is especially critical when comparing images over time to detect changes or trends.
Repeatability confirms data accuracy
Repeatability in thermographic surveys is essential for accurate data analysis. Consistent imaging practices allow for reliable comparison of thermal data across different time periods, enabling the detection of gradual changes that might indicate developing faults. Inconsistent imaging, with variations in focus, composition, or angle, can lead to misinterpretations and incorrect diagnostics, potentially compromising the entire condition monitoring programme.
Practical skills
WearCheck ARC developed this course because traditional thermography courses, although they are comprehensive, often do not offer sufficient practical training in these critical areas. Many of the courses are designed for people with advanced technical backgrounds, leaving a gap for artisans and technicians who may not have the same level of formal education or familiarity with technical terminology.
Recognising this gap, WearCheck ARC developed a focused photography course tailored specifically for thermographers. Working with Francki Burger, who is known for her meticulous approach to capturing images, the team crafted a course that emphasises practical skills in capturing thermal images with precision.
Since implementing this specialised training internally, the WearCheck ARC team has noticed a significant improvement in the quality and consistency of thermal images captured by its thermographers. This has enhanced the repeatability of data, leading to more accurate diagnostics and more reliable condition monitoring reports.
As the team continues to develop and employ machine learning algorithms to expedite its analysis processes, the consistent quality of the thermal images will be crucial. Enhanced repeatability will ensure the algorithms can interpret the data accurately, leading to quicker and more precise fault detection.
For customers, the course can be run on-site at a customer’s premises, or at WearCheck’s offices. The course is already in demand and can be held wherever requested. To date, customers in Mozambique and around South Africa have completed the course.
Annemie Willer says, “We are excited to offer this training to the industry and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have for customers in their thermography practices.”
For more information customers can contact Louis Peacock, WearCheck Technical and Training Manager, at Louis@wearcheckrs.com.
For more information visit: www.wearcheck.co.za
