Infrared (IR) cameras are based on digital camera technology and therefore require a direct line of sight to record a thermal image. The area to be measured needs to be operating under normal conditions if a hotspot is to be detected, which means it has to be live and must have been so for at least 20 minutes prior to inspection.
IRISS IR inspection windows allow for safe electrical inspection of energised equipment.
Arc flash, which is a major risk in electrical inspection, does not happen without a trigger; it nearly always begins due to a ‘change of state’ that causes even a momentary connection between phases. 99% of the time, arc flash incidents are caused by some intervention, someone contacting components, or a similar misstep. Spontaneous arc flashes very rarely occur. Thermographers are thus put at risk when they have to open cabinets or doors to gain access to the internal energised components that they want to image.
Some organisations prohibit live inspection of energised higher voltage equipment, although this is not common practice in South Africa. IR windows offer an alternative to not doing the required inspections. They remove the risks and downtime associated with live inspections. The use of IR windows in a thermographic inspection programme removes 99% of the triggers of arc flash incidents, and improves electrical safety by allowing safe, regular infrared inspections of energised and loaded electrical switchgear.
The use of IR windows is becoming more common. Some electrical panel manufacturers are now pre-fitting their panels with windows to make them more IR friendly. The use of these IR windows allows for IR inspection without the need to open panels.
Today, IR thermography is reportedly the fastest growing predictive maintenance technology globally. The number of IR equipment manufacturers has increased significantly over the last decade.
Established in 2007, IRISS Inc. is a privately held company that aims to enable industrial organisations and others to ‘save time, save money and stay safe’. As a manufacturer of the world's first and only industrial-grade infrared windows, IRISS designed its products for the end user – to enable efficient and safe work processes for infrared electrical surveys. It provides a way for companies to reduce and eliminate the risk of arc flash in order to protect plant assets and personnel. IRISS IR inspection windows are available in South Africa from R&C Instrumentation.
For more information visit: www.randci.co.za
