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Thermal Imaging equipment reveals heat variations by detecting the infrared energy (heat) emitted from the objects within view of the camera-lense, or line-of-sight.

Electrical equipment will emit heat when there is resistance to the flow of electricity. Conditions such as corroded contacts, over-stressed components, loose connections, or severe arcing are examples where a thermal anomaly will be detected as long as it is line of sight and not enclosed behind a metal enclosure. Finding such an anomaly during a Survey is considered a success since the abnormally high level of heat WILL degrade the electrical component rapidly and result in catastrophic failure. Mechanical equipment will emit heat when there is excessive friction between solid surfaces such as metal, rubber or plastic. Excessive friction occurs in worn bearings or mis-alignged gears, belts and pulleys rubber couplers. Heat is also emitted when there is significant resistance to the flow of a fluid or gas such as through a blockage or restriction.

Thermal Imaging equipment however will not detect certain low-level energy conditions.

Electrical conditions such as corona, tracking, minor arcing and treeing are considered forms of Partial Discharge (i.e. low-level, infrequent/intermittent). These conditions can exist in electrical equipment and not be thermally detected. Mechanical conditions like vibration, misalignment, leaking or faulty valves & traps may not be detected with Thermal Imaging equipment unless the condition is severe and close to failure. Thus, Thermal Imaging detection is also not an entirely effective tool to identify low-level risks or conditions behind metal panels unless they are extremely severe and near failure mode.

Ultrasonic Testing will fill this gap in detecting faults when combined with Thermal Testing. Low level electrical faults will ionize the air and create turbulence. This turbulence in the air will emit airborne sound-waves which will be detected with ultrasonic equipment. In addition, these waves will escape through seams in metal enclosures to reveal otherwise hidden and dangerous BEFORE a technician attempts to remove a panel. Low-level mechanical faults will create turbulence in the flow of fluids/gases. Again, this turbulence will emit ultrasonic waves, sound and/or structure borne. A quick change of the plug-in module on the Ultrasonic probe from airborne to a magnetic or touch stethoscope transducer will allow detection of structure borne waves. Damaged or failing rotating equipment (motors, gearbox, bearings) will emit a wave pattern related to the RPM and the nature of the fault. Inspecting motor and drive bearings  with an ultrasonic contact sensor (magnet or stethoscope) is a superior method since the RPM of the component can be mapped to the frequency of detected waves . Bearing over lubrication is a very common failure-mode that is easily avoided by monitoring the ultrasonic pattern while performing lubrication.

This is the driver of our unique and improved Test Methodology of combining technologies. Used together, thermal and ultrasonic tools provide a much more in-depth survey for electrical and mechanical equipment. Vibration and Power Quality Analysis are also part of the combination of testing technologies we use in the field simultaneously. The portability of the instruments and the availability of historical data and trends on the laptop make our Surveys capable of detecting many varieties of risks in electrical and mechanical equipment.

The development and field application of our Mobile Test Rig is a major component of providing our Next Level Service. The portable Rig combines several technologies which can be interchanged quickly and on-demand while conducting the survey. Our Engineer will rotate between Thermal, Ultrasonic, Vibration and Power Quality technologies efficiently to get to the Root Cause of a detected anomaly. The measured data is readily stored on a laptop and will then support any required immediate action and future reporting, including the analysis of trends.

This Testing Methodology was developed and successfully employed in a Critical and Continuous Process responsible for melting Titanium at high-volumes. Interruptions in the process meant significant monetary losses: product quality, down-time, Safety, on-time delivery. Melting Titanium at high-volumes requires several electrical and mechanical systems to operate reliably and simultaneously. Mechanical systems such as vacuum, compressed air/gas, high-flow water-cooling, hydraulic, and their components (motors, pumps, flow valves, heat-exchangers). Electrical Systems including HV DC power supplies, high-current AC systems, motor generator and battery emergency support, aerial pole-line & distribution, VF drive and process control PLCs, and their individual components (oil/dry transformers, metal-clad switchgear, fuses/breakers, rectifiers and inductors/capacitors, regulators and surge arrestors). These systems and components were concentrated in a small area surrounding the physical process. This created the ideal environment to employ a Mobile Test Rig equipped with multiple technologies. Alternating between the testing technologies was an ideal solution to support Predictive Maintenance and equipment Reliability in an intense electrical and mechanical manufacturing process.

Equipment operators, process technicians and shift supervisors all have something in common: they are physically in-touch with the pulse of the process everyday and in many cases 24/7. These personnel have the opportunity to observe and monitor the health of the equipment on a continuous basis. Changes in the sound of a motor or gearbox, visible changes like blistering paint or the smell of overheated plastic or rubber are helpful warning signs for abnormal conditions of the equipment. When communicated to other personnel within a coordinated manufacturing facility, technical support will respond to these intuitive observations and correct the problem as part of reactive maintenance

The infrastructure or the back-bone supporting these processes, however, is typically located remotely such as along the perimeter of the site. Such a location is not only distant from the actual process and daily activity but is also exposed to the harsh outdoor environment. Any warning signs will likely go ignored. This situation makes it extremely important to have a comprehensive testing program for the infrastructure. A Reliability and Predictive Maintenance Program primarily focused locally on the main process leaves the same main process vulnerable to failure of the infrastructure is at risk

The electrical and mechanical infrastructure typically begins at the point of connection to the utility provider. The infrastructure then continues through major distribution points located throughout the site. The electrical infrastructure includes the following: outdoor switchgear and motor control centers and disconnects, transformers, aerial pole-line structure and underground cabling. The mechanical infrastructure includes, but is not limited to: gas/liquid overhead piping, in-line valves and regulators, fan motors and drives, pump motors and drives and distribution manifolds with their control and metering devices.

A Sound Infrastructure is one that is inspected and tested using consistent techniques and a consistent schedule, avoiding unnecessary adjustments due to production demand. It is best to collect the test data in a consistent manner (thermal, ultrasonic, vibration, power measurements, fluid samples, ambient conditions). This consistency allows a more meaningful analysis of trends within the data and avoids any wrong conclusions.

Finally, a comment regarding Planned Shutdowns. Some critical and/or continuous operations only allow an Annual or Bi-annual Planned Shutdown. Oftentimes this is the only opportunity to conduct a thorough Survey and Test of the Infrastructure. Therefore, it is very important to plan and prepare the details of the equipment and systems to be tested and repaired. Consider the use of the following Test/Shutdown/Test methodology:

1. Survey/Test at full load before planned Shutdown
2. Identify risks and required repairs
3. Order parts and plan scope of work
4. Conduct Shutdown and make repairs
5. Survey/Test at full load to confirm repairs

One of the many services Kunst offers includes making Emergency Service Calls to support clients’ Continuous Operations in the event of an Unplanned Outage. We offer +40 years of experience in trouble-shooting electrical & mechanical systems with a goal to get your Continuous (24-7) Manufacturing Operation back on-line.

Intermittent problems are very challenging to identify and can present costly interruptions to a continuous process. They often involve the failure of a weak-link that may not identify the root cause right away. Sometimes mechanical issues can be visually confirmed and quickly resolved. Electrical-related issues can be much more difficult since they aren’t always visible and therefore require another approach to finding the issue. An example is when the root cause problem creates voltage or current anomalies which damage other connected components.

Consider these methods to make troubleshooting more effective:

• Engage the support staff & gather observations & facts (past & present) leading up to the failure
• Recurring events and recent changes to the system should be identified
• Confirm facts with measurements using test instruments and updated drawings
• Use a steady & methodical troubleshooting approach to zero-in on the location of the fault
• Be careful of replacing components that aren’t part of the Root Cause as this may create additional equipment failures and Safety Risks

Unplanned outages which occur on off-peak times (late shifts, weekends, Holidays) are especially challenging due to limited support resources (mechanics, electricians, engineers). The costs (Production, Quality, Equipment, Safety…) associated with the outage will exceed the costs of a similar outage occurring during the weekday since the outage will likely last longer due to the lack of available resources. This further emphasizes the importance of using effective Trouble-Shooting techniques.

Finally, it is very important to evaluate the availability of spares, drawings, tools and training after the Root Cause has been identified and corrected. These items should be included in the Corrective Actions following the process being back on-line. This is always an essential element of the Final Report provided by Kunst. Sometimes it’s also an opportunity to assemble a Continuous Improvement Initiative/Team which includes the Stakeholders of the Process.

Maintenance of Emergency Power/Energy Systems is equally important as Maintenance of the equipment they support. Critical Processes often include expensive Emergency Power Systems to support 24/7 operation. The risks and costs of the failure of the Emergency Power System is significant: Production, Product Quality, Equipment/Personnel Safety, Environmental Excursions, On-Time-Delivery- all suffer.

Process Owners should always have the Support Systems routinely serviced by the OEM (diesel/gas generator, transfer switches, uninterruptible power supplies, battery banks, electrically/mechanically buffered/isolated systems, etc). Routine service by the OEM is extremely important for the equipment Warranties, insurance requirements and for hardware upgrades.

Also, it is imperative for the Owner to perform Full-Load Testing with the Goal to ensure the expensive Emergency Power System will support the Process Equipment under real-situation conditions (middle of the night, weekends, peak demand times).

Testing Emergency Systems during “normal conditions” is NOT meaningful or effective. Testing MUST be performed to consider situations out of the Customers’ control (Utility network is lightly/heavily loaded creating voltage & gas pressure abnormalities).

Since the condition of the Utility System will vary then Testing of the Emergency Power System must include these non-ideal Test Conditions:

Lightly loaded Utility System (off-peak testing will not include impact of other local customers effecting the voltage or gas pressure)

Customer Production Demand & Internal Processes operating at <50% and at +75%

Our experience has supported the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of:

• Water cooling systems & heat exchange
• Computer data equipment Power Supplies and their cooling requirements
• Start-up of large motors banks +50 HP and voltage dip situations for :
• Liquid mixing systems
• Hydraulic systems
• Pressurized gas/vacuum systems

In summary, effective Maintenance and Testing of Emergency Power Systems for Critical Processes should have 2 components:

1. Routine testing of the individual Emergency System Equipment by the OEM

2. System Testing performed at heavy process demand during peak Utility conditions (safe and controlled situations must be considered)

coming soon!