Efficient Plant March 2018 - 37

thermography

Preplanned
routes improve
efficiency by
serving as a
roadmap for
thermographicinspection
activities.

Inspection Routes:
Plan Ahead
PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS
poor performance. This concept can be
applied to many disciplines, including thermography. One of the greatest appeals of
the technology as a predictive-maintenance
(PdM) tool is its wide range of potential
applications. Without proper planning,
however, the varied uses for thermography
can cause one to lose focus and compromise
program efficiency.
Preplanned routes improve efficiency by
serving as a roadmap for thermographicinspection activities. Consider the following
points when setting up your routes:
Whenever possible, use established
routes from other PdM technolo-

Jim Seffrin
Infraspection
Institute

gies such as vibration analysis.
Routes should be of same class or
hierarchy for subject equipment.
As an alternative, establish routes
based upon physical location.
Be mindful of requisite travel times
between locations.
Establish routes to ensure that
subject equipment will be under
proper load.
Never include more equipment in
a route than can be accomplished
in a single work shift.
Any equipment that is not inspected should be noted in the final
project report.

Jim Seffrin, a practicing thermographer with more than 30 years of experience in the field, was
appointed to the position of Director of Infraspection Institute in 2000. This article is based on two of
his "Tip of the Week" posts on IRINFO.org. For information on workplace topics and infrared-related
issues, as well as upcoming training and certification opportunities, email
jim@infraspection.com or visit infraspection.com.

MARCH 2018

+

ASK THESE INSPECTION
QUESTIONS
Like any visual-inspection
technique, thermographers
must actively concentrate on
the imagery displayed by their
thermal imagers. Contrary to
popular belief, humans aren't
inherently effective observers.
Because people tend to be
casual in their observations, they
frequently overlook subtleties.
Subtle thermal differences
often can be indicative of major
problems. Thus, when imaging,
technicians should always
visually scan their monitors left
to right and up and down while
asking themselves these three
questions:
What am I seeing?
Why am I seeing this?
Is this normal/reportable?
While this approach may seem
cumbersome at first, it will soon
become instinctive and can help
prevent personnel from missing
subtle thermal patterns that
point to serious issues. EP
EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM |

37

http://www.IRINFO.org http://www.infraspection.com http://www.EFFICIENTPLANTMAG.COM

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