Need source of IR Imaging equipment / electrical scanning 2

[kyphil]

I have a client who asked us as contractors to do a thermal survey of their hospital panels and transfer switches in the emergency system as a routine maintenance procedure. I know the technology and as a consultant, specified it many times but now as a contractor I have to do the work! I have searched for a good piece of equipment to buy or lease that will capture greyscale and color images that I can put into a report, but find they are very expensive or so cheap they will not do the job! Can anyone point me to a vendor that can help?

thanks / kyphil

 

[Zogzog]

Flir seems to be the best value but all quality IR cameras are expensive. You also need to be properly trained, its not just a matter of taking pictures.

You might want to look into subbing the scanning out.

http://www.netaworld.org

has a tool to search for someone in your area.

 

[kyphil]

Hello Zogzog - thanks for your message. I agree with you that it is more than just taking pictures. I believe I can do the work, but will look into subbing it out.

Thanks / kyphil

 

[dgallagher]

http://www.reliabilitydirect.com/tempproducts/IR_Camera_index.htm

Adding Mikron cameras to the site next week.

Dave G.

http://www.ReliabilityDirect.com

 

[eyec]

if you are going to set up

as a routine maintenance procedure

then i would suggest contracting someone familiar with doing just that.

CSI (now Emerson) has training programs and equipment that they can suggest according to the needs of such a program.

http://www.compsys.com/

i have no commercial ties to CSI but was trained by them and the company i used to work for implemented their training and purchsed equipment from them.

 

[Dnicejr]

Kyohil,
What part of the country are you in? Timken Reliability Services can provide this service for you if we have someone close to your location.

don.nice@timken.com

 

[dgallagher]

We also provide such service as well as training conforming to ASNT Guidelines as outlined in the ASNT-TC-1A. Level I and II certification also available.

Dave G.

http://www.ReliabilityDirect.com

 

[dwftx34]

kyphil I am a level II thermogragher in the Dallas area when i started 8 years ago my company gave my a IR camera and told me to go perform a survey i didnt get proper training for about a year by that time i had learned from mistakes and practice for the most part what i was doing. now after performing thermographic surveys for 10 years i find im still learning about this field and diffrent uses. I would suggest you attend a level 1 class with one of the training firms ITC, SNELL, Academy of IR training. Then schedule several diffrent companies to demo infrared cameras too you before you buy one. As Electrical contractors in the Dallas Fortworth area these services and cameras have paid for themselve many times the fairly high price of starting the service.

 

[kyphil]

kyphil to the group: to answer Dnicejr, I am in Lexington, KY, USA (therefore kyphil). I have in my possession a demo unit made by Hioki, which seems to be a pretty reputable company. I am just learning about how to use it and will keep you all posted on my progress. It is indeed a lot more than taking a snapshot, but I believe I can figure it out. I completely agree with most of you that training of some sort is needed and before we make a full committment to this, that will be needed. The cost of the equipment is so high, we will need as a company to market preventitive maintenance contracts to the several hundred clients we have now and promote it to new people. It seems that industrial plants and hospitals are the quickest to realize the importance of such a maintenance schedule. Anyway, thanks for all your advice. I'll keep you posted.

Phil

 

[dwftx34]

I have seen the hioki unit it is nothing lik ea FLir, Micron, or electrophisics cameras contact one of the training companies sign up for a level I class and see what some real cameras can do. Here in the dallas area Office properties are our biggest customers im very busy about 7 months of the year performing IR surveys