ITC InfraMation - = June 2004

If you can't see the graphic version = of this=20 message please change your profile to receive text messages at=20 {{user("unsubaddr")}}
To view this message on the web go to http://www.itcnews= letter.com/2004/2004-06.htm

June=20 2004

Volume 5, Issue=20 6

In This=20 Issue:=20

Welcome

Thermography Finds = Robotic Weld=20 Gun Problems

IR in the=20 News

ITC Message Board=20 Posts

Brainteaser of the=20 Month

Last Month's=20 Brainteaser

Past = Issues

Course=20 Calendar

About the=20 ITC

See the
Conference=20 Schedule!

Hello=20 {{user("firstname")}},

Welcome to our=20 June issue. The InfraMation = Conference=20 is taking shape, we have posted a preliminary schedule of = events and=20 have added several IR Clinics. We will give you more detail on the = clinics=20 in another email; and you can still register early = for=20 special savings.

We have an=20 interesting case=20 history this month on robotic weld gun inspection with actual=20 avoidance cost savings for all you return on investment=20 fanatics.

You want to be=20 wowed? Well then check out this hig= h=20 resolution 1024 x 1024 pixel thermal image from our friends at = Indigo=20 Systems.

Like always,=20 we have more IR news and Message = board=20 posts for=20 you to view.

We=20 have important news about changes to the Brainteaser of the = Month prize=20 selection process. We are changing this to a random drawing for = all=20 subscribers providing a correct response. This will allow = subscribers in=20 distant time zones to have a chance at winning.

As with all images in this newsletter, = click each=20 image to see a larger version.

If you want to=20 save this newsletter for viewing off line in your computer, just = go to the=20 web page = using=20 your browser and select File....Save As or save this email = page as html in=20 your email software.

Until next=20 month,

Gary=20 Orlove,
Editor and = Publisher

Thermography Finds = Robotic Weld=20 Gun Problems [top]

by = James=20 Coorough
General Motors Corporation

On March 29, 2001 a = production=20 foreman asked J & R Thermography to find the source of a = burning=20 rubber odor in the area. Upon scanning the area the team = discovered a 500=20 MCM air cooled ribbon (ribbon 1) severely overheated. Figure 1 = shows the=20 original scan of the area showing a temperature of 208 degrees C = on ribbon=20 1. The rubber sheath on these cables is fairly loose, so true = temperature=20 readings of the actual cable are impossible. Normal operation for = this=20 ribbon is 30 - 50 degrees C. Ribbon 1 was replaced at the next = down time.=20

Figure 1: = Air cooled=20 ribbon (ribbon 1) on the weld gun is severely overheated. Normal = operation=20 for this ribbon is 49 degrees C. Further investigation shows = somewhat=20 higher temps on the other ribbon (ribbon 2) also.

Photos in=20 Figure 2 show the breakdown of ribbon 1 due to heat. = Micro-ohmmeter=20 measurements of the cable read 140 micro-ohms. Roughly three times = that of=20 a new cable.

Figure 2:=20 Photos are of ribbon 1 after removal from weld gun. Photo 1 shows = rubber=20 sheath burned off in areas. Photo 2 shows internal deterioration = of the=20 cable.

Further=20 investigation shows somewhat higher temps on the other ribbon = (ribbon 2)=20 also. Thermographic inspection after repair (Figure 3) showed = normal=20 operating temperatures on ribbon 1. Ribbon 2 also showed a = decrease of 30=20 degrees C after repair but is still slightly higher than normal. = The=20 decrease in temperature may be due to less conduction from ribbon = 1, and=20 also less current compensation for the breakdown of ribbon 1. = Reflection=20 is not much of an issue because the emissivity of the rubber = sheath is=20 approximately 0.95. It was suggested ribbon 2 be inspected daily, = and=20 replaced when temperatures consistently reached 95 degrees C. = Further=20 inspections may reveal the need to replace the air cooled ribbons = with=20 water cooled ones.

Figure=20 3: Ribbon 2 shows somewhat higher than = normal=20 temperatures.

A = follow up=20 determined a time savings of approximately 30 minutes for the = problems=20 found. With production downtime costing about $5,000 per minute, = this=20 works out to savings of about $150,000. Ribbon 2 lasted = approximately 30=20 more production days before being replaced.

James receives an InfraMation Executive Attach=E9 Case = for his=20 newsletter = contribution.

IR in the=20 News [top]

$800K cut from = electric=20 bill
KMSB, AZ - May 30, = 2004
Carl=20 Rald, energy program coordinator for the city of Tucson, scans = new homes=20 with an infrared camera, which detects the = invisible hot=20 spots that drive up ...
Focus on prevention
Denver Post, CO - May 20,=20 2004
The hot spots Lensen is looking for are weak links in = Xcel=20 Energy's electric distribution system. With the use of an = infrared=20 camera ...
Weather May Explain = Mexico UFO=20 Stir
Yahoo News - May 15, = 2004
...=20 grew nervous during a routine drugs surveillance flight in March = when=20 their radar detected strange objects flying nearby and an=20 infrared camera showed 11 blobs=20 ...
Indigo Systems Develops Mega Pixel IR=20 Array
InfraMation = - May 2004
Another milestone in Indigo's history was = reached=20 with this image captured by their first 1024 X 1024 FPA. Click = the image=20 to see this whopper in full resolution. Someday we all = may be=20 using IR cameras with this image quality!=20

ITC=20 Message Board Posts [top]

Here is a selection = of recent new=20 threads by IR Community members. Feel free to click the links, see = how=20 people have responded, and post your own response if you = like.

Research on flame tubes=20 NEEDS A RESPONSE, CAN ANYONE=20 HELP?
Hi, I'm relatively new to all of this but = have some=20 questions. We're using a single U-Tube in a replica furnace to = study the=20 effects of silicon graphite inserts and I need a way to safely = study the=20 temperature profile of the furnace. I'm using an A20 FLIR = Systems camera=20 and our furnace operates at 1800 degrees F. The high temp option = is in=20 the process of being acquired. The problem is the way to safely = image=20 without melting the camera housing. Would it be better to liquid = cool=20 the camera or to use a sight window? The maximum distance I need = to read=20 is 63" and the minimum is 13". Any suggestions are welcomed. If = you need=20 to further understand what I'm doing check out http://www.spin-works.com/
Roof inspection of tectum or=20 fibroplank NEEDS A=20 RESPONSE, CAN ANYONE HELP?
Does anyone have = experience=20 surveying a roof which is built over the fibrocementitious = material=20 tradenamed "tectum" or "fibroplank"?
Water In Subgrade NEEDS A RESPONSE, CAN ANYONE = HELP?
Has=20 anyone had any luck detecting water infiltration below an = asphalt=20 surface? More specifically, water in the sub grade below a road = surface=20 and being able to trace the source.
Veterinary Infrared = Seminar=20 @ Teiky Post University
Teikyo Post University in Waterbury, = CT is=20 sponsoring an introductory weekend seminar, June 11-13, about = the use of=20 infrared thermography in veterinary medicine. Dr. Donna Harper, = a=20 veterinarian and certified veterinary thermographer, will = present the=20 seminar. Topics related to large and small animal thermography = will be=20 presented with various sessions open to the public, persons = interested=20 in learning what is involved in veterinary thermography, and a = special=20 session for veterinarians and sponsored vet-techs. This weekend = is an=20 introduction to an in-depth 2 week course slated to be held in = the fall=20 2004 where college degree hours will be available to = participants.=20 Please go to the web-site http://www.vet-therm.com/ and check = the=20 "training" page for the registration form. We look forward to = meeting=20 all interested thermographers in attendance.
Inactive cable =
Has=20 anyone out there had any experience inspecting feeder cables in=20 manholes? What we're looking to do is to identify inactive = cables as=20 opposed to cables carrying load in a manhole.
Insurance industry requiring FLIR=20 scanning?
I am very interested in = learning=20 more about the possibility hooking up with the insurance = industry to=20 receive work. What can you tell me about this? Will FLIR finance = the=20 camera? Do you think this is possible in the Connecticut area? = How many=20 insurance companies require IR scans of there clients building = systems?=20 Is there another avenue that I might be missing? Thank you in = advance=20 for your help.
Electrical Inspections & Flash=20 Suits
I am researching the use of = flash=20 suits on infrared electrical inspections on high voltage=20 equipment.
(1) Typically, the customer is responsible for = removing=20 the the backs of 480/4160 equipment.
(2) We then inspect the = equipment, from a distance without flash suits. Our customers = are=20 electric utilities and thus do not fall under NFPA70E (as stated = in=20 NFPA70E).

Since, this=20 is NOT considered working on the equipment, procedures site we = are not=20 required to dress out. Due to updates in our procedures there is = now a=20 question as to wearing a flash suit or additional ppe's than = normal=20 hardhat, safety glasses, etc. We are trying to determine what is = a safe=20 distance to be from the equipment cabinets without dressing out = short of=20 calculating each individual cubicle. We are also looking at the=20 possibility of installing some sort of port or sight glass. =

Please let=20 me hear from you fellow thermographers out in the field that = actually=20 conduct these inspections.

1) Do you=20 wear flash suits for IR inspections of high voltage equipment? =
2) Is=20 there more than one person with you during the inspection? =
3) If you=20 have ports or sight glasses, do you wear a hood or additional = ppe's?=20
Market Analysis
Which=20 industry would most benefit from Thermography?
Do insurance=20 companies offer savings by having infrared maintenances = performed?=20
If so what type of savings are we talking about? =

And of course=20 if YOU have a question or want to start a discussion on a = topic, we=20 would love to hear from you. Just post a new thread on a mes= sage=20 board.

Brainteaser of the Month =20 [top]

Here is this month's = brainteaser.=20 Readers who email us the correct identification of the object(s) = in the=20 thermogram are entered into a drawing to win a prize from ITC. = Please put=20 "Brainteaser" as the subject of the = message.

Click here to email your = guess

Do you have an interesting image that you think would = stump other=20 thermographers? If so please email me your image (preferably in = native .img,=20 .jpg, .tif, .tgw, or .tmw format) with an accompanying visible = photo and=20 explanation. If your image is used, you receive a gift as=20 well.

Last Month's = Brainteaser=20 [top]

<= IMG=20 height=3D120=20 = src=3D"http://itcnewsletter.com/2004/2004-06_images/brain_2004-05_small.j= pg"=20 width=3D186 align=3Dright border=3D1=20 = xthumbnail-orig-image=3D"2004-05_images/brain_2004-05.jpg">Last month's Brainteaser is beautiful thermogram of a hot = air=20 balloon viewed from below. You can see the cool gondola in the = center of=20 the warm balloon canopy.

Our winner, all the way from Siemens = in Germany,=20 is Frank-Peter Schulze. Thanks to Robin Tanamachi at the = University=20 of Oklahoma for the fabulous shot. Both Frank-Peter and Robin = receive=20 a special = low=20 emissivity traveling coffee=20 mug.

Past Issues =20 [top]

Click the links = below to view=20 past issues of this newsletter:

All past issues from February = 2000=20 through May 2003

May = 2004

April 2004

March=20 2004

February 2004

January 2004

December 2003

November 2003

October 2003

September 2003

August 2003

July 2003

June=20 2003

Course Calendar =20 [top]

Click the links = below to see our=20 latest course calendars (in local language).

Americas - Level I

Americas - Level II

Americas - Level III

Americas - E Series

Americas - Building Science

Americas - Electrical

Americas - Roof

Americas - R&D

Eurasia

Deutschland

France

Italia

United = Kingdom

About=20 the Infrared Training Center =20 [top]

The Infrared Training Center offers training and = certification in=20 all aspects of infrared thermography use. Our world-class training = headquarters are located near Boston, Massachusetts, USA and = Stockholm,=20 Sweden and have the world's most extensive hands on laboratories = for=20 infrared applications. In addition, we have training centers = around the=20 world. Please join us in exploring the fascinating world of the = infrared!=20

Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter are = welcomed=20 and encouraged. If you have an interesting application or case = study to=20 share, we encourage you to submit it for publication. Published = articles earn credit towards IR = recertification.

Please e-mail Gary = Orlove or=20 send regular mail to the Americas office.

Visit our website:

ITC Americas, BOSTON

16 Esquire Road
N. Billerica, MA 01862, = USA

Tel: +1-978-901-8405
Toll free:=20 = +1-866-TRAINIR
&= nbsp; =20 (866-872-4647)
Fax: +1.978.901-8832
E-mail: mailto:info_us@infraredtraining.com

ITC Eurasia, SWEDEN

Rinkebyv=E4gen 19
SE-182 11 Danderyd, = Sweden

Tel: +46 (0) 8 753 25 00
Fax: +46 (0) 8 753 26 = 01
E-mail:=20 mailto:itc@flir.se

THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL = PURPOSES ONLY.=20 INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' WITHOUT = WARRANTY=20 OF ANY KIND. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy = and the=20 use of this document. The Infrared Training Center newsletter may = be=20 copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1. All = text=20 and images must be copied without modification and all pages must = be=20 included; 2. All copies must contain the Infrared Training Center=20 copyright notice and any other notices provided therein;
3. = This=20 document may not be distributed for profit

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