Machine Condition Monitoring using FLIR AX8 Thermal Camera and MoviTHERM MIO

At the pace of modern business today, no one can afford unplanned outages and costly downtime. Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM) is all about averting problems before they happen.

Thermal imaging has proven to be an effective way to monitor machine health and detect potential failure points before a failure can occur. Critical in-service health and wear characteristics of electrical and mechanical equipment can be assessed using thermal imaging, and longitudinal temperature data provides a valuable contribution to predictive maintenance programs.

Thermal imaging is perhaps the easiest non-contact temperature measurement method available. Monitoring mechanical components such as motors, bearings, heat exchangers, cooling fans, exhaust vents, pipes and so on for “hot spots” can alert you to possible future fail points. In addition, thermal scans of electrical components, such as cables, wiring, terminals, and control panels can quickly reveal problems such as load imbalance, current overload, loose wires, corroded terminals, or heat management issues. Thermal imaging makes these otherwise invisible problems visible, so corrective action can be taken prior to catastrophic failure. Deploying IR cameras to monitor your critical equipment can be a very effective first line of defense against unexpected and unplanned downtime.

The MoviTHERM Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM) Solution
To address the growing utilization of MCM for fault detection and predictive maintenance, MoviTHERM has developed a turn-key, integrated MCM System solution. This integrated system has been designed to address the specific needs of industrial MCM installations. Using a combination of advanced thermal imaging and proven, off-the-shelf components, the MoviTHERM Machine Condition Monitoring (MCM) System provides all the tools you need to detect problems early – before they turn into costly and potentially critical equipment failures.

MoviTHERM MIO – The Intelligent I/O
The system is built around the MoviTHERM MIO Intelligent I/O module. The MIO module processes the temperature data from the cameras and updates the analog (4-20mA) and digital (relay) outputs in real-time. Using an advanced embedded architecture, the MIO can drive audible alarms, warning lamps, auto-dialers, SMS message generators, data-loggers or any other standard industrial device — all without a dedicated PC or PLC. The built-in browser-based configuration tool simplifies system set-up and tuning, so you can configure and deploy your MCM system in minutes, rather than hours.

FLIR NVR – Your window into the Invisible
The FLIR Network Video Recorder (NVR) displays the live video feeds from the FLIR thermal cameras on a video display screen. In addition, the NVR can be configured to display on-screen warnings and alarm indications. If youenable the Video Archiving function, you can save several months of video on-board, for historical review and issue analysis. Add an Internet connection to the NVR, and your monitoring system can be accessed from anywhere in the world using the FLIR Cloud technology.

Unlimited Interfacing Potential
Connect to warning lights, audible alarms, auto-dialers, PLC controllers — any type of electrical or control device you can imagine. The MoviTHERM Condition Monitoring System (MCM) provides the intelligent sensor capabilities, Built-in Operator Interface/video wall, and data archiving capabilities in a clean, well-organized package.