Modern infrared thermography equipment allows accurate and detailed periodic inspection of electrical distribution equipment without the need for expensive and inconvenient shutdowns.

Traditional methods of inspection require isolation of the plant & equipment to be tested, labour intensive physical checking and close visual inspection of connections, terminals & joints. In many cases the connection or item being tested has to be dismantled for inspection, for example the main contacts of a circuit breaker. Risk of equipment damage increases and it is undesirable to strip down equipment that is operating satisfactorily.

Often access is impossible without causing damage to equipment , i.e. a sealed cable joint and in these cases traditional testing methods are not practical. Results are prone to error, difficult to quantify and document.

Infrared Thermography provides a high definition temperature profile of the test area presented to the user as a visible colour photograph. The temperature profile of the test area, relative to the surrounding area is represented by a colour gradient from black (coolest) to white (hottest) and exact absolute temperatures can be measured at any point within the image. The infrared images captured by the camera can be directly printed or stored digitally on a removable flash memory card for later transfer to a PC. Images can then be imported into most wordprocessors and spreadsheet packages or other software for preparation of high quality reports.

Faults are easily visible on the Infrared image as a "hot spot" relative to the rest of the test area and frequent inspection and documentation will allow early detection of abnormal temperature rise. Immediate remedial work can then be carried out to prevent later catastrophic failure and the high costs associated with unscheduled shutdown or plant outage.