Thermography puts predictive maintenance on track
A
Flir Systems product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Mar 3, 2005
For the Auto Visual Inspection team (AVI) at Metronet Rail, the continual review of new techniques to improve the efficiency of the service it provides is a matter of policy.
For the Auto Visual Inspection team (AVI) at Metronet Rail, the continual review of new techniques to improve the efficiency of the service it provides is a matter of policy.
Thermography was added to its predictive maintenance arsenal in the late 1990s and, as is typical of the technology, its application field has steadily broadened.
"We chose Flir Systems infra-red cameras based on their high level of flexibility to provide a good return on investment", explained AVI Section Leader Joe Nolan.
"Their use is growing with our experience".
And it's not just the AVI unit that has benefited from the technology.
Metronet colleagues responsible for electrical cabling and tunnelling are now also using the cameras.
As part of Metronet's Technical Services Team, the AVI Section provides instrumentation and testing expertise to support the company's overall engineering functions.
One of its key roles is to undertake track and track-train interface surveys using high tech custom video equipment.
These surveys are conducted throughout the year on the nine lines in the network and also include train-borne thermal imaging cameras.
For this purpose, the camera is mounted on the front of a train travelling at normal line speeds.
AVI does a concurrent visual and thermographic "sweep" of the track network to reveal hot-spots that are then investigated in detail by the traction supply engineers who themselves have handheld Flir Systems infra-red cameras.
Prime targets are high voltage bonds, insulators and trackside switchgear.
"Thermography adds an extra dimension to our survey facilities, allowing us to look at the track supply system", explains Metronet AVI Systems Engineer, Salim Mohamed.
"Additionally we are now using the technology to survey our rolling stock".
For inspecting the integrity of electrical and mechanical systems on the underside of trains, infra-red cameras are installed under the tracks.
Monitoring is carried out during service hours without any disruption to the running schedules.
Flir Systems has provided all the cameras currently in use at Metronet.
AVI's work is increasingly calling for real-time thermal imaging and digital output.
For these applications the company invested in three, top-of-the-range ThermaCAM S-Series infra-red cameras to supplement its professional P-Series models.
In line with all companies in this sector, Metronet's contract is based on performance and quite simply any unnecessary service delay carries a cost penalty.
Thermal imaging is part of a package of measures enabling the company to maintain the network infrastructure actively, and it is now seeking to develop its methods to grade the criticality of faults detected.
The collaboration between rolling stock, track, traction supply engineers and the AVI team is resulting in temperature thresholds being set for critical system elements, with each being assessed on its individual characteristics.
Service requirements are also being taken into account.
"For example, we may set lower thresholds for the lines that serve central London", Mohamed explains.
"Clearly more trains run on these traction circuits and there is a much higher cost implication in the event of failure".
Next in line will be the development of Metronet's datalogging system to automate the survey process further.
This work will result in the digitising of its visual survey work initially.
Thermal imaging will soon follow and by choosing Flir Systems ThermaCAM S60, Metronet already has the hardware to support this development.
This model is designed to provide 50Hz digital recording and evaluation of high-speed events.
Its enhanced connectivity options include an IEEE1394 FireWire interface for real-time transfer of fully radiometric 14bit JPEG images and associated data.
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