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Critical Asset Monitoring

Continuous and reliable temperature measurement solution for critical assets to increase uptime and ensure plant safety

In general, electrical and mechanical connections will heat up before they fail. With electrical connections, a load on the circuit combined with a poor connection will cause arcing, creating a hot spot. Mechanical components such as bearings will heat up with increased friction, or misalignment. While undetectable to the naked eye, these issues are clearly visible with thermal imaging.

Viper’s Critical Asset Monitoring system utilizes FLIR thermal imaging cameras to monitor for temperature increases. The system will alarm, notifying plant engineering teams of a problem before it shuts down the line or a machine.

Viper's Solution

Multiple FLIR thermal imaging cameras, which can be housed in industrial enclosures, are installed in fixed positions where they have a clear field of view (FOV) of the equipment. The cameras process thermal images of the asset measuring the surface temperature. Specific regions of interest (ROI) are predefined in ViperVision software for analysis – measuring external temperature and alarming on anomalies. Defining ROIs also allows our software to ignore objects around the equipment which results in a reduced number of unwanted alarms. The thermal images and temperature data are stored for process analysis and quality control, providing engineers the data they need to make critical decisions about the efficiency and repair of their critical assets.

System Solution Components

The FLIR cameras are integrated with ViperVision software to directly communicate with most industrial platform controllers. This can be implemented to monitor just one piece of equipment or several. ViperVision software is capable of monitoring multiple assets simultaneously. The software analyzes and compares the data against the asset’s predefined parameters, and it will trigger an alarm if warranted. Data is transmitted wirelessly to the customer’s control room, and alerts can be sent via email. Parameters can be adjusted based on the specific application needs.

Why monitor critical assets?

Check out this thermal video of mechanical bearings! Everything looked normal to the naked eye.

Most organizations run bearings to failure. Instead, we recommend constant thermal monitoring of bearings and other critical assets. Here’s why: The ability to predict failure is a huge help in maximizing uptime and productivity!

A Viper system including a thermal imaging camera and ViperVision software allows you to trend temperature data so you and your team can make smarter decisions.

Typical installation photo

Typical Installation

This illustration is an example of system configuration for Viper’s Critical Asset Monitoring using FLIR cameras (Ax8, A35, A50, or A400). Viper’s design positions the camera so that the asset(s) are in the field of view. The camera’s digital data stream is connected via Ethernet to the ViperVision control system. ViperVision software controls all camera functions, collects temperature data, displays thermal images and analyzes data.

Think this could be the solution for your application? Scroll down for purchase options and to request a quote.

Hardware as a Service (HaaS)

Lease

Purchase

Rental

Upfront costs

$

$

$$$

$$

Monthly fee

Yes

Yes

N/A

Varies

Equipment ownership

Viper

Viper initially, then transitions to Customer

Customer

Viper

Contract term

3-year (renewable)

2, 3, or 5 year

Paid with order

Weekly or Monthly

Annual on-site routine maintenance & calibration checks

Yes

Optional

Optional

N/A

Quarterly service plan

Yes

Optional

Optional

N/A

ViperVision software upgrades

Yes

Optional

Optional

N/A

Critical spares in consignment

Yes

Optional

Optional

N/A

Key Benefits

  • Improved safety for plant personnel
  • Reduced risk of damage to equipment
  • Increased efficiency of asset lifetime with early detection allowing for selective repairs
  • Increased revenue with consistent production

For your people

For your company

For your equipment

Application images of Viper’s System Solution

a close up of an engine

Pad-Mounted Transformer*

*Hover over image for visual/thermal comparison

Motor*

Switchgear*

Bearing – Thermal

Viper Quick Deploy - hot spotViper Quick Deploy - installation

Substation Critical Assets*

Interested in Viper’s System Solution?