Thermal imaging provides a sixth sense

A minor mechanical or electrical failure can turn into a costly, catastrophic fire in a hurry. That's especially true on a large farm or agribusiness operation on which there are multiple complex operations happening at once. Thermal imaging can help you stay on top of machinery and equipment performance and prevent small issues from becoming big, costly problems.

As the nation's number-one farm insurer¹, we know the massive hazard fire risk poses to every farm, ranch and agribusiness. That's why fire prevention is hugely important to us at Nationwide. Thermal imaging systems provide another tool to enable everyone in agriculture to help prevent one of the costliest hazards in the business.

What is infrared thermal imaging?

Infrared thermal imaging systems like those from Teledyne FLIR range from handheld acoustic imaging cameras to building-mounted cameras with advanced smart sensors. Thermal cameras, cell phone attachments and other related systems range in cost from below $500 to over $25,000.

Without direct physical contact, thermal imaging cameras locate and diagnose electrical, mechanical and building problems while the software documents and records temperature anomalies like excessive heat. Such a change in temperature may indicate a looming mechanical or electrical failure and potential property losses or unplanned operational downtime. Thermal imaging is great for identifying hot spots in:

• Electrical boards and wiring, including loose, corroded, overtightened or improperly sized connections
• Breakers, fuses and starters
• Motors, bearings, gearboxes, belts and couplers
• Conveyors and bucket elevators
• Buildings and building materials like insulation

Then, you can act before a minor issue becomes a major one that throws the brakes on your operation’s productivity.

“When you can see a heat anomaly in a piece of electrical circuitry or equipment, you can take corrective action before a more significant problem develops. You can be proactive or predictive with preventive maintenance,” said Nationwide Risk Management Property Engineer Dan Pfeffer. “Being proactive versus reactive is a way to find problems before they cause a fire or explosion. We can find a hotspot before it starts a fire.”

Attend an instructor-led course on thermal imaging

In partnership with Nationwide, Fox River Systems is offering a training course outlining essential thermal imaging concepts. The eight-hour course includes basics on infrared thermal imaging inspections of electrical and/or mechanical equipment as part of proactive preventative maintenance programs. The online virtual classroom includes a live Q&A with instructors. It’s best to have a thermal imaging camera prior to the training to get the most from the hands-on lab experience.

Upon completion of the course, you will have the skills necessary to complete a basic infrared thermographic survey, interpret the resulting images, build basic reports and improve preventive maintenance programs.

[1] Source: A.M. Best Market Share Report 2022.