ThermalTrend: a tool for organising and analysing thermal images

Infrared thermography (IRT), as a non-contact condition monitoring (CM) technique, measures the temperature distribution of machines and components to detect anomalous thermal behaviour. It is usually considered as a complementary technique and nowadays is used in a wide variety of industrial applications. In this paper, two commonly used criteria to assess the condition of machines based on the infrared thermography technique, ie absolute and relative temperature criteria, are represented. Then, the importance of the temperature trend in condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of machines and components is described. The ThermalTrend software, which was developed in the Condition Monitoring Unit, Smelting Department, Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex in Rafsanjan, Iran, is introduced and its most important and unique features are discussed. This software package helps thermographers to organise thermal images and provides the temperature trends of machines and components that are under regular monitoring. Finally, some industrial case studies on the usefulness and applicability of the infrared thermography technique and the ThermalTrend software are reported.