Closed-Door Inspection System maintains safety barrier.
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Press Release Summary:
SpyGlass(TM) fish-eye lens and Viewport pinpoint hotspots in electrical cabinets while circuits are energized and under load. UL-rated Viewport, suited for low- and high-voltage applications from 480 V and up, uses 0.5 in. aperture and can be installed in vertical or horizontal position. With focus range of 4-45 in., lens has 53° horizontal x 40° verticle or 66° diagonal field of view and provides temperature measurement accuracy of ±3°C.
Original Press Release:
'Closed-Door' Inspection of Electrical Cabinets Made Safe and Easy by New SpyGlass(TM) Lens and Viewport from Mikron
Closed-door thermal inspection of electrical switch gear maintains safety barrier, encourages frequent checks, eliminates need to disconnect
April 2004 - Hotspots in electrical cabinets can be quickly pinpointed while circuits are energized and under load, using the new SpyGlass(TM) fish-eye lens and economical Viewport from Mikron Infrared.
Raising the safety and convenience standard for thermal inspections, the SpyGlass lens and Viewport encourage frequent examinations of electrical switch gear because - with cabinet doors closed - no downtime is required to de-energize circuits for safety reasons.
"When it's convenient and safe to monitor electrical cabinets, plant maintenance people will make more frequent inspections," said Mikron Sales Vice President Jon Chynoweth. "Early users have proven the value of routine inspections between scheduled downtimes. In one instance at a gas enrichment plant, an inspection using the Viewport and SpyGlass revealed overheated, failing connections, which had once before caused an unscheduled outage and $1 million in lost production."
The Viewport is UL-rated and approved for installation at the OEM level or as a retrofit in the field. Suitable for both low- and high-voltage applications from 480 volts and up, it can be installed in 20 minutes or less on cabinets indoors or outdoors, in either vertical or horizontal position. The Viewport is ideal for virtually any application, including mechanical equipment, that requires safe viewing through a door or panel. With its protective cap in place, it maintains NEMA 1, 2, 3, 3R and 4 Ratings.
The unique design of the Viewport uses only a 0.5" aperture, maintaining the integrity and safety rating of the cabinet, without the need for an IR transparent window or metal screen barrier which can skew thermal readings, or break and compromise safety. The Viewport is unaffected by moisture, dirt, UV and corrosive environments - it never needs cleaning or replacement glass. When used with the plastic-tipped SpyGlass(TM) lens, there is no "path to ground" through the camera, enhancing operator safety.
Three styles of Viewport are available, with a list price starting under $50 - the lowest in the industry, according to the manufacturer. The standard Viewport model is closed with a protective O-ring-sealed, screw-on cap when not in use. Other models include a locking device or a window with a locking device.
The SpyGlass fisheye lens, with its wide field of view (53° horizontal by 40° vertical, or 66° diagonal), allows easy scanning of the interior of the electrical cabinet through the Viewport, providing a temperature measurement accuracy of ±3°C. The SpyGlass lens attaches to Mikron's Midas or 7000 Series MikroScan® thermography cameras, allowing the operator to view entire electrical panels from just inches away. With a focus range of 4" (10 cm) to 45" (114 cm) and large depth of field, the SpyGlass lens reduces the need to re-focus for different electrical cabinet depths.
For more information about all the ways the SpyGlass lens and Viewport, coupled with a MikroScan infrared camera, can meet electrical cabinet inspection challenges, contact Jon Chynoweth at 888-506-3900 or email jon@mikroninfrared.com
