In the Netherlands, electrical plants must comply with the NEN values, i.e. the safety requirements laid down by the “Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute”. Regular inspection of electrical plants and equipment is compulsory and covers inspection, measurement, testing and reporting. This always involves an interference into the operative procedures and processes. For this reason, Barnett Inspections is always open to solutions which offer more efficiency in inspections and yet maximum reliability and quality. Richard le Mat, quality manager at Barnet Inspections, was happy to test the testo 883 thermal imaging camera with its convenient pistol design, including the professional software testo IRSoft. Overall, he’s convinced: The testo 883 thermal imaging camera is the perfect support for the Dutch electrical expert.
In order to guarantee compliance with the strict legal norms, Dutch industrial companies and service providers rely on independent testing facilities such as the medium-sized electrical expert Barnett Inspections. The routinely occurring requirements include visual checks on electrical installations as well as measurements and testing of equipment, and also thermographic examinations of distribution systems. The objective is to identify and document bad connections – and therefore possible risks – in the connections of electrical components, for example in a distribution system. This results in a large number of thermal images every day: On average, 1 to 8 objects are thoroughly inspected thermographically. The inspectors face several challenges at once:
Difficult-to-access or far distant objects must also be recorded in excellent quality.
It needs to be possible to create the analysis and reports quickly to demonstrate hotspots and fire risks in the tested plants.
Testing interventions must be kept to a minimum for the customer, in order to not disturb operation.
For this purpose, the inspectors need an easy-to-handle thermal imager with high resolution, high-performance and intuitive software. This is so that thermal images can be quickly and easily created, analysed and documented in an illustrative thermographic report.
Barnett Inspections B.V.
Barnett Inspections is a Dutch specialist for the testing of electrical installations according to the applicable NEN values. As an independent testing facility, the company is concerned exclusively with the testing of operational plants and machines. Barnett Inspections has an excellent reputation as an expert who reacts flexibly and efficiently, communicates clearly and is always equipped with modern test instrumentation and the newest software. Thanks to their specialisation, experience and focus on highly efficient work processes, the staff at Barnett Inspections can guarantee smooth and efficient inspections whilst continuing operation.
The testo 883 thermal imaging camera with manual focussing is ideal for these requirements. It is supplied as a complete package with the licence-free, high-performance software testo IRSoft. This not only allows outstandingly high-resolution thermal images to be recorded, even of difficult objects but then also comprehensively analysed. Creating reports is equally easy. The digital report assistant and numerous design templates make it very easy to document the measurement results and analysis in meaningful reports.
All this convinces Richard le Mat. As a new customer, the experienced quality manager was happy to take the opportunity of thoroughly testing the testo 883 thermal imaging camera in the next inspection of electrical plants – and right away on five jobs: In a service station with a carwash, three auto repair workshops and a laundry.
"The testo 883 thermal imaging camera has already put my previous camera into retirement. It provides considerably better performance in every single job!"
Richard le Mat
·Quality manager for the testing of electrical plants
Richard le Mat finds the application of the testo 883 thermal imaging camera and PC software testo IRSoft incredibly easy and efficient to use, and so the overall package from Testo convinces the Dutchman in all facets.
The manual focussing makes it very easy to take close-ups as well as distant images. Even the smallest details appear in sharp focus, so that all relevant components are clearly identifiable in the thermal image. The thermal imaging camera also sits very well in the hand. Even under difficult conditions, it is easy to take recordings without blurring the image. To do this, the user simply presses the large button which his finger is already resting on anyway. The thermal imaging camera's menu is easy to navigate, the options are clearly arranged and intuitively understood. Depending on preference, navigation is possible either with a joystick or via the touchscreen. Richard le Mat prefers the touchscreen, which is extremely easy to operate and works excellently. Richard le Mat also likes the hot and cold spots being displayed on the thermal imaging camera. When the thermal image is later opened in the analysis and reporting software testo IRSoft, these markings are already included in the thermal image. This optional pre-setting saves the busy expert a great deal of time and effort, as he does not need to mark these spots again in the software.
The electrical expert’s conclusion: "Simply convincing, and also convincingly simple! In our business, the testo 883 thermal imaging camera is already in widespread use for inspection jobs."
The testo 883 combines all properties for making routine inspections on electrical plants and equipment faster, more efficient and therefore more cost-saving:
Best image quality: IR resolution of 320 x 240 pixels (with SuperResolution 640 x 480 pixels); NETD < 40 mK
testo SiteRecognition: intelligent measurement site recognition and automatic image management
Flexible: Manual focus and interchangeable lenses
testo IRSoft: Analyse thermal images comprehensively with the intuitive, professional PC software and create impressive reports within a short period of time
Smart and networked: testo Thermography App and wireless transmission of measurement values from the testo 770-3 clamp meter directly into the thermal image.