Up Time Magazine - December 2008/January 2009 - (Page 26) IR Windows Suppy & Installation Investment 197 Infrared Windows Installation Costs for 197 Units Total Assemblies $42,050 $18,910 $60,960 already in place when compared to a typical crew of a single thermographer + two electricians. Consequently, the man-hour calculations for the “traditional inspection” are actually conservative. Table 3 details the man-hour costs for infrared surveys using in-house staff without infrared windows or viewports. The following assumptions are made: • Total man-hours per inspection of “inspectable” equipment: 331 hours (23 days) • Staff electrician internal charge-out rate $125.00 per hour • Staff thermographer assists with panel removal, etc… (two-man task) • PPE suit-ups twice per day, per man (30 minutes per man per suit-up) • One man-hour per compartment panel for safe removal, etc. (x two for two-man team) • 147 individual panels to inspect (per Table 1) Table 2 - Total Costs The Installation Installation of the infrared inspection panes was conducted during three nights and three days during the ten-day shutdown. Some installations were completed on live gear using additional safety measures; however, the vast majority were conducted on deenergized equipment in what NFPA terms an “electrically safe work condition.” Although the plan allowed for twelve-hour shifts, installers were quickly and safely moving at a rate of approximately six window installations per hour, and were finishing the plant on the night shifts within six hours. Installations during normal business hours allowed much more flexibility; therefore all “live works” were completed during these periods. When the clients’ electricians assisted with the installations, the installation rates were also faster than originally planned (7 to 8 windows per hour). All window installations were completed well within the allotted timelines. Figure 2 - Traditional inspection using PPE ficiencies they have gained through the use of infrared windows. Return On Investment Table 5 combines the data from the previous tables to illustrate the ROI for the paper mill based on the initial investment of the IR windows, the investment in installation and the costs to perform surveys using the windows, compared with the mill’s traditional costs of using their in-house team while not using any windows. Total Cost of Traditional Inspection with In-House Team Hours Traditional Inspection Time (Hrs x 2 per team) PPE Suit-up Time (0.5 Hrs x 2 per day x 2 per team) Total Cost 294 37 Cost $36,750 $4,625 $41,375 Table 3 - Costs for Traditional Infrared Surveys Figure 1 - Installation of IR Window Inspection Cost Analysis Prior to the installation of the IR windows, all infrared inspections were completed on open, energized gear. Therefore, PPE, live works procedures, risk assessments, permits, etc. were required for all inspections, and as noted earlier, several applications had never been surveyed due to safety restrictions. The paper mill had previously invested in its own infrared camera and an on-staff thermographer. The thermographer was trained and “qualified” to assist in opening panels on energized gear. Therefore, some efficiencies were After the infrared windows were installed and there was no requirement to remove panels or wear increased levels of PPE, the task became a one-man job. The increased efficiency and economies of motion and man-power, which infrared windows provided, significantly decreased the time required to complete a survey to just two, eight-hour days for a total of just 16 man-hours. The costs associated with an infrared survey using the IR windows are detailed in Table 4. Using infrared windows is shown in this example to pay dividends as early as mid-way into the second inspection cycle, yielding almost $18,000 in savings which can be put back into the budget by the end of the second cycle. In just five inspection cycles the mill shows a savings of over $135,000. Moreover, because inspections can be completed with greater ease and without increased risk to personnel, plant and processes, the frequency of inspection cycles has been increased to quarterly, reflecting best-practices recommendations which were previously not feasible, and thought to be unattainable. The new inspection cycle brings ROI to the plant in just one quarter, while reducing the risk of catastrophic failure among the plant’s critical power distribution systems, which will, in turn, minimize production losses due to equipment failure. Future Installations Additional window installations have been planned and scheduled to occur during the facility’s next shutdown. Because the customer’s in-house electricians were trained to install infrared windows, the installation costs for december/january 2009 Total Cost of Inspection with IR Windows Hours Inspection Time PPE Suit-up Time Total Cost 16 0 Cost $2,000 $0.00 $2,000 Table 4 - Costs for Infrared Surveys Using IR Windows Compared to the costs of traditional inspections (Table 3), the paper mill now saves $39,375 per inspection cycle because of the ef- 26
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