Thermal Imaging Camera for Hire

Electrical thermography is a structured condition monitoring discipline, not a point-and-shoot exercise. The infrared image identifies the symptom; correct interpretation determines whether a connection is loose, a load is imbalanced, a bushing is failing, or a thermistor is reading the right temperature under stress. ISO 18434 sets out the general procedures for machinery thermography. ISO 18436-7 defines the personnel certification framework Australian asset owners reference when specifying thermographer competence. The Australian Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (AINDT) administers Level I, II, and III thermographer certifications under that framework.

The FLIR E75 is the camera Megavar engineers use on substation thermography surveys, switchboard hot-spot detection, transformer bushing and tap-changer inspection, motor and bearing thermal assessment, and solar PV string inspection. With 320 x 240 true native infrared resolution, two selectable object temperature ranges covering minus 20 to plus 120 degrees Celsius and 0 to 650 degrees Celsius, interchangeable lenses, laser-assisted autofocus, and Wi-Fi connectivity for live image transfer, the E75 sits in the upper segment of the FLIR Exx professional series. The 320 x 240 detector resolution is the threshold most Australian utility asset management programmes specify for diagnostic-grade thermography on energised plant, and meets the per-cell geometric resolution requirements set out in IEC TS 62446-3 for module-level photovoltaic inspection at typical row standoff distances.

Hire from our offices in Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide and Newcastle, with delivery Australia-wide. For projects that require a turnkey thermography survey rather than equipment hire alone, Megavar provides the camera, the AINDT-certified thermographer, and the report in a format the asset owner accepts.

The FLIR E75 supports six broad electrical and mechanical thermography scenarios across utility, industrial, commercial, and renewable energy assets.

Substation thermography on energised plant

Periodic infrared surveys on energised substation primary plant identify abnormal heating on busbar joints, isolator contacts, disconnect switches, current and voltage transformer bushings, transformer bushings and tap changer external indicators, surge arresters, and connection clamps. The survey is typically conducted at full or near-full load to ensure thermal anomalies are present and detectable. Asset management programmes on most Australian transmission and distribution networks specify periodic substation thermography on a one to three year cycle, with shorter intervals on critical or aged plant.

Switchboard and MCC hot-spot detection

Thermal imaging on energised LV and MV switchboards, motor control centres, and distribution boards identifies loose terminations, imbalanced loading across phases, deteriorating circuit breaker contacts, and overloaded conductors before failure. The survey is normally conducted with covers temporarily opened under live conditions following a documented permit and exclusion zone procedure, or through specially fitted infrared windows where the asset owner has installed them. The FLIR E75 is suited to both methods.

Transformer condition monitoring

On power and distribution transformers, infrared imaging detects abnormal bushing temperatures (early-stage bushing failure), uneven cooling system performance (radiator blockages, fan or pump faults), tap changer external heating signatures, and oil leak signatures. Combined with conventional dissolved gas analysis, transformer turns ratio testing, and sweep frequency response analysis, thermography forms part of a layered condition monitoring programme on critical transformers.

Solar PV string and module inspection

IEC TS 62446-3 specifies infrared thermography as a diagnostic method for utility and commercial-scale photovoltaic installations. The technique identifies hot cells and hot strings (cell mismatch, shading, bypass diode failure, cell cracking), connector and junction box heating (loose terminations, corrosion), and inverter and combiner box anomalies. The standard sets out per-cell geometric resolution requirements for module-level inspection rather than specifying a particular detector resolution, and the FLIR E75 with its 24-degree standard lens meets those requirements at typical row standoff distances. Aerial thermography by drone is increasingly common on utility-scale arrays; the E75 is a hand-held camera and is most suited to ground-based and combiner-box-level work.

Motor and bearing thermal assessment

On rotating plant, infrared imaging identifies bearing temperature rise (lubrication degradation, misalignment, end-of-life bearings), winding hot-spots through the motor frame (insulation degradation, overload), and coupling and drive-end heating signatures. The technique complements vibration analysis on rotating-equipment condition monitoring rounds.

Building electrical and HVAC inspection

On commercial and industrial premises, thermography identifies overloaded distribution boards, building services switchgear hot-spots, HVAC compressor and chiller anomalies, and building envelope thermal performance issues where the project demands it. Insurance-driven electrical thermography surveys are an established commercial application across the Megavar service territory.

Standards and certification framework

The principal standards and certification framework Australian thermographers and asset owners reference are listed below. Megavar maintains AINDT-certified thermographers on staff for projects that require both the equipment and the certified operator.

• ISO 18434-1 - Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines. Thermography. General procedures.
• ISO 18436-7 - Condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines. Requirements for qualification and assessment of personnel. Thermography.
• AINDT certification - Australian Institute of Non-Destructive Testing certifies thermographers at Levels I, II and III under the ISO 18436-7 framework.
• IEC TS 62446-3 - Photovoltaic systems. Requirements for testing, documentation and maintenance. Outdoor infrared thermography of PV modules and plants.
• Utility maintenance specifications - Most Australian transmission and distribution network service providers reference periodic infrared surveys in their substation maintenance specifications and asset management plans.

Thermal imaging cameras span a wide cost range, from sub-thousand-dollar entry-level instruments to forty-thousand-plus diagnostic-grade research cameras. The FLIR E75 sits in the professional category. The hire-versus-buy decision turns on utilisation, the resolution and accuracy required by the survey, and how often the equipment changes generation.

• You need a diagnostic-grade thermal camera for one survey or short campaign
• Your team uses thermography occasionally rather than as a primary maintenance tool
• You need the 320 x 240 detector resolution for utility-grade survey work that an entry-level camera cannot deliver
• You also need an AINDT-certified thermographer to interpret the imagery and produce the report
• Capital is constrained or survey volume does not justify outright purchase
• You want flexibility to scale up multiple cameras across a multi-team campaign
• Calibration and freight on owned equipment would exceed hire cost across your annual usage

• Your team performs thermography on more than 60 days per year
• You have AINDT-certified thermographers on staff and the survey volume to maintain currency
• Your projects are remote enough that hire freight outweighs purchase plus annual calibration
• Your asset management programme specifies infrared survey on a fixed multi-year cycle
• You require permanent on-call availability for breakdown or insurance investigation work
• Lower-resolution survey-grade cameras are sufficient for most of your work and you only occasionally need diagnostic-grade resolution

Megavar is a specialist HV testing and commissioning firm with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide, Newcastle and Gladstone. We perform electrical thermography as part of substation maintenance, condition monitoring, and commissioning work on transmission and distribution projects, including for ElectraNet, TasNetworks, Downer, Acciona and Zinfra/Jemena. The hire fleet exists because we built it for our own teams first, and we maintain it to the standard those teams require.

When you hire thermal imaging equipment from Megavar you receive: full current calibration with NATA-traceable certificates, complete lens and accessory set, and a configuration tailored to your scope. Where the project demands a turnkey service rather than equipment hire alone, we can quote on the full survey scope, including report production to the format your asset owner accepts.

Hire periods are flexible from single-day commissioning checks through to multi-month project rentals. Delivery is Australia-wide. Call 1300 730 499 or email rentals@megavar.com.au.

Most Australian utility asset management programmes specify a minimum detector resolution of 320 x 240 for diagnostic-grade thermography on energised primary plant. Below that resolution, the spatial detail is insufficient to discriminate a heated joint from background plant at typical substation standoff distances. The FLIR E75 meets the 320 x 240 threshold and is the camera Megavar engineers use on substation work. For larger plant such as transformer cooling banks or distant busbar work, a telephoto lens may be added to maintain spatial resolution at the increased standoff.