Fluke VT04 User Manual

Name: Gamal Babiker

Company:

Manufacturer in aerospace industry

Thermometer model: VT04 Visual IR Thermometer

“ It’s much smaller

and lighter than an infrared camera, so I can just grab it and go. It’s also very user friendly and selfex p l a natory.”

“ The VT04 gives them

an easy way to nd problems by seeing a digital and thermal blended image along with temperatures.”

Testimonial

Visual IR Thermometer

What is your line of work?

My company is a technology leader in proximity switches and systems for aerospace companies. As the Facilities Lead, I manage the maintenance of all the equipment and systems throughout our entire facility from production assembly and testing labs to HVAC. In one production area alone, we maintain 2,500 pieces of equipment including ovens, motors, exhaust fans, soldering machines and vibration tables.

What tools do you currently use for maintenance?

I carried an IR thermometer, but now I take our Fluke Ti32 Thermal Imager whenever I can. However, the camera is a shared tool, and numerous people in our plant reserve time with it. It’s not always available for my trouble calls. It’s great to have a visual IR thermometer for frontline troubleshooting, and then use the Ti32 when we’ve identified an issue that warrants a closer look.

What were your first impressions of the VT04 Visual IR Thermometer?

I now have a new data point. Now I can see surface temperatures with a thermal heat map. I was impressed by the thermal blending. The VT04 is a powerful tool that can help me establish what normal looks like.

The first thing I used it on was a noisy motor. I wasn’t sure if I had a problem with a pulley or a motor, so I got in close to take the temperature and determined that the motor had the issue. We’ve since replaced it, and I’ve taken pictures of the new motor with the visual IR thermometer so that we can establish a temperature baseline for what normal looks like.

I also like how small and compact it is. It’s much smaller and lighter than an infrared camera, so I can just grab it and go. It’s also very user friendly and self-explanatory. Everyone here who has tried it; just opened it up, turned it on and started using it, without reading any instructions. This is a great tool to use before knowing if I need to reserve our thermal imager.

What advantages does the VT04 offer you?

It saves time, and saving time is everything for us. We run so lean that one person must be able to troubleshoot HVAC, electrical and plumbing problems. We have to be able to find problems as quickly as possible so that we can keep production up and running. With the VT04 Visual IR Thermometer, I can just point at the suspect area and see a digital and thermal image as well as temperatures simultaneously. I can solve problems immediately.

The price is reasonable enough that we could afford to buy more than one unit. Then I’d have one when I needed it.

What are your top applications for this tool?

Scanning motors is very important to us. Controlling indoor air quality is also a top priority. We work around a lot of combustible gasses, and we need to be sure that the air is safe to breathe and that our exhaust fans are in good working order. We of course monitor the work environment in the HVAC/R sense as well. Our facility comprises 300 zones, all monitored by building manager soft-

VT04 Visual IR Thermometer screen images

Motor

Vent

ware. Even though the software would alert me to a problem with a particular zone, it could still be one of a dozen VAV boxes that’s at fault. The VT04 would help me go right to a motor that seized up, for example. We could also scan and find problems with our 3- and 4-stage compressors powering our buildings’ air conditioning systems.

Visual IR thermometers would also be very helpful for our Total Predictive Maintenance (TPM) events that focus on electrical panels, pumps and motors. We could use the measurements and images from the VT04 to establish a baseline of normal temperatures and heat patterns for equipment operation. Then, we’d have a basis for comparison during troubleshooting. We could turn the VT04 alarm feature on and just scan, knowing it would flash when the temperature exceeded normal operating limits.

This is the type of tool that empowers new technicians. Pictures say a thousand words, and the VT04 gives them an easy way to find problems by seeing a digital and thermal blended image along with temperatures. It will expand their knowledge and confidence.

How would having SmartView® professional reporting and editing software impact your job?

I was impressed that I could further adjust the thermal blending level within the software to the level that best suits the image. That gives me the ability to manipulate the image to show what I need to see and then add notes. Creating a file to document a specific piece of equipment will be very useful for future maintenance.

Circuit breaker

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