scope:

This guideline is intended to support companies on how to efficiently use thermography as the standard measurement method in maintenance.

The series of guidelines VDI 2878 is intended for:

• managers and decision makers in companies, who are responsible for planning and implementing maintenance measures
• maintenance technicians
• service providers for infrared surveys
• manufacturers and operators of technical facilities and systems
• fire safety engineers and security specialists and their subordinate representatives
• experts
• insurers, especially risk engineers and underwriters of property insurers

The individual parts of this series of guidelines are intended to provide guidance and help with respect to thermographic applications and their implementations in order to complete different tasks. However both, the contracting authority and the thermographer, still have to go into greater detail about the measurement specifications. Furthermore, they have to use appropriate measuring equipment and - if necessary - take additional steps in order to obtain reasonable results of proper quality.

The series of guidelines VDI 2878 does not cover every possible measurement case.

Thermography can be used as routine maintenance procedure. It can also be used as means of inspection to develop a maintenance strategy and as guidance when it comes to planning and deciding which maintenance method should be used.

It serves as additional aid to document and evaluate the thermal state of the surfaces of technical systems and to record deviations from the target state. However, it can also be used to detect weak points and possible hazardous spots during the commissioning and acceptance and approval of new facilities.