Thermographic Inspection & Thermal Imaging Service

Thermographic inspection and thermal imaging service in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across all seven Emirates — infrared surveys of electrical and mechanical plant carried out under load by ISO 17020 accredited and ADNOC approved inspection personnel using calibrated instruments. Last reviewed: August 2026.

An electrical connection that is failing gets hot long before it fails. Infrared thermography finds those developing faults while the plant is running and before anything trips — which is the difference between a scheduled repair and an unplanned outage. Loose or corroded connections are the most common electrical finding and the most common cause of switchboard fires in the region.

Why it must be done under load

Thermography detects heat generated by resistance, and resistance only produces heat when current flows. A survey on de-energised or lightly loaded equipment finds nothing, because the defect that would have shown at full load produces no thermal signature at 20% load.

Surveys are therefore scheduled when plant is running at representative load, and load conditions at the time of survey are recorded with each finding — a temperature rise measured at 40% load means something quite different from the same rise at full load, and a report that omits it cannot be interpreted correctly.

What we survey

• Switchgear and distribution boardsBusbars, circuit breakers, contactors, fuses, terminations and connections across LV and HV distribution. Temperature differentials of 10°C above a reference component indicate a finding requiring action; differentials above 40°C indicate immediate risk.
• TransformersBushings, terminations, tap changers, cooling systems and radiator flow, plus tank and oil temperature distribution.
• Motors and drivesBearings, windings, couplings, terminal boxes and variable speed drives, where thermal pattern indicates mechanical as well as electrical condition.
• Cables and terminationsJoints, glands, terminations and cable runs, including connections that overheat where conductor size or torque was wrong at installation.
• Mechanical plantBearings, couplings, pumps, gearboxes, conveyors and steam traps, where friction or blockage produces a thermal signature before mechanical failure.
• Process and building servicesInsulation condition on vessels and pipework, refractory integrity, and heat loss surveys on building envelopes.

What the survey finds

• Loose, corroded or under-torqued connections — the most common electrical finding and the most common cause of switchboard fires
• Load imbalance across phases
• Overloaded circuits and undersized conductors
• Failing contacts, contactors and circuit breakers
• Bearing degradation before it becomes audible
• Blocked cooling paths and failed cooling fans
• Damaged or missing insulation
• Failed steam traps passing to drain

Reporting and severity grading

Findings are reported with the thermal image and a matching visual photograph, the measured temperature at the anomaly, the reference temperature of a comparable component under the same conditions, and the load at the time of survey. Each finding is severity-graded: immediate action required, correct at next planned shutdown, or monitor. A report that grades everything urgent gets ignored; severity grading is what makes findings actionable.

Why organisations commission thermographic surveys

• Insurance requirement — property insurers specify periodic thermographic surveys of electrical installations as a condition of cover
• Predictive maintenance programmes, finding faults between planned shutdowns
• Verification after installation, modification or maintenance work
• Investigation following unexplained tripping or equipment failure
• Condition assessment before acquiring or leasing a facility
• Establishing a thermal baseline for future comparison

Survey intervals

Annual survey is the common baseline for electrical distribution, shortened to six-monthly for critical installations, high-duty-cycle plant, or equipment in hot, dusty or corrosive environments — all of which describe most industrial sites in the UAE. Where an insurer sets the interval, that governs. Surveys are carried out after any significant modification to the installation.

Safe access

Thermography requires a line of sight to the component, which on enclosed switchgear means either opening panels under load or using installed infrared viewing windows. Opening live panels carries arc flash risk and is carried out only where the client's permit system allows it and with appropriate controls in place. Where it is not permitted, we will say so and identify what viewing windows would be needed to survey that equipment safely in future.

Coverage

Thermal imaging surveys are carried out across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, at industrial facilities, commercial buildings, substations and offshore installations. Because surveys must be conducted under load, attendance is scheduled to match operational conditions rather than office hours, including night and weekend working where that is when the plant runs.

Accreditation and personnel

ITMAD is accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 as an inspection body, is an ADNOC approved inspection contractor, and is listed on the Abu Dhabi City Municipality register of Approved Third Party Inspection Bodies. Surveys are carried out by qualified thermographers using calibrated instruments, with instrument calibration traceability provided in every report.