ANÁLISIS COMPARATIVO BASADO EN EL ESTUDIO DE DATOS MEDIANTE CÁMARAS TERMOGRÁFICAS PARA DETECTAR FALLAS EXISTENTES EN UNA MÁQUINA A MEDIR.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON THE STUDY OF DATA USING THERMOGRAPHIC CAMERAS TO DETECT EXISTING FAULTS IN A MACHINE TO BE MEASURED.

Abstract

Infrared thermography is a non-destructive inspection technique increasingly used in industry because of its ability to identify thermal variations in operating equipment without direct contact. In environments where processes depend on precise temperature control, such as melting and heat-treatment furnaces, this technology makes it possible to assess operating conditions, detect anomalies, and support preventive maintenance strategies. The objective of this research was to perform a comparative analysis of the thermal behavior of an old furnace and a current electric furnace located in the heat treatment workshop of the Industrial Mechanics program by using a FLIR ONE PRO thermal imaging camera. The methodology consisted of a descriptive-comparative, field-based, and non-experimental study supported by direct observation, simultaneous heating of both furnaces under the same time interval, thermographic image capture, and subsequent analysis using FLIR Thermal Studio software. The results showed that after 90 minutes of operation, the current furnace reached 850 °C, whereas the old furnace only reached 552 °C, revealing significant differences in thermal efficiency, heat distribution, and heating capacity. Chromatic analysis clearly identified cold and hot zones, facilitating the interpretation of the performance of each piece of equipment. It is concluded that infrared thermography is an effective, safe, and functional tool for the evaluation of industrial machinery, since it optimizes inspection time, reduces operational risks, and improves decision-making in maintenance and thermal control processes.