Periodic and Preventive Electrical Maintenance
Preventing unplanned stoppages through regular inspection of panels, switchgear and lines, including thermal imaging and reporting.
Most electrical faults do not appear suddenly; they accumulate for weeks as a warming connection, a loosened terminal or a capacitor that has lost capacitance. Periodic maintenance aims to catch those signs before they become failures. Contech carries out regular inspection of panels, switchgear and distribution lines across the plant on a planned schedule.
A maintenance programme starts by identifying the plant’s critical lines. Equipment that halts production entirely when it stops is checked at a different frequency from equipment with a standby; inspecting every panel at the same interval means both unnecessary cost and delay at the points that matter. Inspection begins visually: heat marks, discolouration, dust build-up, signs of rodents or moisture inside the panel. Connection tightness is then checked against torque values; a loose connection creates resistance, resistance generates heat, and over time it destroys both busbar and cable. Thermal imaging is the most valuable tool at this stage. In an image taken with the panel under load, a temperature difference between adjacent phases points straight to the problem connection. This finds the points that have not failed yet but are about to. On the switchgear side, contactor contacts, thermal relay settings and breaker mechanisms are examined. On motor circuits, insulation resistance is measured and compared against previous readings; it is the trend over time rather than a single measurement that carries meaning. In the correction panel, capacitance is measured and any deviation from the nameplate value recorded. A report is left with the plant after every visit: checks performed, measured values, risks identified and recommended actions in priority order. Over time these reports build the plant’s electrical health history, so replacement decisions rest on records rather than guesswork.
- Criticality-based schedule — panels inspected by importance, not all at one interval.
- Visual inspection: heat marks, discolouration, dust, moisture and signs of rodents.
- Connection tightness checked against torque values.
- Thermal imaging to find warming points that have not yet failed.
- Contactor contacts, thermal relay settings and breaker mechanisms checked.
- Motor insulation resistance measured and trended against previous readings.
- Maintenance report with measured values and recommendations in priority order.
- Reducing unplanned stoppages at plants running continuous production
- Annual inspection of main distribution and MCC panels
- Measurement reporting for insurance and audit requirements
- Condition assessment of existing infrastructure before a capacity increase
How often should maintenance be carried out?
Six months on critical lines and annually on general distribution is a common interval. The exact frequency is set by assessing operating hours, ambient conditions and equipment age.
Does production have to stop for maintenance?
Thermal imaging and visual inspection are done under load and need no stoppage. Connection tightness checks and insulation measurement must be done de-energised; that work is scheduled around planned shutdowns or weekends.
What use is the maintenance report to us?
The report shows how measured values trend over time. A motor whose insulation resistance falls gradually across three years tells you in advance when it needs replacing. The reports also serve as documentation for insurance and audit processes.
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