Fluke acoustic imagers help save the day

Fluke’s acoustic imagers make sure no leak is left unchecked, potentially saving miners thousands – if not millions – of dollars in avoided downtime.

Even the smallest of compressed gas leaks can put a mine out of action, leading to hours of lost time and lost revenue.

Pinpointing these leaks can be a challenging process, especially on a busy site with many pieces of equipment operating at once. Whether from material spillage or hydraulic and fluid seepage, leaks can stop an operation in its tracks.

Luckily, Fluke has come through with a solution.

Fluke’s high-quality acoustic imagers have been designed to allow users to visualise the sound of a leak while identifying partial discharge and spotting mechanical deterioration.

Not only does this enable operators to fix any leaks before they worsen, but it also makes predictive maintenance a breeze.

“We launched our three acoustic imagers in 2024: the ii500, ii905, and the ii915,” Fluke product manager Max Malik told Australian Mining.

“The imagers scan an area for any leaks and provide a visual indication for where the leak is. There’s no need for training; anyone can use them.”

The imagers work by capturing soundwaves emitting from a leak; soundwaves that, without the imagers’ 64 micro-electronic microphones, would be inaudible to the human ear.

Software converts the sound signals into an image for the operator, giving them a picture of the exact area the leak is coming from. Once the operator has an image of the source of the leak, they can add annotations and tags to ensure the issue is followed up on.

The advantages of using the imagers on a mine site are far-reaching. Easy to deploy, they require minimal training and seamlessly integrate into routine predictive maintenance programs, ensuring quick adoption across the team.

“Of the three models, the ii915 is best suited to most mining operations,” Malik said. “Not only does the ii915 have the highest frequency range (two to 100 kilohertz), but it also includes MecQ Mode (for potential mechanical deterioration) and PDQ Mode (for partial discharge).”

Partial discharge can pose serious issues to mine sites, potentially causing arc flash fires and blackouts. Enter PDQ Mode, which turns partial discharge sounds into visuals to give the operator a pinpoint view of a fault’s location.

“At Fluke, we’re passionate about advancing operations for our customers while keeping them safe,” Malik said.

An extended frequency range from two to 100 kilohertz means the imagers detect leaks at the earliest possible moment, and with the press of a button, the leak’s location and data can be shared to the wider team to enable a quick fix.

There’s no need to worry about the leak getting lost in a noisy environment either. The imagers’ 73.2-decibel delta performance means leaks don’t go unnoticed.

“Predictive maintenance goes hand-in-hand with safety on-site,” Malik said. “It’s important to ascertain if there’s a potential problem, like a compressed gas leakages, partial discharges and mechanical deterioration, before they become catastrophic.

“Downtime costs start mounting from the first minute a piece of machinery is offline, let alone the first hour. Having knowledge and awareness of leaks before they spread and get worse is imperative to the wellbeing of both the mine and its employees.”

With the potential cost of downtime often exceeding $100,000 each hour, tools like Fluke’s acoustic imagers are becoming imperative to the modern mine.

This feature appeared in the March 2025 issue of Australian Mining.