Why Organized Thermal Data Matters for Asset Health
Industrial organizations rely heavily on inspections to monitor the condition of their equipment, buildings, and systems. Thermal imaging is one of the most effective tools for spotting hidden problems, but the value of these images depends on how well they are organized and used.
Too often, radiometric images and inspection results end up scattered across folders or buried in lengthy reports. This makes it difficult to track the health of specific assets, which slows down workflows and leaves teams without the insights they need to make timely maintenance decisions.
Start With a Hierarchy
An asset hierarchy addresses the challenge of consistent, efficient reporting by linking inspection data directly to the equipment it represents.
Instead of dealing with disconnected images and reports, every data point is tied to a specific asset in a structured system. This provides a clearer view of equipment history, makes comparisons across inspections more meaningful, and enables more consistent reporting.
With asset-centered organization, teams can automate workflows, generate work orders as soon as issues are found, and apply advanced tools like dashboards, trending, and AI-driven analysis.
Connect thermal images of target assets to data from previous inspections for a full equipment history.
Typical Problems Organizations Face
Without an asset hierarchy, teams encounter several common difficulties:
- Time-consuming reporting: Turning raw inspection data into usable reports can take as long as the inspection itself.
- Limited integration: Folder data, or report-based data, is difficult to connect with Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software or other maintenance platforms.
- Lack of trend data: A single inspection provides only a snapshot, which makes it hard to know if equipment is improving or degrading, or when it might fail.
- Inconsistent data: If inspections are not standardized, images may vary in angle, distance, or settings, making comparisons unreliable.
These challenges affect both individual technicians and entire organizations. End users may struggle to keep up with reporting demands, while managers lack the insights needed to make informed maintenance and budget decisions. Ultimately, this can lead to missed issues, unexpected downtime, and higher costs.
Where Asset Hierarchy Systems Are Used
Asset-centered inspection systems provide value across many industries.
Industries such as manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, forestry, mining, chemical, and oil & gas use asset-hierarchy systems when monitoring motors, pumps, gearboxes, electrical, and other assets to reduce unplanned downtime and maintain operational safety.
Utilities track the components of their electrical grids, and even commercial properties and residential apartments monitor some parts of their HVAC and electrical systems.
By trending data over time—such as temperature, operating status, or comparison to a baseline image—organizations can detect changes long before they become failures. This makes inspections not only a way to identify existing problems, but also a proactive tool for improving asset reliability and extending equipment life.
How Flir AssetlinkTM Makes the Difference
Flir Assetlink is designed to bring structure and efficiency to thermal inspection programs. It is a browser-based software that automatically connects radiometric images from compatible Flir cameras to an asset hierarchy. This means that inspection data is organized by the assets it represents from the moment it is captured, rather than after the fact.
By using an asset-centered approach, Assetlink enables several key capabilities, including automated workflows that reduce the need for manual reporting and trending and dashboards that provide insights into asset condition over time.
One of Assetlink’s most important advantages is consistency. Reference images ensure every inspection is captured under the same conditions, with the same settings and perspective. Routing features guarantee that no asset is overlooked, and dashboards make it easy to see which inspections have been completed and which are pending. This level of standardization provides reliable data for long-term analysis and decision-making.
“Assetlink automatically associates thermal captures with a specific, individual asset, so users can see trends over time.”
—John Gould, Flir Director of Business Development
The Value to Organizations
For end users, Assetlink simplifies the process of capturing, organizing, and sharing thermal data. It reduces reporting time, ensures inspections are consistent, and makes it easier to spot problems quickly.
For organizations, it provides a scalable platform that improves communication, enhances predictive maintenance, and supports data-driven decision-making across the enterprise.
Because Assetlink is browser-based, it can be accessed on any device—PC, Mac, Linux, Android, or iOS—making it equally useful in the field or at a workstation. It is also designed for continuous improvement, with major feature updates planned each year to expand its capabilities and respond to customer needs.
Moving from Data to Decisions
Ultimately, Flir Assetlink helps organizations move beyond fragmented reporting and into a more connected, proactive way of working.
By tying inspection images directly to an asset hierarchy, it provides faster insights, clearer communication, and a stronger foundation for reliability programs.
For industries where equipment health directly affects safety, productivity, and cost, Assetlink delivers a practical solution to one of the biggest challenges in inspection workflows: turning data into action.
