Electrical Faults
Abnormal heating in cable trays, busbars, switchgear, transformer connections and high-current systems.
Industrial
Industrial Infrastructure Monitoring
Fiber Optic Monitoring for Manufacturing Plants, Process Equipment, Conveyors and Electrical Systems
Explore Industrial Monitoring
Continuous Facility Insight
Continuous Monitoring Across Industrial Operations
Manufacturing plants and heavy industrial facilities bring electrical power, moving machinery, process heat and combustible materials into the same operating environment.
A single overheating bearing, cable connection or conveyor friction point may affect an entire production line. The challenge is to detect the developing condition and locate it before it causes equipment damage or an unplanned shutdown.
FOTAS provides Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) solutions for industrial infrastructure.
DTS provides linear heat detection and continuous thermal trending. DAS supports perimeter security and the protection of external communication, power and utility routes.
KEY CHALLENGES
Key Industrial Monitoring Challenges
Industrial facilities rarely offer ideal conditions for conventional detectors. High ceilings, complex layouts and strong process airflow can create monitoring gaps. Dust, oil mist, steam, vibration, humidity and corrosive atmospheres also increase detector maintenance and may shorten equipment life.
Machinery Overheating
Thermal development around motors, turbines, compressors, bearings and production equipment.
Conveyor Fire Risk
Roller failure, belt friction, misalignment and accumulated material along conveyor systems.
Combustible Materials
Combustible dust, hydraulic fluids, packaging materials and hazardous-material storage areas.
Process Heating
Furnaces, kilns, hot work, chemical reactions and other processes with elevated operating temperatures.
Difficult Access
Utility tunnels, service corridors, pipe racks and cable routes that are difficult to inspect continuously.
DISTRIBUTED TEMPERATURE SENSING
FOTAS DTS for Linear Heat Detection and Process Safety
Continuous temperature profiling across production, electrical and storage infrastructure.
Distributed Temperature Sensing
Continuous Thermal Coverage
FOTAS DTS uses optical fiber as a continuous linear temperature sensor. The controller measures temperature along the sensing route and produces a thermal profile across the monitored asset or area.
Alarm logic may combine fixed temperature thresholds, rate-of-rise detection, multi-stage alarms and zone-based rules. Settings should reflect normal process temperatures, so alarms represent a meaningful change rather than ordinary production heat.
Point detectors remain useful for local rooms and selected equipment. DTS complements them by adding continuous thermal coverage along extended routes and large industrial areas.
- Production and process areas
- Conveyors and material handling systems
- Utility tunnels and service corridors
- Warehouses and high-rack storage
- Battery and energy storage areas
Thermal Trending
Tracks gradual temperature changes and abnormal operating
conditions along monitored routes.
Precise Alarm Location
Identifies the affected section for faster inspection,
maintenance or emergency response.
Process-Based Alarm Logic
Thresholds and alarm zones are configured around normal
operating temperatures and process conditions.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Thermal Monitoring Across Critical Industrial Assets
One sensing platform can cover several types of thermal risk across the same industrial facility.
Conveyors and Machinery
Mechanical and Process Equipment
DTS detects temperature development associated with roller failure, bearing overheating, belt friction, motors, compressors and hydraulic systems.
Electrical Infrastructure
Power Distribution Monitoring
Cable trays, busbars, switchgear, MCC rooms, transformer connections and UPS systems are monitored for localized heating and abnormal load conditions.
Storage and Energy
Warehouses, BESS and Battery Rooms
Linear temperature monitoring supports large storage areas, hazardous-material zones, battery systems and industrial EV charging infrastructure.
Maintenance Support
A Continuous Thermal Layer
Temperature trending does not replace vibration analysis, oil analysis or electrical testing. It adds continuous thermal information that supports maintenance decisions.
DISTRIBUTED ACOUSTIC SENSING
FOTAS DAS for Perimeters and Utility Routes
Distributed acoustic and vibration monitoring for plant boundaries and external infrastructure routes.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing
Industrial Perimeter and Route Protection
FOTAS DAS converts optical fiber into a distributed acoustic and vibration sensor. Fence-mounted, buried and hybrid installations support plant perimeter security.
The same approach protects external communication, power and utility routes against digging, construction activity and physical interference.
AI-based analytics classify walking, vehicle movement, digging, climbing and fence cutting. Event location data helps direct cameras, security teams or patrols toward the affected section.
- Manufacturing plant perimeters
- Restricted production and storage zones
- External power and communication routes
- Buried utility corridors
- Vehicle and pedestrian approach areas
System Architecture
Integration, Passive Sensing and Deployment
DTS and DAS control units are installed in secure control rooms or protected enclosures. Monitoring data connects to fire alarm, SCADA, BMS, process control, CCTV and emergency shutdown systems.
The sensing fiber requires no electrical power along the monitored route and is immune to electromagnetic interference. This is useful around motors, high-current systems and electrically noisy equipment.
Hazardous areas still require the complete installation, including control equipment, connections and enclosures, to comply with the relevant protection and certification requirements.
Key Benefits
Key Deployment Considerations
Cable construction, routing and alarm design must match the operating environment and the actual process risk.
Industrial Monitoring
Request a Consultation
Monitor Critical Industrial Infrastructure
Talk to our engineering team about a FOTAS DTS or DAS configuration for manufacturing plants, process equipment, conveyors and electrical infrastructure.