04
Nov
Temperature is something that we measure nearly every single day. Although we may not notice it, measuring temperature is convenient and gives us information that saves us from making mistakes. We use it to check if the engine is overheating, to make sure that food is cooked through and properly, etc.
Unlike a thermometer which will only show you the degrees or Fahrenheit, thermal imaging cameras will give you an image showing you the varying temperatures on somethings surface. Thermography is the name given to this particular technique and it is the technique of capturing the infrared light of an object and projecting it into a picture while using thermal imaging cameras. These environmentally friendly cameras scan an image at an accelerated pace so you can then observe the image to detect any potential problems that may arise. Below is a thorough guide to infrared cameras and their uses. If you are interested in thermal cameras for sale, browse online for a local retailer near you.
Thermal cameras are designed to capture infrared energy images and create an image for you to asses in real time. The images appear brighter where the temperature is the warmest and darker where the temperature is cooler. Infrared is made by atoms and molecules vibrating; the more that these atoms and molecules vibrate, the higher the temperature gets producing a light that we can now capture with this technology. Although popular in many industries thermal cameras are quite common in the house inspection industry since they can capture problems in a home that the naked eye cannot. Some of the problems you may encounter are insulation leaks in refrigerators, mechanical bearings overheating, regular thermal patterns in boiler tubes, leaking roofs, any areas where mold may grow, problematic heating pipes or wires, and any heat loss there may be.
There are many features that come with thermal cameras. The inexpensive cameras usually just come with a few features that usually include the reading of temperatures and the reading of crosshair temperatures on the display. More expensive cameras come with a wider range of features, such as displaying the high and low average temperatures; some thermal cameras even allow for selecting multiple crosshairs and comparing the temperatures between them. Depending on what you need to use this kind of camera for, the prices could vary depending on what features you need.
Most thermal cameras will either have internal memory or place for a memory card, which you can plug into your PC to view the data more accurately. There are multiple colour palettes that most cameras will offer, each of which will offer different insights into the image you want to capture. The black and white palette is better at detecting details within an image, the rainbow palette is best for detecting the differences in temperature. There are also the iron palette, hot metal palette, and amber palette, all of which are interchangeable depending on your personal preferences.
If you are wondering how to capture a decent image with a thermal camera, it is pretty simple. Analyzing the image that you will capture though is where it might get a bit confusing if you don’t have any experience or the right knowledge. Focus, just like a regular camera is important to capture a clean, clear image and just like regular cameras you can either twist the lens to focus or if you have a more modern camera auto focus is usually one of the features. The emissivity setting on your camera will also be important to capture the right temperature, you can usually adjust the setting on your camera when trying to capture different materials but sometimes you will not have this option and it will be set on a default setting.
Some cameras will also include a reflective temperature setting which will help reduce any heat reflecting from surrounding objects. Thermal tuning is also a feature that comes with thermal cameras and comes in two modes, automatic and manual. Automatic mode will automatically adjust to the temperature being shown on the display, and a manual is usually used for bringing out the different temperatures in different objects being shown.
Thermal cameras while great may only scratch the surface of an underlying problem so always use different technology to validate your findings. Depending on what your needs are, you should always asses what features a camera comes with before purchasing it. Thermal cameras have become more readily available to the public in recent years so you can probably find one locally, or you can always search and compare them online before making a decision.
