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Thermography

Thermographic
Case Studies
and Examples

Thermography
Glossary of Terms

What is Thermography?

Thermography, or Infrared Thermal Imaging, is a non contact technique for detecting and measuring variations in the surface temperatures of various objects. The data can then be presented in a picture format which can be used for diagnosing abnormal conditions. The data can also be stored to provide a historical record.

Thermography is one of the most powerful and cost effective tools available to today's plant and building maintenance managers.
This non-invasive and non-destructive technique utilises the fact that all materials at temperatures above absolute zero (0.0K or -273°C) emit heat energy in the form of Infrared radiation.

Infrared radiation is light that is not visible because its wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye; it's the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as heat. Everything with a temperature above absolute zero emits heat. Even very cold objects, such as refrigeration evaporator elements, emit infrared. The higher the object's temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted.

Infrared thermal imaging cameras detect this radiation and produce visible images of the invisible infrared (or "heat") radiation where the different colours in the image represent the different temperatures. They provide precise non-contact temperature measurement of the whole area in the field of view of the camera not just spot measurements.

Almost all plant or equipment heats up before it fails and the degree of heating is usually an indicator of the severity of the developing fault. Fluid leaks either from pipes or through roofs also produce temperature changes (depending on the fluid temperature) which can be detected. In fact almost any system in which a fault results in a temperature change can be inspected. The trained thermographer can identify and evaluate these temperature changes to provide valuable information on the condition of plant and equipment, allowing costly, un-planned breakdowns to be avoided in favour of low cost pre-planned maintenance.

The thermal imaging camera can be focused from 'close up' to' infinity' just like a normal camera. This means that inspections of high cable runs or roofs can be done 'at a distance' without the need for ladders or scaffolds provided that there is 'line of sight'.

All these advantages make Thermography, and the use of infrared thermal imaging cameras, extremely valuable and cost-effective diagnostic tools for many diverse applications.
As industry strives to improve product quality and manufacturing efficiencies as well as managing energy and improving safety standards, new applications for thermography continually emerge.