Infrared Training Institute
Sample Applications
The Infrared Training Institute is a Company dedicated to delivering superior quality, personalized, hands on infrared thermography training.
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Infrared Thermography Applications
This page contains images of a few of the many application areas where infrared thermography has been utilized over the past 50 years. As the technology advances and matures, new applications are being developed continually. If you have any application related questions, please feel free to contact us.
The military was
the first to develop infrared imaging systems and used them in World War II.
One of the first electronically scanned images was that of a ship in a harbor
in Europe as early as 1946. Much of our modern infrared technology was funded
by the military and is now commercially available. Today highly sophisticated
computerized IR systems are used in military applications such as target signature
analysis, weaponry studies and vehicle R & D.
The first commercial use of infrared thermography was in the field of medicine.
In the mid 1950's a Canadian doctor began studies on breast cancer using an
infrared scanning system. Today medical applications are once again being explored.
Areas such as soft tissue injuries show much promise.
Electrical inspections,
both outdoor and indoor, are the best known use of thermography at the present
time. This application was started in the mid 1960's with the advent of semi
portable equipment. Locating a "hot spot" with thermography can save
thousands of dollars giving a big payback on investment. Fires, unscheduled
outages and lost production due to electrical anomalies can be avoided by using
infrared thermography on a regular basis.
In the 1970's many petro\chemical producers
around the word began using infrared thermography in applications such as furnace
tube inspections. Conditions such as coking and scaling could be identified
with specially configured infrared cameras. Infrared is also used to identify
refractory/insulation problems as well as storage tank contamination and sediment
buildup.
Mechanical inspections
using infrared thermography can be performed as a stand alone inspection or
used in conjunction with other disciplines such as vibration analysis or airborne
ultrasound. Equipment such as motors, couplings, bearings, pumps, conveyers
etc. can be inspected on a regular basis and the computed temperatures trended
over time. In most cases a significant change in the trended temperature indicates
a cause for concern.
Building inspections have been an accepted application
for thermography since the early 1970's. Missing insulation, air infiltration/exfiltration,
poor window seals etc. can be identified under the right conditions. In a conventional
built-up flat roof structure,
areas of moisture infiltration can be located quickly and accurately by a properly
trained thermographer. These areas can be identified by their board like warm
image signatures under certain environmental conditions, often saving the building
owner thousands of dollars.
In
the modern computer age in which we live, Infrared thermographic testing of
electronic components
such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) has proved a valuable tool in both production
and diagnostic areas. The ability of thermography to view small, irregular shaped
objects, and remotely determine thermal characteristics and temperatures has
been a great asset to manufacturers.
Veterinary applications
such as equine thermography began to gain acceptance in the 1990's. This application
has been explored for a number of decades but is now gaining credibility as
a valid diagnostic tool.
During a training course in Orlando the students were taken to watch
the space shuttle take off. These images from the beach show the shuttle in
the sky. In the last two images you can just see the solid rocket booster separating.
course in Orlando the students were taken to watch the space shuttle take off.
These images from the beach show the shuttle in the sky. In the last two images
you can just see the solid rocket booster separating.
Infrared Training Institute
wayne@infraredthermography.com Ph. 250-579-2141 Cel 714.325.4374
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