Less Expensive Thermal Imagers Never Meant Less Training

Matt Schwoegler, ITC

When I first started training thermographers back in 2002, most infrared cameras at the time were $40,000-60,000 USD.  It was a significant investment for many organizations who were using thermography which they took very seriously.  They took training seriously too.  After all, if you’re spending that much money on a piece of hardware, the operator better know how to use it properly.

It was shortly after that the world’s first sub-$10,000 thermal imager made its debut with a price point that changed the industry.  Today you can buy an IR camera that fits on your phone for just a few hundred dollars and the variety and quality of what’s available for under $10,000 is simply astonishing.   

What hasn’t changed in that time is physics.  Heat still moves from hot to cold.  Unfortunately, just like the cost of equipment, the conversation between the employee and the employer about the need and expense of training has seemingly changed.

Fifteen years ago, after spending $50,000+ on a new camera, I’d bet most didn’t put too much thought into the additional cost of training.  There was absolutely no question…with an investment that large, you better know what you’re doing! The response from a supervisor when asked by a thermographer for approval to attend a class was often similar to this:

FLIR ONE Online Training

FLIR ONE Basics
This course will introduce you to the operation of the FLIR ONE and FLIR ONE Pro infrared camera. This course is a self paced on-demand web course, you can start as soon as you enroll and you can stop and continue where you left off at any time. There is NO CHARGE for this course.

IR Consultant Pricing Survey - U.S.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get from our students and readers is "How much do consultants charge for IR inspection services?"

This groundbreaking survey provides you with the answers. The results of this survey should prove invaluable to you for both pricing and marketing your services.

We will be updating this information with a new survey to be conducted later this year. The results will be published as part of the InfraMation 2018 Conference Proceedings which all attendees receive.

If you want to be included in the survey, make sure that you opt in to "ITC email" on the Online Training registration page or your profile (for current online learners). Participants will be able to purchase the published report at a 50% discount.

Link to the Report Page

Lens Choice for Looking Through IR Windows

by Gary Orlove
More and more organizations are installing IR windows or sight glasses in their electrical equipment so inspections can be made with an infrared camera.
The advantages are obvious: worker safety is improved as thermographers and electricians don't have to open live electrical cabinets, and inspection times can be reduced.
However, what lens choice is the best to use with your infrared camera to provide adequate resolution, and yet see as much of the electrical equipment as possible?
Here are three images that were taken at a power plant looking at an ISO phase buss. The buss is only about a foot away and is taken looking through an infrared window (crystal type).

25 deg.

45 deg.

90 deg.

Images courtesy - John Fricot, FLIR Systems
As you can plainly see, the 90° lens is clearly the way to go.  It provides enough detail for analysis, yet extends your field of view by a huge amount.

How the temperature of your nose shows how much strain you are under

Researchers at the University of Nottingham's Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT), together with academic staff from the Bioengineering and Human Factors Research Groups, have demonstrated that facial temperatures, which can be easily measured using a non-invasive thermal camera, are strongly correlated to mental workload.

It was found that the effect is most pronounced above the sinuses around the nose, and that facial temperatures were reduced as participants carried out tasks of increasing difficulty.

The results show that when people are fully focused on a task, their breathing rate changes as the autonomic nervous system takes over. There may also be a diversion of blood flow from the face to the cerebral cortex as the mental demand increases, although this is the subject of further research.

Read the entire article

FLIR Home Energy Audit Tools

What tools do Home Energy Auditors and Home Inspectors use? Shopping for the right Home Energy Auditor or Home Inspector can be a timely process. Beyond their certifications and experience, you should also consider the types of tools they use to perform their tasks.

Here’s a video with Tom O’toole of FLIR Systems and Flemming Lund, a certified Energy Auditor & Home Inspector, talking about the tools used in the various phases involved in a home energy audit.

Cost Avoidance/Energy Savings for IR Thermography

"Has anyone documented Cost Avoidance Or Potential energy savings using Thermography. Ex. Downtime, Labor, Materials. I would be interested in understanding how you determined final cost or energy savings."

This is the $64,000 question, how to justify the cost and benefits of an IR program. The methods used vary depending on your situation, what downtime costs in your facility, overtime and rush ordering to get new parts, lost production cost, your energy cost, etc.

I have selected several white papers that illustrate how different organizations have calculated their costs. Use them as examples of what can be done, and how they are presented.

Use this link to download the files.