Why use non-contact IR?
Non-contact infra-red (IR) thermometers are passive devices that measure naturally emitted radiation from a surface and tell the user the temperature. They provide fast temperature readings without physically touching the object. You simply aim, pull the trigger, and read the temperature on the LCD display with data transmission and logging. Compact, and easy-to-use, IR thermometers can safely measure hot, hazardous, or hard-to-reach surfaces without contaminating or damaging the object. Also, IR thermometers can provide several readings per second, as compared to contact methods where each measurement can take several minutes. Thermal imaging systems such as the fixed 2D Ircon Maxline imager (Fig.1) and linescan process imagers such as the Thermalert MP150 (Fig.2) for moving items or scanned areas give a complete visualisation of surface temperatures. Increasingly refined software allows users to define ‘areas of interest’ such as potentially overheating machinery and items on conveyo
