Thermal Imaging and IR Temperature Sensing Instruments
Infrared Thermometers
 IR THERMOMETERS detect the infrared emission of a spot some distance from the thermometer. The optics of the IR thermometer will determine the spot size that will be measured at a given distance, called the distance to spot ratio. The distance from the IR source may be a few inches or a many feet
IR thermometers can have a temperature range from 100 F to 5,000 F
The amount of radiation emitted by a body depends on the surface emission characteristics. This affects the accuracy of the temperature reading. The emissivity of a body has to be entered into the thermometer to obtain an accurate reading.
The newer instruments come equipped with a laser pointer to make sure that the temperature of the right spot is measured.
.Thermal Imaging Cameras
THERMAL IMAGERS measure the thermal (IR) radiation of an image. Every point of an object emits thermal electromagnetic waves in the infrared region. The amount of energy emitted depends on the temperature and the material properties of each spot.. The ability of any material to emit infrared waves is called the emissivity.
It is called a camera because it presents a picture. But the image is in the infrared range and not the visible ( 420 to 550 u ) range
Â