What is Infrared Thermography

Thermography is the use of an infrared imaging and measurement camera to “see” and ‘measure’ thermal energy emitted from an object.   Thermal, or infrared energy, 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.  Unlike visible light, in the infrared world, cold objects, like ice cubes, emit infrared.  The higher the object’s temperature, the greater the IR radiation emitted.  Infrared allows us to see what our eyes cannot.  Infrared thermography cameras produce images of invisible infrared or “heat” radiation and provide precise non-contact temperature measurement capabilities.

How Do Thermal Imaging Infrared Cameras Work

An infrared camera is non-contact device that detects infrared energy (heat) and converts it into an electronic signal, which is then processed to produce a thermal image on a video monitor and perform temperature calculations.  Heat sensored by an infrared camera can be very precisely quantified, or measured, allowing you to not only monitor thermal performance, but also identify and evaluate the relative severity of heat-related problems.

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How does it work? 

The camera senses the difference in temperature, down to fraction of a degree, and displays the difference in a gradient gray scale on the display.