The difference between Infrared Thermometer and a Thermal Imager

Around 200 years ago, famous British composer and astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered infrared (IR) radiation. Today, Herschel’s discover is being used by technicians in many fields to detect and fix problems.

Now a new innovation has come through. Developed with British Innovator Infrared Integrated Systems Ltd., the new Fluke VT02 Visual Thermometer aims to combine affordability and functionality with this infrared device. It will benefit technicians who once had to choose between limited IR thermometers and costly thermal imagers.

A one of a kind product

According to Tim Wheatly, Chief Technical Officer of Irisys, “the VT02 is genuinely a new category of product.” It is incomparable to a spot radiometer or a thermal image as their function and use is very different. It is definitely a new style of product.

Out with the old, in with the new

Microbolometer, a type of thermal imager, used to be big and bulky6 when it was first developed in the later 80s. Now, thermal imagers are built small enough that they can be handheld. It may come in quite an expensive price but you are sure that it is a great product with good quality and use. Today, thermography devices are used by many professionals such as firefighters who use it to see through smoke.

Infrared thermometers Vs. Thermal Imagers

Infrared thermometers and thermal imagers basically has the same function but there is a big difference between the two. The low-cost option would be an infrared thermometer. The way it works is that it measures the average surface temperature of a “spot”; a spot that varies in size depending on the specification of the thermometer, and its distance from the target. An infrared thermometer is user-friendly that it requires little to no training. However, it can have a few disadvantages. Taking a detailed temperature profile may be impossible with an IT as it can be difficult to know exactly how large the area you are measuring is.

A thermal imager on the other hand, expensive as it may be, can provide a more detailed and sophisticated result. A single image can provide hundreds or thousands of individual temperature readings, one for every pixel view. These images can be recorded, and processed for viewing using a software. But you might need an expert or do more training before you can get the most out of your thermal imagers.

If you are looking to buy a device for thermography, you might want to start investing in products that will give you great results. It may require you to shell out more money, but the investment will be worth it if it means you get accurately correct results. For thermal imaging devices, you may check out our product list at http://www.presidium.ph.