12Things for IR Camera

download 12Things for IR Camera

of 23

Transcript of 12Things for IR Camera

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    1/23

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    2/23

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    3/23

    The 12 Things You Need To KnowBeore Buying an Inrared Camera

    Buying an inrared camera is dierent or all people. For some, cost will

    play a more dominant position whereas or others, certain key eatures

    or the desire to advance ones career through certied training might be

    more important. Most, however, want a high level o quality and value.

    Still more just dont want to make the wrong choice and end up with a

    new thermal imager that is heavy or hard to use.

    At FLIR, we want you to succeed. Back in the mid-1960s, we brought the

    rst commercial inrared camera to market. We invented this market. So

    rest assured this booklet will help you pick the best inrared camera!

    Having been the worlds largest inrared camera manuacturer and having

    operated the worlds largest training organization the Inrared TrainingCenter or ITC weve learned a thing or two about inrared. Here are 12

    Things to help you too.

    Readers please note: we use the term inrared camera, however we

    could have just as well used the term thermal imager. They are one in

    the same, interchangeable terms.

    I at any time you have a question on what is presented below, or you

    have questions on what inrared camera is best or you, please give us a

    call at 1 800 GO INFRARED (1 800 464 6372).

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    4/23

    Point #1: Buy an inrared camera that deliversaccurate, repeatable results.

    This may sound like a no-brainer, but i ever the phrase caveat emptor i.e. let the buyer beware it is here!

    Imagine i you bought a calculator and you noticed that sometimes you

    added two-plus-two but when you hit the equals sign it didnt add up

    to our! Even worse, imagine that when you bought this calculator you

    rather assumed that it would work, and like most people you didnt ques-

    tion its accuracy. So, you went about your business and there were no

    problems. But, then one day you got a letter in the mail that your check-

    ing account was severely overdrawn, and you went back to crunch all the

    numbers and, while you were doing this, you noticed that the calculator

    made an error once in awhile.

    You wouldnt be happy, to say the least. Whats more, depending upon

    the errors made you could be just a little overdrawn or you could be in

    serious trouble.

    Said dierently, a basic requirement o your inrared camera is to produce

    accurate and repeatable results just like a calculator.

    What are some standard metrics or you to think about when thinking o

    buying an inrared camera?

    Well, ater 40 years in the business, FLIR has maintained a solid, consistent

    accuracy standard that never waivers. Its the industry standard: 2% or

    3.6 F, whichever is greater.

    Its read as plus or minus two percent or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, which-

    ever is greater.

    So i you are shopping or an inrared camera, and you learn that theaccuracy spec is plus or minus 5% or something higher than 3.6 F, then

    2

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    5/23

    you should stop right there and not even consider buying it.

    Why? Because an inrared camera that could be 5% inaccurate could

    just like the calculator in the example get you into serious trouble. Your

    images and temperature measurements will be wrong. Another analogy

    is like saying you almost got the phone number correct, you were only

    o by one digit. Well guess what? Its completely wrong.

    Remember above how we said that a basic requirement o your inrared

    camera is to produce accurate and repeatable results? Well, there are two

    other requirements to making this work over and over again.

    In order to produce accurate and repeatable results, there needs to beinputs in your camera or both emissivity and refected temperature,

    as indicated with the red arrows in the picture below.

    I you are concerned that you dont know what emissivity or refected

    temperature mean, well thats ok. This is industry jargon and i you were

    to buy an inrared camera, you would amiliarize yoursel with these terms.

    Theres more on training later on, so dont worry about this right now.

    3

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    6/23

    Just know that, again like in our example, you wouldnt buy a calculator

    that is missing the plus (+) sign button even i had an attractive selling price.

    I a manuacturer is trying to sell you an inrared camera that doesnt havea place onscreen or you to input both emissivity and refected tempera-

    ture values then youre buying a calculator thats missing a button!

    Point #2: Buy an inrared camera with highdetector resolution/image quality.

    Just like buying a digital camera, the more pixels, the better the

    resolution, and the sharper the thermal image.

    But to create another example rom our everyday lives, lets say you just

    bought a High Denition TV. Now, lets say that in your local area, the local

    cable company doesnt broadcast an HD signal yet.

    Now lets say you approach your local cable TV salesperson and say well,

    I just bought an HD TV and I just want to hook it up to my regular

    (i.e. non-HD) cable jack in my living room. Will that still give me a High

    Denition picture on my new TV?

    O course the answer is No, it wont work.

    It wont work because the regular cable jack isnt broadcasting the

    exceedingly high pixel count o High Denition. So, even i he has a TV

    capable o displaying High Denition, i theres no High Denition eed, so

    to speak, then it just wont work no matter how good the display is.

    Maybe the person who sold our riend here the High Denition TV

    ocused too heavily on the capabilities o the display itsel the TV. But

    maybe he also ignored the act that our riend wouldnt be able to buyany high denition access.

    4

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    7/23

    Its the same with inrared cameras.

    In our example, lets assume that the eed or the HD cable access is really

    the IR detector pixel resolution and the TV itsel is the LCD display.

    Again, buyer beware: i a salesperson says, we oer 640 x 480 or 307,200

    pixel resolution, the next question rom you should be: Is that Detector

    resolution or LCD resolution?

    The LCD display resolution may in act be 640 x 480 (read 640 by 480)

    or capable o displaying 307,200 pixels (640 multiplied by 480) o image

    content. But, i the IR detector pixel resolution the eed as it were isonly 160 x 120 or 19,200 pixels, then it just doesnt matter what the

    display resolution is capable o.

    Said dierently, you cant get a lower detector resolution to broadcast in

    higher denition even i the LCD display has the capability to show more

    pixels. Or: you cant make your HD TV work with a regular cable jack!

    You should always ask what is the detector resolution, and what is the

    detector pixel count? This is really the true resolution o the camera you

    are about to buy. I you look at this, then yes, the more [detector] pixels,

    the sharper the thermal image.

    Point #3: Buy an inrared camera where you canchange the battery yoursel.

    This is one o the most important aspects o usability ater you buy your

    new inrared camera. Its also one o those items that is hard to process

    until ater youve been working with your camera or awhile and you real-

    ize what a limitation it is i you cant change your own battery.

    Lets think about using a cordless drill in your home. Like many home-

    owners, this author will rom time to time remodel a room. In act Ive just

    5

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    8/23

    gutted my kitchen. Now, as I think about the job, I say to mysel things

    like tomorrow Im going to hang the blue board. Then I think, do I have

    enough drywall screws, Ive got my drill, Ive got the material.

    My point here is that when you think about your job, you assume certain

    things. In this case, I know I wont have a problem doing the job because I

    have a good, high quality drill and you know what? Once I get started, my

    battery will die and I will pop it out, take another one rom the charging

    station and pop it into my drill and, importantly: keep on working.

    I think its sae to say or most anyone that nothing is more rustrating to

    start working on something and then have to completely stop becausesomething simple just wont work right! I my battery died and I couldnt

    change it right then and there I my battery died and I had to plug a

    cord into my drill and wait 2 hours or it to recharge, well, then Id go buy a

    dierent drill.

    The same is true i not more true or inrared cameras. How can it be

    more true? Well, i youre using your camera to inspect electrical prob-lems, or to inspect important assets like motors and pumps and produc-

    tion lines in a manuacturing acility, and your IR camera loses power, you

    could expose yoursel and others to saety concerns particularly in an

    electrical substation that hasnt been inspected in awhile. At a minimum,

    youre on the clock, so it is most likely costing you or your company

    money. Not to mention, youll denitely look like you bought the wrong

    IR camera, or worse: that you dont know what youre doing.

    Heres the scoop on power management systems or IR cameras:

    Alwaysbuyaninfraredcamerathatallowsyoutopop-in/pop-outa

    newbatteryasshowninthepicturenearby.Whethertheycallthis

    eldreplaceableorportabledoesntreallymatter.Justmakesure

    youcanchangethebatteryyourself,quicklyandeasily.

    Besurethatinadditiontobeingabletoreplacethebatteryquicklyand

    easily,yougetanextrabatteryandabatterychargingstation.

    6

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    9/23

    Batterytechnologyhascomealongwayinrecentyears,soitsreason

    abletoexpectthattheinfraredcameraorpowerdrillyourebuying

    usesLithiumIonbatterytechnology.Thesewillhavealongerbattery

    life,allowingyoutoworklongeronasinglebattery.

    Finally,ifatallpossible,somemanufacturersevenoffercar/truck chargersthatallowyoutochargethebatteryinthecameracompart

    mentwhenyoureinyourcarortruck.Thebenetsofthisareobvious

    nolesssothanhowconvenientitisforyoutochargeyourcellphone

    fromyourcar;itsarealbenet!

    7

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    10/23

    Point #4: Buy an inrared camera that outputsstandard JPEG ormat.

    This point is short on text to explain, but long on being a clear benetto end-users. Would you buy a computer that wasnt Microsot Word

    compatible? O course not. You shouldnt buy an inrared camera that

    requires additional sotware in order to convert their proprietary thermal

    image ormats into a standard jpeg.

    You should demand a demo rom any inrared camera manuacturer so

    they can show you both (1) how many keystrokes or clicks it takes to

    output an image and (2) outputting a standard JPEG right rom the

    camera. Standard JPEG makes it easy to email your images or place

    within Microsot Word documents without trouble or rustration!

    In the United States, FLIR holds the patent on what is called a ully

    radiometric JPEG, which means that all your temperature data stored in

    the thermal image on your inrared camera is automatically transerred

    to the industry standard JPEG ormat. Said dierently, you get to keep allyour temperature data stored in the JPEG even when you email it to a

    colleague, supervisor, customer, etc.

    The analogy here is, what i you bought a new phone with an embedded

    camera in it, and that camera took great color pictures, but when you

    went to email them they only transmitted black and white versions o

    your pictures! In eect, it would strip away the color, strip away much othe value o your phones camera. The same is true with inrared cameras.

    You buy an inrared camera or the sharp thermal imaging and or the

    temperature measurement data in those images. Ater all, thats why they

    call it a thermal imager. I you took thermal images but then, when you

    send them over email, it strips out all the temperature data, its like our

    camera phone that only transmits in black and white!

    Again, ask or a demo to see what the level o diculty is to download aJPEG. Be sure to inquire i those JPEGs are standard or rst have to run

    8

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    11/23

    through the manuacturers proprietary or conversion sotware. Finally,

    you should really decide whether or not you want the ability to send ully

    radiometric JPEGs over email.

    Point #5: Buy a lightweight, ergonomicinrared camera.

    Material sciences, manuacturing robotics, and other key engineering

    actors will literally weigh on your decision o what inrared camera to

    purchase.

    Weight, pure and simple, is a concern. A camera that weighs even just a

    pound or two more than another will start to cause back and arm strain

    within 20 minutes. One need look no urther than all sorts o products we

    use everyday, rom vacuum cleaners to that really neat new lawn trimmer

    we see on the TV inomercials. Lightweight is key, especially i you will use

    the camera requently or or extended periods.

    Also, the small, lighter and more ergonomic the inrared camera, the more

    likely you will be able to hang it o your work belt in a holster to give you

    hands-ree control whenever you need it. Be careul here, however,

    because a manuacturer can make a holster any size. Most toolbox

    inrared cameras today should weigh in at under 2 lbs and eel veryeasy-to-grasp in your hand.

    9

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    12/23

    The inrared cameras physical interace its buttons are critical to its

    ease-o-use. While it may seem counter-intuitive, it is oten the case that

    an extra button or keypad will actually make it easier to use your inrared

    camera, as opposed to trying to do the same unctions with less buttons.Some inrared cameras even have integrated onscreen (even touch-

    screen) keypads or sketch-with-a-stylus unctionality. These may cost a

    bit more, but the added unctionality is signicant and should be seri-

    ously considered.

    The on-camera buttons should also be very comortable to use, but more

    importantly, intuitive to understanding what unction each button deliv-

    ers. In some instances, manuacturers can also make inrared cameras orthe military, where the buttons must be literally certied or battleeld

    conditions. FLIR has done a good job transerring the ease-o-use and

    durability it puts into its military-grade inrared cameras into its

    commercial inrared cameras. In addition to improving ease-o-use, it

    can also be more relevant in harsh manuacturing or extreme heat/cold

    weather environments.

    Its critical that you get a demo and walk through the various day-to-day

    activities you will perorm: saving an image, downloading to your PC,

    creating a simple report. Why? Because until you see rsthand how many

    clicks and steps it will take you with any given inrared camera/sotware

    package, you will never know i the system will work well or you. Some

    inrared cameras require multiple steps to do a simple task, and some

    simple operations can be buried deep within some dicult-to-use menus.

    Get a demo on the basic unctions or you could be signicantlyincreasing the day to day diculty not to mention rustration you will

    run into ater youve bought your inrared camera.

    Point #6: Buy an inrared camera that incorporates

    a mega pixel visual camera with a built-in illumi-nator lamp to help clearly document your work.

    10

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    13/23

    Inrared cameras see in total darkness but visual cameras, as we all know,

    require well lighted conditions and high resolution to generate clear,sharp pictures.

    Would you buy a digital camera to take amily pictures without a fash?

    O course not! Why? Because you know youre going to run into

    situations where night is approaching, or the room just isnt well lit.

    I youre in a commercial environment, youre going to run into these

    situations more, not less.

    These pictures say a thousand words. Its the same target.

    The image on the right is taken with an inrared camera with, essentially,

    some headlights mounted on it the target illuminator, as many

    thermographers would call it.

    Thevisualimageontheleftisthesametargettakenwithacamerawith

    noilluminatorlamp.Youcanclearlyseethedifference.

    11

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    14/23

    Point #7: Buy an inrared camera with a built-inlaser pointer.

    Saety, convenience and ease-o-use are all good reasons to buy an inraredcamera with a built-in laser pointer. These tend to be available on all

    cameras, except or the most basic, entry level models.

    Saety is always the best reason to spend a little more on the right tool.

    I you shouldnt be touching the target youre looking at with an inrared

    camera say or example, an electrical box, motor, pump or something

    when viewed rom a ladder then the laser pointer helps you in two

    important ways.

    The laser pointer keeps your hand ree and clear rom danger while

    allowing you to point to the area o concern to a co-worker (or supervisor

    or customer) standing nearby. It allows more than one person the ability

    to xate on the problem in ront o them.

    Secondly, the laser pointer helps you orient yoursel in relation to thetarget. This is particularly true i you are standing more than 10 away

    rom the target. It answers your internal question: now, what is the camera

    looking at specically? The laser pointer allows you to see precisely

    where the inrared cameras lens is ocused. Its also ideal in gaining more

    orientation in dark environments, even i youre standing closer to the target.

    There are many analogies here, but to go back to the consumer worldits like having a dishwasher or microwave. Can you imagine not having

    these tools in your kitchen. I you speak with thermographers who have

    built-in laser pointers on their inrared cameras, they will tell you they

    couldnt imagine working without it. Enough said.

    12

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    15/23

    Point #8: Buy an inrared camera with sotwareupgrade potential.

    Today, most inrared cameras come with ree sotware to help you analyzeyour images and create reports. By all accounts, they are a helpul tool

    made all the more necessary by both the corporate need to document

    ndings, but also increasingly to use thermal images and reports to

    substantiate or trigger insurance claims, while the reports themselves are

    oten sold to commercial and consumer customers or a wide range o

    inspections: energy audits, electrical inspections, gas detection surveys,

    building envelope analyses and predictive maintenance surveys.

    While these entry-level reeware programs are helpul and useul, many

    individuals quickly nd that they need more sotware unctions. Whats

    important to note here is you dont want to buy a camera and then, ater

    a ew months o using it, decide that youre now ready to do more but

    only then be limited because there is no upgrade path.

    Buy your second boat rst!

    Why do I say that? Well, to anyone who has ever bought a boat this is a

    common theme. The reason is simple. To someone new to boating, it is

    easy to think Ill buy a small boat without all those built-in electronics.

    I just want to get started. Its going to take some time or me to get

    accustomed to all this anyways.

    Our riend here, lets call him Joe, has a good point. The problem is Joe

    is going to get his boat and ater a ew weeks, hes going to be pretty

    comortable with using it. A ew more weeks ater that, Joes going to

    have it down pat. A ew weeks ater that Joes going to be bored with his

    purchase and rustrated because he cant really upgrade his boat without

    spending a lot o money; enough money that makes him think he made

    the wrong purchase decision and now he has to try to sell his now-used

    boat i he wants to go out and buy a new boat with the eatures andunctionality he now wants.

    13

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    16/23

    Joes not alone. Weve all been there.

    There are a couple o points here that you really should think about.

    First, you should at least get a demo or the inrared camera thats onelevel above what youre currently thinking about buying. O course it

    will cost more money, but dont just skip over the thought process based

    solely on price. Know what eatures and unctions youre giving up i

    you buy the less costly model. Even i you end up buying that less costly,

    lower-end model you will know what youre missing and this, in and o

    itsel, is an education in inrared. So yes, you should consider buying your

    second inrared camera rst.

    But, more to our original point, i you buy the less expensive model and

    you know that, like a boat, you cant upgrade the hull or the chassis.

    But, unlike a boat, an inrared cameras hull or chassis is really related to

    the undamental quality o engineering design and manuacture, which

    means you can upgrade its unctionality quite a bit with the purchase o

    some new add-on sotware.

    We dont have time and space here to go through all the things you can

    do with this new sotware, and this table below doesnt do justice to all

    the great things youd be able to do, but here it is or reerence. When

    you get a demo, you can always ask to see the sotware upgrade and its

    eatures and unctionality. Ok, heres the chart:

    ITEM DESCRIPTION FREE SOFTWARE UPGRADED SOFTWARE

    Word Document Yes Yes

    Image manipulation in word No Yes

    Instant report generation No Yes

    Movable PIP/Fusion No Yes

    Report Customization No Yes

    Trending No Yes

    Archiving No Yes

    Formulas No Yes

    Arrow Tool No Yes

    Digital Zoom No Yes

    14

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    17/23

    Point #9: Buy an inrared camera with enhancedimage usion capabilities.

    Theres been a lot o buzz about usion capabilities with inrared cameras.Our thinking on usion is i it doesnt oer you more than just putting a

    xed Picture-in-Picture (PiP) thermal overlay box over your visible image,

    then it may be more useul not to have it at all.

    Instead, be sure that that you can do basic image manipulation, such as

    being able to move the thermal box around, or even make it bigger or

    smaller. More advanced usion capabilities allow you to stretch and resize

    the thermal Pip using a stylus pen right onscreen, allowing you to

    customize your usion to the exact target your looking at. This can be

    ideal or analyzing the problem, and it also just makes your inrared pop!

    For those who need to present documentation to supervisors or customers,

    this enhanced usion capability will really make a avorable impact.

    At its most advanced level, some inrared cameras allow you to dial-in

    a combination o visible and thermal imaging into one composite image.This can produce exceptional results and exceeding smart reports.

    Rule o thumb: i youre looking at an inrared camera with built-in usion

    capabilities, be sure you can move and resize the thermal box in the

    middle o the LCD display.

    Its like a pair o biocal eyeglasses. The top hal lets you see clearly araway, while the bottom hal is useul or close-up reading. You resize by

    looking up or looking down and they work great. But imagine i they put

    the close-up lens right in the middle o a normal pair o eyeglasses! And

    everywhere you look, theres this box in the middle and it gets in the way

    o everything you view. It wouldnt be useul. It would likely become

    annoying and you would want to turn it o.

    15

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    18/23

    Thats why we say i the inrared camera youre looking at has a xed box

    showing you a thermal overlay to your visual image and you cant move

    or resize that box, then dont buy it. You can easily do better.

    FLIR has created a great video, and it really shows clearly what this is all

    about. You can view it at www.goinrared.com/usion.

    Point #10: Buy an inrared camera with a widetemperature range.

    Heres an easy one. When you buy an inrared camera, be sure that the

    temperature range it operates in is sucient with the temperatures o the

    targets you will be viewing.

    You dont want an inrared camera that cant measure the temperatures

    you want!

    Point #11: Buy an inrared camera with upgradepotential.

    This is a no-brainer or any product you buy. This author is always trying

    to be sure that what I buy has an upgrade path or some type o ormaltrade-in/trade-up program.

    However, in the world o inrared cameras, it is not always possible. The

    engineering and sophistication o the inrared detector, robotic

    manuacturing techniques or specialty optics mean that some cameras

    can be easily upgrade whereas other can not.

    Except or the least expensive cameras, however, many inrared cameras

    will allow you to upgrade the rmware to increase pixel counts and thermal

    16

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    19/23

    resolution, not to mention letting you upgrade all sorts o in-camera

    eatures and unctionality. Wherever you can buy an inrared camera that

    allows you to upgrade in this ashion, thats a key value to you.

    Why? Well, its like youre buying your second boat rst without buying

    your second boat rst! Its like having your cake and eating it too and

    lets ace it, you dont get to do this too oten!

    I there isnt an upgrade path in this ashion, you should ask i the

    manuacturer routinely buys back used cameras in exchange or credit

    toward a new inrared camera purchase. Youre not going to get top

    dollar or your used camera, but you will get a air price.

    This becomes more important when you see a eature that would

    substantially increase your productivity or saety or, even help you

    lock-in a competitive advantage. These might be eatures such as buying

    a high denition inrared camera, or one with an embedded global

    positioning system (GPS), or one with a wireless remote.

    There are also new inrared cameras capable o detecting gas leaks, such

    as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane, carbon monoxide and

    dozens o other types o gases that need to be monitored. And there

    are xed-mount, auto-alarm activated cameras that are ideal or seeing

    through smoke, og or complete darkness typical conditions in many

    manuacturing environments. Today, xed-mount inrared cameras are

    ideal or re-saety applications in warehouses, coal piles or even waste

    sites, anywhere spontaneous combustion is a potential problem.

    The bottom line is i youre buying rom a manuacturer that has oered

    ormal trade-in/trade-up programs, and makes all types o inrared cameras,

    then youre buying rom a company that is in the position to continue

    to service all your inrared camera needs. You need a company you can

    grow with or at least an inrared expert watching your back!

    17

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    20/23

    Point #12: Buy an inrared camera rom amanuacturer with strong post-sale technicalsupport and certifed training.

    I you are new to the eld o inrared cameras, you will obviously want to

    think about customer service and technical support ater youve purchased.

    In addition to FLIR being the worlds oldest and largest manuacturer

    o inrared cameras or commercial applications, they also own and run

    the worlds largest student training organization the Inrared Training

    Center or ITC.

    The ITC provides training regardless o what type o inrared camera you

    own. They train students in all types o industries with a wide variation in

    applications, regardless o the make or model inrared camera you own.

    I you are really unsure as to whether or not to buy an inrared camera,

    many have decided to enroll in training rst, beore they buy. Its always

    better to have a camera and bring it to class, but i you are really unsure,this is a great option.

    The ITC prepared this Top Ten List o why the ITC should be your inrared

    training organization o choice.

    1. ISO 9001 Registered

    No other inrared training organization in the world has this credential the ITC is

    the only one!

    2. The Best Inrared Training - No Matter Where You Are

    Whether you train at our in-house acilities in Boston or Sweden or at one o our

    many satellite locations throughout the world, youll have access to our premier

    personnel, resources, and technology. We even oer instructor led web-based

    training, as well as sel service web-based training.

    3. Highest Qualifed Instructors

    With more ASNT Level III and BINDT Category 3 certied themographers on sta

    than any other training organization in the world, youll have the opportunity to

    learn rom instructors who have the highest credentials in inrared thermography.

    18

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    21/23

    4. Over 100 Years Experience

    Together, our ITC instructors bring more than ten decades o practical thermography

    experience along with an in-depth knowledge o inrared theory.

    5. Guaranteed FLIR Factory-Authorized TrainingI you have invested in your career by purchasing a FLIR inrared camera, then receive

    training rom the only actory-authorized training organization or FLIR thermography

    products.

    6. Full Color Course Materials

    Our ull color training manuals help to reinorce your learning and provide an

    excellent resource ater you leave the classroom.

    7. We Speak Your LanguageOur ITC sta provides training in more than 15 dierent languages, so nothing is let

    open to interpretation.

    8. Hands-on Sotware Training on Our Computers

    Along with comprehensive sotware training or your FLIR inrared camera, we provide

    computers or you to use at our state-o-the-art Boston and Sweden training locations.

    9. Simulation-Based Training

    We bring the eld into our in-house applications labs at both o our Boston andSweden training locations, so youll gain practical experience that you can apply in

    the real world.

    10. InraMation, the Worlds Largest IR Applications Conerence

    Our annual event is jam-packed with learning opportunities designed to keep you

    up-to-date on the latest application innovations in the ast-moving world o

    thermography. Register here or InraMation! www.inramation.org

    ClasssizesarepurposelykeptsmalltoguaranteeyouraccesstoFLIRsexpertstaffandresearchlabs.

    Register online at www.inraredtraining.com ,

    or call 1-866-TRAIN-IR (1-866-872-4647)

    19

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    22/23

    SUMMARY

    On behal o this author and the entire FLIR organization, we hope this

    booklet has been inormative, i even a bit entertaining.

    We have tried our best to give you our best knowledge and helpul hints

    as you seek to purchase an inrared camera.

    While we o course hope you will choose to buy a FLIR inrared camera,

    we also know that as more and more manuacturers enter the market, the

    choice o what to buy can become harder, i not more conusing, to make.

    Like most things in lie, the best decision is made when youve done your

    homework. This booklet gives you some straightorward ways to think

    about the eld o inrared, how it relates to our everyday lives and what

    we do but more to the point, please always ask or a demo. Get a demo

    in the type o application environment in which you work not just in a

    conerence room. Why? Because sometimes its easy to udge a demo in

    a non-real conerence room-like environment. Lots o inrared camerasdo accurate measurements in an air conditioned conerence room, but

    will they maintain their accuracy when they are exposed to hotter or

    colder temperature dierences in actual working conditions?

    I you ask or a demo, and see rsthand how an inrared camera operates,

    you will have done your homework and youll make the right buying decision.

    We have a ready sta o internal experts, sotware and technical support

    technicians, direct sales engineers and application specialists, and a

    growing base o excellent distribution partners. We all stand by ready to

    answer any question you might have. So, please take advantage o what

    we have to oer. Its a ree call and we are happy to talk to you.

    20

  • 8/6/2019 12Things for IR Camera

    23/23

    Whats your application?

    What kind o inrared camera is best or your needs?

    To speak to an inrared camera expert, please call:

    1 800 GO INFRARED

    (1 800 464 6372)

    Or visit us anytime at:

    www.goinrared.com

    We Know Infrared. Like Nobody Else.

    21