Monday, November 17, 2014

Infrared Inspection Is An Accurate But Expensive Method

By Mayra Pierce


Review of systems without causing any disturbance to the functioning is often required. Infrared Inspection refers to the method of investigation of systems with the help of sensors of the electromagnetic type. Ultraviolet technology is preferred for control of systems that are difficult to access.

This control does not destroy the target system and also does not cause any interference in the system. Earlier methods such as ultrasonic testing and radio inspection were replaced as they would all affect the target. Also, ultraviolet methods are much safer, much quicker and prove to be quite accurate.

By law, any and every element radiates infrared waves unless at temperatures of absolute zero. There exist cameras of the thermal type and sensors which capture this wave energy and create an image out of it. Light need not be required for this process. This is termed as passive imaging. Active imaging is the other case in which an external energy source is required. At temperatures lower than minus fifty degrees Celsius, these cameras and sensors fail to detect changes and need to be aided by other instruments in order to function.

Thus, infrared thermal imaging can be active or passive. When the material to be studied is at a different temperature than its background, an external energy source is not needed for imaging purposes, and this constitutes the passive form. Active type requires the use of an energy source to create a temperature difference. This energy can be light energy or mechanical wave energy.

This process has many advantages. It is accurate and allows for inspection of dangerous and places that are not accessible and systems. It allows detection without light, and it can also be used for moving object imagery. This investigation has found wide applications in mapping, night vision, cameras, security measures, health care and medical industries and any other forms of examination in which the target needs to remain unaffected.

Infrared thermal control, however, has drawbacks. The technology is pretty expensive, and good thermal cameras come at a high price. They are an integral part of the measurement and compromising on camera quality will lead to poorer results of the investigation with captured values having a lot of inconsistencies in temperature measurements.

Another problem that the infrared process faces is natural and other external causes which lie largely beyond its control. Temperature changes are rapid and frequent and can be caused by very different reasons. Also, other bodies around the target to be inspected may emit waves of their own or reflect other waves. The climate also plays a part in the imaging process as also does the weather.

Ultraviolet imaging is a reliable and advanced method of study and has been widely accepted across industries. Ultraviolet Inspection has replaced other methods like ultrasound and radio as it does not destroy targets, is deployed at a distance, is reliable, faster and safe. There are many applications that it serves and is used in a multitude of fields today. However, this technology remains on the expensive side and is a major hindrance to its progress. Nevertheless, with the rapid changes in technology that we see, ultraviolet imaging is definitely set to go a long way, and its cost will come down in due time.




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