One of the first things we need to get our heads around when it comes to IR cameras, is what they can do and what they can’t. This will ultimately lead us to what an IR Windows Optics are and the crucial factors you must take into consideration when thinking about investing in them. One of which, considered the most important factor, is the “optic” material that they are manufactured from.
What is an IR camera?
An infrared, or IR camera is a very clever piece of technology in that it can actually see heat.
Some of you may recollect a very famous movie in which soldiers are seeking an extraterrestrial being using an infrared camera. Although there have been significant advances in the technology of IR, the functionality is demonstrated very well here.
The way that IR cameras work is that they use a completely different part of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum to the part that the human eye uses. This is known as the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The advances in microbolometer technology – which is essentially a sensor within a camera – makes the IR camera an exclusively ‘uncooled’ system. This is a relatively new form of sensor which comes with lots of advantages, including the fact that it removes the need of a cooler due to it’s runtime extension. These types of cameras tend to operate in what is known as the ‘longwave’ or 8-14μm section of the electromagnetic spectrum.
What materials can be used for an IR Windows optics?
IR Windows Optics– which are used to perform fast and safe infrared surveys of electrical equipment across all industry sectors – require certain materials that are transparent to infrared in the band that the particular camera you are using operates in. At the moment there are three different options of optic material that are typically available.
This article comes from cord-ex edit released