2
Chapter 1
Environmental, machine, and safety •
monitoring
Temperature monitoring as a proxy for •
other variables
The examples below demonstrate a wide
range of applications that can be served
with IR cameras. Potential applications
are limited only by the imagination of the
system designer.
Plywood Mill Machine Monitoring
Problem: Steam from open vats of hot
water obscures the machinery operator’s
view of the logs as they are maneuvered
for proper alignment in the log vat.
Solution: An IR camera can present an
image to the operator that makes the
cloud of steam virtually transparent,
thereby allowing logs to be properly
aligned in the log vat. This example of
a qualitative application is illustrated in
Figure 1.
Production Testing of Car Seat Heaters
Problem: Using contact temperature
sensors to assure proper operation of
optional car seat heaters slows down
production and is inaccurate if sensors
are not properly placed.
Solution: An IR camera can detect
thermal radiation from the heater
elements inside the seats and provide
an accurate non-contact temperature
measurement.
This quantitative measurement can be
made with a camera that is permanently
mounted on a xture that is swung
into measurement position when
the car reaches a designated point
on the assembly line. A monitor near
that position provides an image with
a temperature scale that reveals the
temperature of the car seat heater
elements, as shown in Figure 2.
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