Infrared Thermometer

By Admin 06 Jul 2020

An Infrared Thermometer is a handheld device that can display temperature on it after scanning portions of an object or area with the built-in laser.

 

An infrared thermometer used to infers temperature from a portion of the thermal radiation which called as black-body radiation emitted by the object being measured. Infrared thermometer  are also known as laser thermometers as a laser is employed to assist   aim the thermometer, or non-contact thermometers or temperature guns, to explain the device's ability to measure temperature from a distance. By knowing the quantity of infrared energy emitted by the thing, the temperature of object can often be determined within a particular range of its actual temperature. Infrared thermometers are a subset of devices referred to as "thermal radiation thermometers".

 

Infrared thermometer sometimes, especially near ambient temperatures, readings could also be subject to error due to the reflection of radiation from a hotter body even the person holding the instrument instead of radiated by the thing being measured, and to an incorrectly assumed emissivity.

 

The design of Infrared thermometer consists of a lens to focus the infrared thermal radiation on to a detector, which converts the radiant power to an electrical signal which will be displayed in units of temperature. This permits temperature measurement from a distance without contact with the thing to be measured.

 

How to use Infrared Thermometer?

 

 A non-contact infrared thermometer is an effective tool for measuring a person’s temperature from a distance.

 

Step 1: Evaluate the Environment

 

The first step is to use a non-contact infrared thermometer is to gauge testing environment it should be freed from air drafts out of direct sunlight and away from radiant heat sources the environmental temperature should be in line with the specifications in the manual for thermometer best practice is to leave thermometer in the testing environment for at least 10 minutes prior to use so it can be adjust to the environment.

 

Step 2: Prepare the subject

 

The Next step is to make sure that the subject is ready to be tested by making sure that the test area of the forehead is clean dry and unobstructed and also verify that the temperature of the person’s forehead has not been influenced by wearing excessive clothing or head covers.

 

Step 3: Take measurements

 

When taking measurements confine mind that the measurement distance from the subject is different for each subject check the manual of device to work out the right distance to correctly take a measurement hold thermometer perpendicularly to the subject’s forehead and make sure the subject is out of direct sunlight which failure to do so will also result in incorrect readings.

 

How do Infrared Thermometers work?

 

Infrared thermometers used to measure temperature from a distance without having to touch the object you want to measure.

 

Infrared thermometers are versatile thermometers that are used across many industries work environments, including construction, laboratories and in manufacturing (food and non-food production facilities).

 

Infrared:  Infrared energy is a frequency of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared wavelengths are longer than visible light and so are generally invisible to the human eye. Infrared light is emitted from the surface of all objects. For this reason an IR thermometer is usually used in tandem with emissivity values to arrive at a temperature measurement.

 

Emissivity:  Emissivity is the measure of how effectively a surface can emit energy as infrared radiation. The emissivity scale is a value ranging from 0 to 1. A value of 0 is attributed to a perfect reflector and 1 is an object that absorbs all incoming radiation and does not reflect any. As a general rule, the more reflective an object the more the emissivity value will go down. To ensure accurate results it is important to know the default emissivity setting on your IR thermometer along with the approximate emissivity of the surface you wish to measure.

 

How Infrared Thermometers work?

 

An Infrared thermometer measures both infrared radiation and the emissivity value of a surface. The Infrared thermometer has a lens that focuses on the infrared rays and tunnels through the thermometer to a detector known as a thermopile. Then, they presto the thermopile converts the incoming Infrared radiation into an electrical signal that is then displayed as units of temperature, while the process sounds (and is) complicated, it all happens in a matter of seconds.

 

Distance to spot ratio:

 

An important factor while using an Infrared thermometer is the distance to spot ratio. This ratio is the size of the area being measured against the distance of the thermometer from the object. In simple terms, the area being measured becomes larger as the distance increases. Inversely, the area being measured becomes smaller as the distance decreases. Knowing your distance-to-spot ratio is important. It will help you ensure accuracy by helping you avoid taking measurements from outside of the desired area.