Creating tomorrow's infrared technologies and imaging solutions - today!

Applications Use of infrared technology to detect and see temperature differences allows people to accomplish many things not possible or easily done in other ways: Find mechanical "hot spots" for repair such as faulty wheel bearings and brakes on railcars. Find "hot spots" in an electrical distribution system before it fails. Monitor production processes such as monitoring the temperature of product exiting a furnace. Conserve energy by finding heat leaks in buildings. ISI makes IR technology available at an affordable cost. Traditionally, infrared (IR) technology has been too costly and existing equipment too complex. Typical costs of infrared imaging devices have ranged from $20,000 to $50,000. Most current devices require detectors made of exotic materials and the use of special coolers for cooling the detector elements to liquid nitrogen temperature (-320F). Up until now, there were two broad types of infrared temperature sensing devices, termed radiometers. One of these is the high-cost imaging-type radiometer, with prices ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 or more per unit. The other type is the far less expensive, uncooled spot radiometer, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars up to $4,000. The latter provides no image, only a readout of the target temperature at a single spot. The high cost of the imaging radiometers and the limited capability of the spot radiometers have constrained market growth. ISI products now fill the gap between these two types, being much lower in price than existing infrared imaging radiometers and at the same time performing much more functionality than spot radiometer devices. Recent advances at Honeywell have made it possible to fabricate large arrays of up to 80,000 detectors on a single silicon chip. This technological breakthrough now makes possible the production of high performance, uncooled detectors capable of sensing and measuring infrared energy - which means more easily operated infrared imaging devices at a lower cost. Now almost any process or problem involving complex or remote temperature sensing and measurement is a feasible application. Conduct more extensive and more frequent inspections at a much lower cost. An imaging radiometer can be used to detect such potential problems before they become critical. Use of the hand-held IR SnapShot® to prevent one such incident may more than recover its cost. Industrial product inspection and process control - avoid defective bearings which can overheat and seize up, sometimes with disastrous results Building heat loss, roof leak detection, and systems maintenance - detect leaks which may develop under insulation jackets and be very difficult to detect or trace Predictive and preventive maintenance of industrial equipment - detect and identify problems related to improper functioning of various types of equipment, components, and facilities Predictive and preventive maintenance of electrical distribution systems - detect loose or corroded connections which can overheat and fail or cause fires Border and perimeter surveillance Fire detection surveillance R&D heat flow analysis Electrical Inspection: Electrical connections become hot due to overload or high resistance caused by corrosion or a poor connection. This image shows a circuit where an improper fuse was installed. Catching a problem like this during routine inspections or after maintenance can catch a problem early, before it causes expensive downtime. Condition Monitoring: Industrial pumps are known to work continuously for many hours. If a pump stops working or starts to wear, this can cost a factory much needed time. Using an IR camera to monitor the temperature of these type pumps, a maintenance worker can spot troubled pumps BEFORE the failure and address with little or no down time - saving you time and money. Process Monitoring: Many processes require careful monitoring of process temperatures to maximize yields and minimize scrap. Here a plastic molding machine shows temperature variations on the metal die. By adjusting process parameters, these variations can be controlled, maximizing your yields, and your profits! Predictive Maintenance: Monitor temperatures of bearings and other moving components. Friction is a machine's nightmare, and an engineer or technician would do anything to avoid it. As bearings wear with time, they begin to slow machinery and create unneccessary heat. Monitoring changes over time can help predict when maintenace needs to be performed. Neither too soon, nor too late. Saving the costs of unnecessary maintenance. Preventive maintenance This is an image of the inlet to a water heater. As you can see, at this joint there is a significant temperature change in the corner. A technician used this information to determine that the L-shaped fitting was blocked. This type of blockage has been known to cause corrosion and overheating with possible extreme circumstances. Early detection of this problem saved the owner money and peace of mind. R & D heat flow: New development is occuring at an ever increasing pace. Understanding heat flow for new products going into production can give your company the edge over the competition. Heat flow analysis can also be used in the electrical circuit board industry. Know what you need to know - now. Substation Maintenance: Power companies' business is to produce power. IR imagery allows you the ability to monitor failing insulators or powerlines creating excess heat and ultimately - power outages. A maintenance worker armed with an IR camera would be able to predict or prevent failures - giving you more up time. [ Home Page | About ISI | Technology | Products | Downloads | Contact Us | What's New ] Top of page