Infrared thermometers, also known as spot pyrometers or temperature guns, display a temperature measurement at a single point on a target through a number. And infrared thermal imagers can give you temperature readings for every pixel in the entire thermal image and allow you to see the entire scene in the thermal image. Infrared thermal imagers can also resolve temperature from greater distances (with the right lens), allowing users to quickly inspect large areas.
Since it works on the same principle as a infrared thermal imager, a thermal imaging infrared thermometer can be seen as a infrared thermal imager with only one pixel. While effective in many cases, because it measures the temperature at only one point, it is easy for operators to miss critical information. Infrared thermometers can only measure one spot at a time, which means finding hot spots or other faults can take longer.
Even if a hot spot is too small or too far to measure accurately, the camera still has a chance to detect it when scanning an area, giving the operator a chance to get closer and get a more accurate reading. But infrared thermometers require you to identify the location of known hot spots or areas that need to be detected before you start taking measurements.
Scanning large areas or equipment with many components with a thermal imaging thermometer can be a time-consuming task because you have to try to scan each component individually, with a high chance of missing critical information, but a infrared thermal imager can be more efficient. Find minor problems quickly.
The advantage of infrared thermal imagers compared to infrared thermometers is that they can accurately measure temperature from greater distances. The distance at which a certain infrared thermal imager or infrared thermometer can accurately measure a target of a given size and still obtain an accurate temperature measurement is called the distance factor ratio (D:S ratio).
Most infrared thermal imagers have far greater distance factor ratios than infrared thermometers. For example, a typical infrared thermometer might be able to measure a 1 cm diameter target at a distance between 10 and 50 cm. But most infrared thermal imagers can accurately measure the temperature of a target 1 cm in diameter from a few meters away.
Infrared thermometers are excellent and affordable tools that can be used in many job scenarios, especially close range inspections when you know exactly where you need to inspect. However, infrared thermal imagers are often a better choice for long-range applications or when large areas need to be scanned quickly. How to choose a thermal imaging infrared thermometer and an infrared thermal imager, the friends still have to base on the actual work needs. Of course, the infrared thermal imager has more application scenarios and is relatively more cost-effective.
