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IR - Infrared Thermography

IR - Infrared Thermography

IR - Infrared Thermography

Innovative aerial thermography techniques with Drone are also available

All objects emit, absorb, transmit and reflect in the infrared band in fact, as physics teaches, all objects existing in nature with temperatures above absolute zero (-273 ° C) radiate energy in the form of electromagnetic energy.

Thermography allows you to view absolute values ​​and temperature variations of objects, regardless of their illumination in the visible range.

The amount of radiation emitted increases proportionally to the fourth power of the temperature in question (Stefan Boltzmann's law).

Thermography allows the identification of energy anomalies and therefore, with the same emissivity, of any thermal anomalies.


In particular, infrared radiation is the spontaneous emission of electromagnetic waves of a certain wavelength by any body due to the agitation motion of the atomic particles that compose it. The experiments carried out have made it possible to establish that the amount of energy radiated by a body increases with the increase in temperature to the fourth power and, moreover, its value also depends on the nature and type of surface of the body itself (coefficient of proportionality called emissivity) according to the physical law of emission or Stefan-Boltzman.
Infrared thermography is defined as the technique that allows to obtain, by means of an infrared system (thermographic equipment or thermal imaging camera), the distribution of infrared radiation (heat map), in the sensitivity range of the equipment used, and the measurement of the surface temperatures of the observed scene.

Infrared cameras are non-contact measuring instruments for detecting infrared radiation that allow you to generate infrared images ("infrared imaging") and consist of equipment that detect infrared heat emissions and convert them to a display in thermal maps (thermograms that can be saved in the form of files for subsequent analysis) that is two-dimensional visual representations with color scales according to the intensity of the radiant energy detected. An infrared camera basically consists of an equipment that produces thermograms and allows the measurement in qualitative and quantitative terms of the thermal radiation within a defined wavelength incident on the equipment itself.


Thermal imaging cameras not only allow the display of an image of the thermal model radiated by the surface (heat map), but are also designed to be able to measure the temperature of each single point making up the thermogram. By virtue of these characteristics, infrared cameras are used to obtain a complete and immediate survey of the operating conditions of plants, machines and processes. In almost all of its industrial applications, the infrared thermographic survey necessarily involves two phases:

The qualitative analysis of the heat map with the possible identification of anomalies attributable to the physical quantity of temperature. This type of analysis is basically based on what is called infrared image quality.
Quantitative analysis (temperature measurement) on the heat map of the area where the anomaly identified in the previous phase occurs. Having established the conditions to obtain the best image from a qualitative point of view, in this phase it is a question of proceeding to measure the temperatures of interest.
Regular infrared thermographic inspections can:

Ensure the best efficiency in the allocation of personnel;
Reduce stock of spare parts with costs reduced by about 10% in the case of electrical components;
Improve operational safety with risk reduction also for personnel. Failure, for example of electrical components, could be catastrophic, cause damage or even result in the death of operators, maintenance personnel or strangers;
Reduce the amount and severity of failures in operation. Identifying problems before the occurrence of the fault greatly reduces the unscheduled inactivity of the systems and machines, inactivity associated with the fault and lost time.
It should be noted that the costs of inactivity in emergency situations are approximately ten times higher than in the case in which scheduled maintenance has been adopted;
Support the evaluation of the residual life and extend the average life of the plant / machine ("life extension");
Reduce the insurance premium as the plant / machine, by increasing the safety conditions (which can be documented through the reports generated with the thermograms recorded during thermographic inspections) and by reducing the risks, is inherently safer;
Improve the design and performance of the plant / machine.

The qualitative analysis of the heat map with the possible identification of anomalies attributable to the physical quantity of temperature. This type of analysis is basically based on what is called infrared image quality.
Quantitative analysis (temperature measurement) on the heat map of the area where the anomaly identified in the previous phase occurs. Having established the conditions to obtain the best image from a qualitative point of view, in this phase it is a question of proceeding to measure the temperatures of interest.
Regular infrared thermographic inspections can:

Ensure the best efficiency in the allocation of personnel;
Reduce stock of spare parts with costs reduced by about 10% in the case of electrical components;
Improve operational safety with risk reduction also for personnel. Failure, for example of electrical components, could be catastrophic, cause damage or even result in the death of operators, maintenance personnel or strangers;
Reduce the amount and severity of failures in operation. Identifying problems before the occurrence of the fault greatly reduces the unscheduled inactivity of the systems and machines, inactivity associated with the fault and lost time.
It should be noted that the costs of inactivity in emergency situations are approximately ten times higher than in the case in which scheduled maintenance has been adopted;
Support the evaluation of the residual life and extend the average life of the plant / machine ("life extension");
Reduce the insurance premium as the plant / machine, by increasing the safety conditions (which can be documented through the reports generated with the thermograms recorded during thermographic inspections) and by reducing the risks, is inherently safer;
Thermography is also applied in the industrial sector as a useful Non-Destructive Control, for detecting the skin temperature in shell and tube heat exchangers.
Specifically, the application of thermography in inlet and outlet distributors, shells and manifolds, is used to detect corrosion under the insulation (CUI), the thermal conditions of the shell, the state of the refractory, the degradation of the insulation and / or the interior lining, ducts and doors.


Italsabi works with ISO9712 II Level Qualified Technicians on national and international territory in accordance with the procedures of the reference standard UNI EN ISO 16714-1, 16714-2, 16714-3

Our technicians use FLIR thermal imaging cameras