Micro-Epsilon Enhances Thermal-Imaging Camera
Micro-Epsilon has added new features, accessories and mounting options to its inline infrared thermal-imaging camera, making it suitable for monitoring the temperature of steel, ceramics and glass. The Thermoimager TIM160 now includes a protective enclosure that allows the device to operate in ambient temperatures up to 200C. Powered and operated via a USB 2.0 interface, the inline radiometric thermal-imaging camera provides temperature images and profiles of a target area.
This plug-and-play unit comes with a full software package (included in the unit price) that enables the user to configure all the parameters of the device, as well as enabling the real-time capture (at 100Hz full frame rate) and storage of images or video of an event for slow-motion playback or snapshots at a later date - an important feature in many research-and-development and failure diagnostics applications. Rather than supplying the device with a single factory-calibrated optical lens, the user now has the option of up to three interchangeable lenses (9deg, 31deg and 64deg fields of view).
For research-and-development test engineers who may be unsure of which applications they will use the device for, the three interchangeable lenses cater for every possible field of view for temperature monitoring tasks. Other features and accessories now provided with the Thermoimager TIM160 include a traceable certificate of calibration (one for each individual lens), a tripod mount (adjustable from 200mm up to 1,000mm), a rugged carrying case, USB cables (from 1m up to 100m) and process control and analysis software.
Unlike a hand-held thermal-imaging camera, the Thermoimager TIM160 is fixed into position in a production line or research-and-development laboratory in order to monitor the temperature profile of target materials or objects. The camera is suitable for process-control, quality and research-and-development applications across a range of industries, including plastics, packaging, machine building, FMCG, thermoforming, automotive, paper, printing, textiles, food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medical engineering, universities and other educational establishments. Chris Jones, managing director of Micro-Epsilon, said: 'We have a wide variety of mounting brackets that cater for almost every type of installation, as well as a variety of protective enclosures that allow the device to be installed in wash-down or high-temperature environments.
'Our water-cooling jacket option, for example, enables the device to be used in temperatures up to 200C. 'Patrol monitoring a process plant using relatively expensive handheld thermal-imaging cameras to monitor critical plant and machinery is not a viable option for many companies. 'However, the Thermoimager TIM160 can be installed in a fixed position next to a critical component or part of a production line to constantly monitor a target. 'Available for GBP4,995, including full software functionality, our low-cost solution is already proving to be a very attractive option for many predictive-maintenance applications.
'We are also offering a new rental option, whereby customers can choose to hire the device on a weekly basis before committing to a full purchase, for just GBP430. 'This allows users to evaluate the device fully in their own application and environment, which will, in turn, help to justify the capital expenditure,' added Jones. The Thermoimager TIM160 is compact and lightweight and is made from anodised aluminium. The camera housing measures 45 x 45 x 62mm and weighs 250g (including the lens and a 1m USB cable), facilitating mounting in restricted spaces.
The device is protected to IP65 (Nema-4) and is powered (5V DC) via the USB 2.0 interface, with a maximum current draw of 500mA. The system is compatible with Windows XP/Vista, facilitating the integration of thermal-imaging information with mini PCs, rail-mounted PCs and industrial embedded PCs and PLCs. A DLL is provided so that the user can export thermal-imaging data from the process imager into customer-specific software.
This plug-and-play unit comes with a full software package (included in the unit price) that enables the user to configure all the parameters of the device, as well as enabling the real-time capture (at 100Hz full frame rate) and storage of images or video of an event for slow-motion playback or snapshots at a later date - an important feature in many research-and-development and failure diagnostics applications. Rather than supplying the device with a single factory-calibrated optical lens, the user now has the option of up to three interchangeable lenses (9deg, 31deg and 64deg fields of view).
For research-and-development test engineers who may be unsure of which applications they will use the device for, the three interchangeable lenses cater for every possible field of view for temperature monitoring tasks. Other features and accessories now provided with the Thermoimager TIM160 include a traceable certificate of calibration (one for each individual lens), a tripod mount (adjustable from 200mm up to 1,000mm), a rugged carrying case, USB cables (from 1m up to 100m) and process control and analysis software.
Unlike a hand-held thermal-imaging camera, the Thermoimager TIM160 is fixed into position in a production line or research-and-development laboratory in order to monitor the temperature profile of target materials or objects. The camera is suitable for process-control, quality and research-and-development applications across a range of industries, including plastics, packaging, machine building, FMCG, thermoforming, automotive, paper, printing, textiles, food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medical engineering, universities and other educational establishments. Chris Jones, managing director of Micro-Epsilon, said: 'We have a wide variety of mounting brackets that cater for almost every type of installation, as well as a variety of protective enclosures that allow the device to be installed in wash-down or high-temperature environments.
'Our water-cooling jacket option, for example, enables the device to be used in temperatures up to 200C. 'Patrol monitoring a process plant using relatively expensive handheld thermal-imaging cameras to monitor critical plant and machinery is not a viable option for many companies. 'However, the Thermoimager TIM160 can be installed in a fixed position next to a critical component or part of a production line to constantly monitor a target. 'Available for GBP4,995, including full software functionality, our low-cost solution is already proving to be a very attractive option for many predictive-maintenance applications.
'We are also offering a new rental option, whereby customers can choose to hire the device on a weekly basis before committing to a full purchase, for just GBP430. 'This allows users to evaluate the device fully in their own application and environment, which will, in turn, help to justify the capital expenditure,' added Jones. The Thermoimager TIM160 is compact and lightweight and is made from anodised aluminium. The camera housing measures 45 x 45 x 62mm and weighs 250g (including the lens and a 1m USB cable), facilitating mounting in restricted spaces.
The device is protected to IP65 (Nema-4) and is powered (5V DC) via the USB 2.0 interface, with a maximum current draw of 500mA. The system is compatible with Windows XP/Vista, facilitating the integration of thermal-imaging information with mini PCs, rail-mounted PCs and industrial embedded PCs and PLCs. A DLL is provided so that the user can export thermal-imaging data from the process imager into customer-specific software.
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