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Industrial Fires: The 5 Common Causes

The 5 Common Causes of Industrial Fires

Loss prevention is always a top priority for most businesses and industries. One of the most devastating losses is an industrial fire.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an average of 37,000 fires occur yearly at industrial and manufacturing properties. The number of fatalities is extremely limited – just one or two deaths per year on average. However, the costs for loss of inventory and damages make up around $500 million in a year.

Below are the five main causes of industrial fires to help manage risk:

1. Combustible Dust

Combustible dust is a common cause of fire in industrial facilities. This can include dust from metal or coal processing, or even sawdust.

This type of fire occurs when combustible dust is suspended in the air instead of being allowed to settle on a surface. When this happens, the dust particles can ignite and cause an explosion. Once it has been ignited, the fire will spread quickly as it is spread by air currents in the building.

How to prevent combustible dust fires?

Inspect for dust regularly, especially in hidden areas.
Use a dust collection system to avoid buildup.
Use cleaning methods that won’t create dust clouds.
Control smoking, open flames, and sparks.

2. Hot Work

Hot work is a term used in the industry to describe processes that involve heating and welding materials. This type of work often produces sparks, which can ignite flammable materials nearby.

How to prevent hot work fires?

Train employees in safety procedures.
Provide employees with proper safety equipment.
Clear work area of any flammable materials, including dust, gases, and liquids.

3. Flammable Liquids and Gases

This is the most common cause of industrial fires, accounting for about 40% of all incidents. Many flammable liquids are used in manufacturing processes, including diesel fuel and gasoline. These fuels can cause fires if they leak or if they are spilled on hot machinery or equipment.

How to prevent flammable gas fires?

Be familiar with the risks of each flammable liquid and gas on-site.
Read and follow the safety information for storage, and consult the material safety data sheet that comes with the product.
Store hazardous materials properly, in accordance with OSHA standards.
Keep ignition sources away from flammable gases and liquids.
Provide employees with personal protective equipment as needed.

4. Equipment and Machinery

Equipment malfunctions are another common cause of industrial fires. Furnaces, boilers, and related heating equipment all have the potential to ignite when not maintained properly.

How to prevent equipment fires?

Train employees on how to identify possible risks and what to do if they find one.
Keep machines, equipment, and areas surrounding them, clean and clear of flammable materials.
Prevent machine overheating by following guidelines for recommended maintenance procedures.

5. Electrical Hazards

Electrical fires include wiring that is exposed or not up to code, overloaded outlets, extension cords, overloaded circuits, or static discharge.

How to prevent electrical fires?

Don’t overload electrical equipment or circuits.
Unplug temporary equipment not in use.
Avoid using extension cords.
Use antistatic equipment as advised by OSHA and NFPA.

Prevent Fires and Explosions

A fire is a dangerous situation that can be difficult to get under control and stop. Sometimes following all proper safety guidelines isn’t enough to prevent a disastrous loss. Intelligent early fire detection systems such as, MoviTHERM’s iEFD, detects fire before the appearance of smoke, giving employees time to respond quickly and put out the blaze before it causes any real damage.

20+ Page Guide to Fire Detection Systems

Find All Your Answers in Our Guide

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Find a reliable fire detection system.
Save money in the long run.
Know the must-have features.
Find a system that adapts to your business needs.
Understand the importance of safety and security.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:22:34-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

Composite Inspection Solutions Using Infrared Imaging

Using Infrared Imaging for Composite Inspection

How is thermal imaging used in composite inspection solutions?

Composite honeycomb

Honeycomb material with a lock-in result image shows circular delaminations, circled in red.

In this article, we break down the four subcategories of infrared nondestructive testing for the use of composite inspection solutions.

The first documented use of composite materials was most likely in ancient Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs. Workers were using straw and mud to make building materials. When talking about composite materials today, one usually refers to advanced materials used either in aerospace, military, and racing or automotive applications. Recently, one of the biggest boosts for using composite materials has been commercial aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing with the Dreamliner B-787 and Airbus with the A350.

airbus a350

The Airbus A350 has been designed with more than 50% composite materials. Source: Airbus

In an attempt to make these super liners more fuel efficient, both companies have designed more than 50% of these aircrafts out of composite materials. With these large scale composite structures also comes a significant need for nondestructive material testing (NDT), both for manufacturing as well as in-service inspection.

Traditionally, this need has been fulfilled with ultrasound NDT. However, many parts for these aircraft are being manufactured with complex shapes and curvatures, making it difficult or impractical to use ultrasound sensors which need to be positioned true (orthogonal) to the surface of the material being inspected.

Thermal imaging is not as widespread as ultrasound inspection in the NDT world, although it has many advantages when it comes to large scale composite materials with complex shapes. Thermographic NDT techniques fall into the category of active thermography, due to use of an active heat excitation source. There are four subcategories of thermal or infrared (IR)-NDT that are used for composite inspection solutions: flash, transient, vibro-thermography and lock-in thermography.

Flash Thermography

Flash, sometimes also called pulse thermography, uses a very short pulse of energy, such as provided by a Xenon flash lamp, as the active excitation for the measurement. An infrared or thermal camera is then used to record an image sequence of the heat up and cool down period of the material.

turbine blade show micro-cracks

The orange spots on this lock-in image result image of a turbine blade show micro-cracks, some beneath the surface.

When observing the thermal wave on the surface of the material during this period, defects such as impact damages, voids, foreign material inclusions, disbands and water inclusions manifest themselves with their varying thermo-physical properties compared to the intact or defect-free material.

These thermo-physical differences create disturbances or interferences in the surface thermal wave, which the thermal camera records. These image sequences can contain up to multiple hundreds of thermal images. The analysis software then calculates a result image that based on the applied algorithm may be displayed as a phase angle image.

Vibro-Thermography

In a vibro-thermography system, induced ultrasound waves are used to create friction and therefore heat on crack surfaces inside or on the surface of the material. This friction heat can then be seen with the help of the thermal camera. Typical applications for such a vibro-thermography system are the inspection of ceramics and metals for cracks and micro-cracks.

Lock-In Thermography

The principle measurement setup is shown here.

Lock-In Thermography

One of the more sophisticated thermal NDT methods available is lock-in thermography. A typical measurement setup for composite NDT using a lock-in thermography system usually involves halogen lamps for excitation.

The underlying principle is based on “locking in” the camera recordings on the known excitation frequency. The sample materials can thereby be excited continuously by using a sinusoidal waveform for modulation of the halogen lamp or lamps. This has the distinct advantage that the heat or thermal wave never decays to the point where the camera can no longer pick up the heat signature.

For instance, with flash or transient thermography a singe and finite heat pulse is used for excitation. The collection of useful thermal images ends at the latest, when the amplitude of the thermal wave approximates the noise floor of the camera detector. This in turn limits the maximum achievable penetration depth of the measurement. This is particularly critical in composite materials, which usually do not conduct heat as well.

Lock-in thermography uses Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms for calculation of the result image. The image data is evaluated on a pixel-by-pixel basis in the frequency domain and it only allows for signals to be evaluated that are an exact frequency match to that of the excitation source, thus eliminating undesirable thermal reflections.

In fact, since the frequency of noise of the measurement system is random, this method allows for an increase of the thermal sensitivity that reaches below the noise floor of the camera itself. This significantly improves the signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of a lock-in thermography system, allowing for detection of tough-to-find defects, compared to IR-NDT methods.

The typical thermal sensitivity of a cooled IR-camera is around 25 millikelvin (mK). A lock-in thermography system can extend that range down to the µK range, or by a factor of 100 to 1,000.

Other application examples for using lock-in thermography are thermal stress analysis for nondestructive evaluation of material strengths and shunt detection for photovoltaic (solar) cells and panels.

Download Our Starter Guide

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Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Learn how Infrared NDT works
Learn what type of defects you can find
Learn how large of an area you can inspect
Learn how this method compliments UT inspections
Learn how to save valuable inspection time

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:22:45-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

IR Cameras Prevent Recycling Plant Fires

Preventing Recycling Plant Fires with IR Cameras

With more lithium-ion batteries and other flammable materials ending up in consumer waste, recycling plant fires are becoming more common than they should.

In the last year alone, there were over three hundred reported fire incidents in the waste and recycling plant industries. Every other day, we’ll see a news story pop up on our feed about another recycling facility that has caught fire. It happens so often, that at this point, facility owners have a routine in place for when a fire starts.

Although recycling plants have gotten accustomed to their facility catching fire, there’s still a possibility something could go wrong. With every new fire outbreak, waste and recycling crews battle to suppress the fire before it spreads or multiplies. With no real guarantee of mitigating the fire, owners are putting their employees and community in danger.

Devices That Spot Fire Before Igniting

Infrared cameras (or thermal imaging cameras) are widely used by firefighters because they can detect heat through smoke. Figure 1 shows infrared cameras are the first to see the warming up of materials early in the fire development process, before smoke particles or flames.

Graph of fire progression, showing infrared cameras are the first to detect fire.

Figure 1: Fire progression graph shows infrared cameras are the first to detect signs of fire formation.

Fire crews not only have access to thermal imaging devices, but some stations even have access to dashboards that show the pin point location of a fire. These dashboards are a powerful tool, as it shows how fast and where a fire is spreading.

Now if this type of technology exists, what is stopping plant owners from installing a similar fire detection system in their recycling facility? The answer is, nothing! Early fire detection systems are available to any industry who has a fire mitigation problem. Unfortunately, not every plant owner is up to date with current technology and some still depend on the fire department to come and save the day.

Smart Fire Detection Systems

MoviTHERM's intelligent fire detection system is accessed by mobile device.

MoviTHERM’s intelligent fire detection system is accessed by mobile device.

With the modern age comes modern solutions. Early fire detection systems are equipped with features that remove the worry of a disastrous outcome caused by a fire.

These smart fire prevention systems can utilize a single point of contact (e.g. a mobile phone or computer interface) to bring together data from various connected fire alarm sensors, allowing the end-user to quickly view the status of fire risk in real-time.

By leveraging the advantages of IoT connectivity, fire management systems have the ability to detect the number of people in the facility, the location of the fire, and the rate at which the fire is spreading.

If a connected sensor or infrared camera detects fire formation (a hot spot), the intelligent fire detection system will send out mass notifications to alert everyone in the recycling plant to stay away from the hazard and notify the professionals to take care of the problem. The neat thing about smart detection systems is that they will alert before the fire becomes visible.

With smart fire detection systems, recycling plants can prevent fires and keep their employees and community safe.

Learn more about early fire detection systems.

20+ Page Guide to Fire Detection Systems

Find All Your Answers in Our Guide

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Find a reliable fire detection system.
Save money in the long run.
Know the must-have features.
Find a system that adapts to your business needs.
Understand the importance of safety and security.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:22:56-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

Video-based Fire Detection Systems Used in Metal Recycling

Video-based Fire Detection Systems Used in Metal Recycling Centers

Why do metal recycling facilities catch fire?

The number of metal recycling plant fires has risen over the last few years. An increased amount of lithium ion batteries found in the waste stream may be what is causing most fire incidents.

Recycling centers will receive flammable materials like lubricants, paints, grease, oil, propane, and gas tanks mingled with recyclables. As recycled materials are cut, crushed, compacted, or shredded, traces of flammable substances can ignite when pressure is applied.

With more lithium-ion batteries in consumer goods and an emphasis on recycling, we see more battery waste in recycling facilities. This makes it difficult for facility managers to prevent recycling fires. When lithium-ion batteries are broken or crushed, they can become hot, start to smoke, and start a facility fire. Thus, magnifying an already hazardous condition when added to the scrap metal recycling process.

Devices for Detecting Metal Recycling Fires

There are various fire detection sensors available today that alert recycling managers of fire formation. Different devices have different varying detection timing during the progression of a fire. The following chart shows the relative detectability of fire detection devices at different stages of fire development with corresponding damage levels.

With the number of fire outbreaks increasing in recycling centers, the pressure is on for facility owners. Finding a solution that minimizes fire risks and keeps employees safe is nothing, but a taxing task.

Infrared cameras are the only device to detect a hot spot and show early signs of fire formation. Recycling facility managers are finding that fire alarms and smoke detectors are not giving enough warning time. Having slow response warning systems make it difficult to prevent an industrial fire.

Because of this, industrial and manufacturing centers are beginning to lean towards solutions that use thermal cameras for early warning fire detection. By installing a video-based fire detection system, managers have increased control over industrial fire safety.

Graph of fire progression, showing infrared cameras are the first to detect fire.

Graph of fire progression, showing infrared cameras are the first to detect fire.

How can infrared cameras see fire?

Before forming black smoke or flames, infrared cameras (IR) are the first to detect signs of a fire. IR cameras give employees, first responders, and the fire department enough time to avoid and prevent a fire. Infrared cameras can spot high temperatures at an early stage, serving as a heat detector video surveillance system in your facility.

IR cameras operate on the heat transfer principle of radiation. The infrared camera has a focal plane array of detector elements that sense infrared light radiated from object surfaces. The radiation captured by the infrared camera detector is digitized, converted to data, and displayed as a viewable image.

Calibrated IR cameras can report temperature measurements from specific spots, lines, and areas on live or recorded images. IR cameras are available in different wavebands, pixel resolutions, lens configurations, and communication protocols to meet various installation requirements.

Implementing IoT with Fire Protection Systems

The industrial internet of things (IoT) refers to connected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked into software applications. IoT applications use predictive video analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). These connected networks create systems that can monitor, collect, exchange, analyze, and deliver valuable insights into a system or process.

Fire safety is an area that realizes the benefits of IoT when combined with thermal imaging cameras. With IoT fire alarm systems, safety alerts can be sent to hundreds of people quickly and effectively. Communication options could include voice calls, texts, and emails to targeted recipients to establish quick and effective awareness.

Early fire detection technology can improve emergency planning by using algorithms to prepare better emergency and safety plans.

The system can consider factors such as:

The number of people in the facility.
The location of the fire.
The rate at which the fire is spreading.
The direction of the fire.

This helps prevent congestion by guiding workers to different locations for optimum safety routing.

Video-based fire detection system showing different thermal images of different areas in a facility.

Video-based fire detection system showing different thermal images of different areas in a facility.

How do metal recycling facilities benefit from installing an infrared video-based fire detection system?

Before early fire detection, material handlers in the waste and recycling industry would unknowingly spread hot materials. Accidently increasing the size of the fire hazard. With fire detection systems that implement early alert notifications, machine operators can avoid problem spots and prevent spreading potential fire hazards.

Fire detection camera systems that leverage IoT are typically less expensive to install and maintain than traditional industrial fire alarm systems. Because the early fire detection software resides in the cloud, there is no need for a dedicated facility computer server. This allows users to access the fire detection system from any device, anywhere, anytime with an available internet connection.

Available communication technology can be added to existing fire detectors, such as smoke alarms, making retrofitting existing systems for IoT easy. By warning earlier on the pathway to ignition, metal recycling center operators avoid costly and potentially life threatening fires.

Sample IoT EFD Configuration for Waste Facilities

Sample IoT EFD Configuration for Waste Facilities

Ensure you install a system that meets all your needs!

Industrial and manufacturing facilities benefit when working with experienced fire detection integrators. Experts in the field should thoroughly examine installation sites before designing a detection system. This ensures your fire detection system includes the best fit sensors in the best locations.

Early fire detection IoT systems are easily configurable and can operate in settings beyond metal recycling. Other industrial settings that benefit from infrared fire detection systems include: coal, biomass, industrial laundry, wood processing, trash bunkers, and more.

20+ Page Guide to Fire Detection Systems

Find All Your Answers in Our Guide

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Find a reliable fire detection system.
Save money in the long run.
Know the must-have features.
Find a system that adapts to your business needs.
Understand the importance of safety and security.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:23:05-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

Coal Pile Monitoring Applications Prevent Fire

Coal Pile Monitoring Applications for Fire Prevention

Overview

Companies that store, handle, and transport coal are finding ways to mitigate and prevent fire damage from spontaneous combustion by implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with early fire detection technologies, like infrared cameras.

Heat, oxygen, and fuel are the essential ingredients needed to start and keep a fire burning. In the spontaneous combustion of coal, coal acts as the fuel that, when exposed to air, leads to oxidation, and produces heat.

The general reaction for the oxidation of coal is as follows:

Coal + O2 → CO + CO2 + H2O + HEAT

Suppose the heat generated by the oxidation process is not allowed to dissipate but is retained. In that case, the coal body temperature increases, thus accelerating the reaction rate exponentially, and if not treated, it can result in spontaneous combustion. Studies estimate that for every 18°F rise in temperature, the reaction rate can double.

The oxidation of coal can occur anywhere coal is accumulated and exposed to oxygen. The risk of spontaneous combustion exists at multiple points along the coal supply chain.

Coal Supply Chain

The early detection of hot spots in coal piles is critical if the spontaneous combustion process is to be avoided. Unfortunately, though, detecting early-stage fire formation within a coal pile is difficult. For example, the surface temperature of the coal pile may be near ambient, with internal temperatures being much, much higher. Traditional methods of installing thermocouples can be used but are susceptible to damage during material transport. Spot measurements can also be used but do not detect gradient effects. Monitoring temperature trends over time is generally more helpful in detecting the early onset of coal pile heating with mitigation measures deployed before the situation becomes dangerous.

Coal Supply Chain Diagram

Early Fire Detection using Infrared (IR) Camera Systems
An infrared camera can see areas of warming-up on a coal pile early in the fire development process before forming smoke particles or flames. Even subtle changes in temperature just below the surface show as warm spots in a thermal image. IR camera systems are the first to alert on the pathway to ignition before a coal fire develops.

Pathway to Ignition
IR cameras operate on the heat transfer principle of radiation. The infrared camera has a focal plane array of detector elements that sense infrared light radiated from object surfaces. The radiation captured by the infrared camera detector is digitized, converted to data, and displayed as a viewable image. Calibrated IR cameras can report temperature measurements from specific spots, lines, and areas on live or recorded images. IR cameras are available in different pixel resolutions, lens configurations, and enclosure configurations to meet various installation requirements.

Graph of fire progression, showing infrared cameras are the first to detect fire.

Graph of fire progression, showing infrared cameras are the first to detect fire.

What is IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)?

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked into industrial software applications that use advanced predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). These connected networks create systems that can monitor, collect, exchange, analyze, and deliver valuable insights into a system or process. IIoT revolutionizes automation by using cloud computing to simplify integration and enhance process control.

IIoT and Early Fire Detection (EFD)

Fire safety is an area that can realize the benefits of IIoT when combined with infrared camera systems. By connecting sensors that alert at different stages of fire development and varying conditions for fire formation, potential fires can more readily be detected and prevented. With IIoT, safety alerts are sent to hundreds of people quickly and effectively. Communication options include voice calls, text, and email to targeted recipients, thus helping create quick and effective awareness. Another advantage to IIoT EFD is scalability. Facility managers can connect multiple facilities into central monitoring and alarming dashboards viewed from anywhere globally. Understanding the situation at all facilities improves the oversight and management of multiple systems from a single control point.

IIoT EFD systems can improve emergency planning by using algorithms to help quickly prepare better emergency and evacuation plans. For example, analytics can consider factors such as the number of people in the facility, facility maps, location of the fire, the rate at which fire is spreading, and the direction of the fire to come up with better evacuation plans. Analytics-based evacuation plans can prevent congestion by guiding workers to different locations for optimum evacuation routing.

Advantages of IIoT EFD with Infrared Cameras are summarized below:

IR cameras can detect fire formation at the earliest stages.
Fast and broad notification to keep workers out of harm’s way.
Cloud-based connectivity and computing minimize hardware requirements.
Automatic software updates keep systems running optimally.
Capability to control external processes, alarms, and extinguishing systems.

MoviTHERM has developed its iEFD solution for coal pile monitoring. This solution integrates fire detection and other monitoring technologies to track temperatures and detect the formation of smoke particles at critical coal supply chain locations. MoviTHERM iEFD alerts the appropriate personnel when temperatures exceed expected limits or when smoke particles are present within the environment.

The following graphic illustrates a sample MoviTHERM iEFD solution for coal pile monitoring.

iefd iiot pile monitoring diagram

iEFD IIoT Pile Monitoring Diagram

Conclusion

MoviTHERM iEFD does not replace existing fire detection and response protocols. Instead, the system functions as an early warning system – detecting areas where ignition may occur. New detection methods for heat, smoke, and fire are in continual development and include wireless capabilities that make integration into MoviTHERM iEFD a straightforward exercise. Beyond alarms and notifications, MoviTHERM iEFD uses IIoT connectivity to provide automation controls like initiating and directing an extinguishing system.

Because MoviTHERM iEFD leverages cloud computing, it requires less hardware with a reduced installation burden and cost than legacy detection systems. Available communication technology can be added to existing detectors, making MoviTHERM iEFD retrofitting easy. By warning earlier on the pathway to ignition, those responsible for coal inventory management can avert costly and potentially life-threatening fires before they are permitted to start and spread.

MoviTHERM has installed its IIoT iEFD system for coal pile monitoring and has the expertise to advise facility owners and managers about upgrading existing monitoring systems or prescribing its new iEFD system.

20+ Page Guide to Fire Detection Systems

Find All Your Answers in Our Guide

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Find a reliable fire detection system.
Save money in the long run.
Know the must-have features.
Find a system that adapts to your business needs.
Understand the importance of safety and security.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:23:13-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

Hotspot Detection in Biomass Pile Monitoring

Biomass Pile Monitoring Applications for Fire Prevention

Overview

Biomass Power Generation facilities are finding ways to mitigate and prevent fire damage by implementing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with early fire detection technologies, like infrared cameras.

Biomass Power Generation facilities use renewable organic material from plants and animals as a fuel source to generate electricity for industrial and commercial applications. Biomass materials are transported to the generation plant, stored in piles or silos, and burned in a boiler to produce high-pressure steam to drive the rotation of a series of turbine blades connected to a generator that produces electricity. During the storage phase, the biomass materials are most susceptible to fire.

biomass pile monitoring diagram

Biomass Pile Monitoring Diagram

Biomass is commonly stored in bulk outdoor piles near the power generation facility. These mounds of material are especially prone to self-heating as they naturally decompose. The decomposition process is accelerated as moisture is introduced from rain and humidity, generating even more heat. As most biomass materials are good insulators, the internal pile heat generated is not allowed to escape and cool, thus increasing temperatures and spreading to a larger internal area. Eventually, the material begins to smolder. Smoldering and flameless fires are more easily ignited than flaming fires and more challenging to extinguish.

The early detection of a bulk pile fire is critical if a biomass fire is to be avoided. Unfortunately, though, detecting early-stage fire formation within a bulk pile fire is difficult. For example, the surface temperature of a pile may be at ambient while the internal temperature could be more than 200°C. Traditional methods using linear heat detection cable can be used but are susceptible to damage during material transport and generally not recommended. Spot measurements are also used but do not detect gradient effects. Monitoring the temperature trends over time is generally more helpful in detecting the early onset of heating where mitigation measures can be deployed before the situation becomes dangerous.

Early Fire Detection using Infrared (IR) Camera Systems

IR camera systems are the first to alert before a fire develops. They see a warming-up of material early in the fire development process before forming smoke particles or flames.

IR cameras operate on the heat transfer principle of radiation. The infrared camera has a focal plane array of detector elements that sense infrared light radiated from object surfaces. The radiation captured by the infrared camera detector is digitized, converted to data, and displayed as a viewable image. Calibrated IR cameras can report temperature measurements from specific spots, lines, and areas on live or recorded images. IR cameras are available in different wavebands, pixel resolutions, lens configurations, and communication protocols to meet various installation requirements.

What is IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)?

The “industrial internet of things” (IIoT) refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked into industrial software applications that use advanced predictive analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). These connected networks create systems that can monitor, collect, exchange, analyze, and deliver valuable insights into a system or process. IIoT is revolutionizing automation by using cloud computing to simplify integration and enhance process control.

IIoT and Early Fire Detection (EFD)

Fire safety is an area that can realize the benefits of IIoT when combined with infrared camera systems. By connecting sensors that alert at different stages of fire development and varying conditions for fire formation, potential fires can more readily be detected and prevented. With IIoT, safety alerts are sent to hundreds of people quickly and effectively. Communication options include the capability to communicate via voice calls, text, and email to targeted recipients, thus helping create quick and effective awareness. Another advantage to IIoT EFD is scalability. Facility managers can connect multiple facilities into a central monitoring and alarming dashboard. Understanding the situation at all facilities improves the oversight and management of multiple systems from a single control point.

IIoT EFD systems can improve emergency planning by using algorithms and analytics to help quickly prepare better emergency and evacuation plans. For example, analytics can consider factors such as the number of people in the facility, facility maps, location of the fire, the rate at which fire is spreading, and the direction of the fire to come up with better evacuation plans. Analytics-based evacuation plans can prevent congestion by guiding workers to different locations for optimum evacuation routing.

Advantages to IIoT EFD with Infrared Camera systems are summarized below:

IR cameras to detect fire formation at the earliest stages.
Fast and broad notification to keep workers out of harm’s way.
Cloud-based connectivity and computing minimize hardware requirements.
Automatic software updates keep systems running optimally.
Capability to trigger external processes, alarms, and extinguishing systems.

MoviTHERM has effectively deployed IIoT EFD systems for biomass pile monitoring. These systems integrate multiple fire detection and monitoring technologies to track critical temperatures and detect smoke particles at critical locations within the power generation facility. These systems alert the appropriate personnel when temperatures exceed expected limits or when smoke particles are present within the environment.

The following graphic illustrates a sample MoviTHERM IIoT Early Fire Detection solution for pile monitoring.

iefd iiot pile monitoring diagram

iEFD IIoT Pile Monitoring Diagram

Conclusion

It is important to note that the system discussed is not designed to replace existing fire detection and response protocols. Instead, the system functions as an early warning system – detecting areas where ignition may occur. Additionally, new detection methods for heat, smoke, and fire are in continual development. Many new detection devices include wireless capabilities that make integration into an IIoT EFD a straightforward exercise. Beyond alarms and notifications, IIoT EFD systems can provide automation controls like initiating and directing an extinguishing system.

Because IIoT EFD systems leverage cloud computing, they require less hardware with a reduced installation burden than legacy detection systems. Available communication technology can be added to existing detectors making IIoT retrofitting of existing systems an easy process. By warning earlier on the pathway to ignition, those responsible for biomass bulk management can avert costly and potentially life-threatening fires before they are permitted to start and spread.

MoviTHERM has installed IIoT EFD systems for biomass pile monitoring in power generation facilities and has the expertise to advise facility owners and managers about how to upgrade existing monitoiring systems or prescribe new IIoT EFD systems.

20+ Page Guide to Fire Detection Systems

Find All Your Answers in Our Guide

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Find a reliable fire detection system.
Save money in the long run.
Know the must-have features.
Find a system that adapts to your business needs.
Understand the importance of safety and security.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:23:22-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

How does infrared non destructive testing work?

What is Infrared Non Destructive Testing and How Does it Work?

Infrared non-destructive testing (NDT) has been around for more than 30 years but has recently gained more momentum.

The momentum is primarily driven by the need for faster inspection times on large aerospace structures. The most widely spread NDT method to date is still ultrasound (UT), but it has its limitations with respect to rapid, large area inspection capabilities.

Infrared non-destructive testing is based on the principle of thermal wave imaging. It is considered an active thermography method, as opposed to a passive method. The active part comes from using an external heat source to warm up the part. Whereas in standard thermography, the camera is usually capturing heat, inherent to the process. For example, when using a thermal camera to check for the temperature of an electrical motor that is in operation.

A passive method does not lend itself very well to an NDT inspection, since the part is typically at room temperature. We call that also being in a state of thermal equilibrium. A workpiece in that state would not create any useful information or thermal contrast when imaged. Hence, the need for an active excitation.

Excitation Methods

The most used methods of excitation for infrared non-destructive testing applications are either a Xenon Flash Lamp or a Halogen Lamp. The flash method is used for “Flash Thermography”. A large amount of energy is stored in a flash generator, on average 6 kilo Joules or above. Upon the start of measurement, the stored energy is discharged in the Xenon flash bulb.

flash thermography system graphic

Example of a Flash Thermography System

The discharge happens in a flash in only about 2 milliseconds. This creates a rapid increase of temperature on the surface of the workpiece, which also starts to dissipate immediately. A thermal camera pointed at the part is being used to record a thermal image sequence, thus monitoring the temperature decay on the surface of the part. What happens during this time is that the energy on the surface starts to penetrate the material via a thermal wave. The thermal wave propagates back to the surface and creates a temporal pattern of heat conduction (or the lack thereof).

Infrared Non-Destructive Testing

Infrared Non-Destructive Testing

For example, if the thermal wave encounters a void, the heat flow is slowed down. This manifests itself on the surface during the image recording sequence. Although, this technology can not technically “look into” the part, it indirectly can.

Flash thermography is limited with respect to how deep it can find defects. This is due to the rapid heat discharge. There is another active excitation method that helps overcome this limitation. That method is referred to as “Transient Thermography”. The concept is very similar. The difference is the way the heat is being induced into the part.

Foam core disbond

Foam Core Disbond

Neither the flash method nor the transient method will ever heat up the part surface to any temperatures of concern. Remember, we are talking about a “Non” Destructive Method. An infrared non-destructive testing procedure only requires a temperature increase of about 8 to 10 degrees Celsius above ambient. This increase is enough for creating enough thermal contrast in the result images.

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For Infrared NDT Systems

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Learn how Infrared NDT works
Learn what type of defects you can find
Learn how large of an area you can inspect
Learn how this method compliments UT inspections
Learn how to save valuable inspection time

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:23:32-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

What is vibro thermography?

Vibro Thermography NDT Technique

Vibro-Thermography is an active thermography method that uses mechanical vibration to locate cracks. It is considered an active thermography method because this method does not rely on existing heat being present in the part that is being inspected. Vibro-Thermography uses ultrasonic frequencies to excite the specimen. These ultrasonic frequencies are typically in the range of 20,000 to 45,000 Hz or 20kHz to 45kHz. A common excitation source for creating these vibrations is an ultrasonic welder.

Vibro-Thermography belongs to the non-destructive test methods. It is the only one that is not non-contact since the ultrasonic horn or transducer needs to be in contact with the workpiece. During the measurement, these vibrations propagate through the part. If a crack is encountered, the crack surfaces rub together from the vibration. The friction from these vibrations creates a small heat signature that the thermal camera can detect.

Vibro-Thermography Setup

Vibro-Thermography Setup

The photo above shows a Vibro-Thermography measurement setup. The setup consists of a high-speed thermal camera, an Ultrasonic Transducer with Power electronics (not visible) and a workpiece.

The ultrasonic transducer is placed onto the workpiece. An ‘H’-style gantry allows the transducer to be lowered with the assistance of a pneumatic motion stage. The pressure for the stage is adjustable and allows for variation of the contact pressure for the transducer. A softer coupling medium is used to avoid scratching the part. The medium used in this example is a piece of aluminum foil.

Upon excitation of the part, in this case, a piece of a brake rotor, any cracks will show up as local increase in temperature. The workpiece is propped up on a couple of pieces of wood to decouple the vibration from the work surface.

Performing vibro-thermography on metal parts typically requires a very fast thermal camera. Fast in this context refers to the integration time of the detector as well as the frame rate of the camera. This is due to the heat conductivity of metals. Any small increase in temperature around the crack surfaces will dissipate within milliseconds.

Cracks covered by the ultrasonic transducer won’t be visible. There is a considerable amount of energy being coupled into the workpiece from the transducer. It is therefore normal to see the area around the transducer to warm up. This warm up is not indicative of a defect or crack, but rather the vibrations and resulting friction between the transducer and the workpiece.

Crack detection on turbine blade

Crack detection on turbine blade.

These two images show a Titanium turbine blade being inspected for cracks. Vibro-Thermography is a very useful method for crack detection. The turbine blade is placed on top of some wood and the ultrasonic transducer is wrapped in aluminum foil.

The image on the right has been artificially post-colored with a thermographic color palette. Cold regions appear in blue and warm regions in orange to bright yellow.

There are two cracks that are clearly visible. One big advantage of using Vibro-Thermography is that even complex-shaped parts can be inspected.

The standard non-destructive test method most commonly used in the industry is dye penetrant testing. For that method, it is required to brush a liquid dye onto the part and let it seep into possible crack surfaces. Then the part is being washed. The dye usually stays in the crack and starts to fluoresce when excited with a UV or black light. The drawback of this method is, that it is time-consuming and messy. Dye penetrant testing also cannot detect sub-surface or buried cracks, as there is no chance for the dye to penetrate into the crack.

Vibro-Thermography is better suited in this case, since it even detects near-surface, buried cracks. It can also detect micro-cracks. The thermal conductivity of the part makes the crack surface light up in the thermal camera image. It also enlarges the size due to the thermal bleed or blooming effect. The heat generated by the crack surface diffuses into the surrounding area of the material, thus enlarging the appearance of the crack size. This in turn helps with the detection of micro-cracks.

micro cracks in turbine blade

Micro cracks in a turbine blade.

This example shows a different kind of turbine blade. This blade had been previously inspected with the dye penetrant method. The cracks found are marked with “S” and some black lines.

After inspecting the same turbine blade with vibro-thermography, the actual level of defects and cracking became apparent. The color palette chosen for these two result images is a grayscale palette. Cracks show up as dark spots.

As can be seen in the result image – especially in the lower image – the turbine blade is riddled with sub-surface micro cracks. This level of cracking could have led to a catastrophic failure of the turbine engine, which would have gone unnoticed using only dye penetrant testing.

Do you have an application for crack detection in metals or other materials? MoviTHERM offers a feasibility study testing service. This allows you to prove this method before investing in a Vibro-Thermography System.

Contact us today for a free consultation!

Download Our Starter Guide

For Infrared NDT Systems

Infrared Non-destructive Testing Guide

Learn how Infrared NDT works
Learn what type of defects you can find
Learn how large of an area you can inspect
Learn how this method compliments UT inspections
Learn how to save valuable inspection time

MoviTHERM2025-02-17T16:33:30-08:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

Using Thermography For Battery Inspection

Using Infrared Thermography for Battery Inspection

Battery Inspection using Active Thermography becomes more important in order to stay competitive. Manufacturers of lithium-ion Batteries (LIB) are challenged with maximizing battery performance and minimizing costs to keep the adoption of LIB technology economically attractive.

From toothbrushes to automobiles, earbuds to mobile devices, and toys to semi-trucks, lithium-ion Battery technology is finding its way into just about everything. As such, the demand for battery materials, innovation in electrode design, improvements in manufacturing, and optimization of charge density are ever-increasing.

In this article, we discuss how active thermography and non-destructive testing (NDT) can be used for battery inspection at various stages of the manufacturing process to minimize electrode defects, optimize material usage, and ensure product quality.

Lithium-Ion Battery Anatomy

A lithium-ion battery consists of multiple parts with the cell acting as the primary component. The cell is the workhorse of the battery and is comprised of the following materials:

Current Collectors

The current collectors are the two battery ends with positive and negative connection points. These connections points are used for charging (power to) and discharging (power from) the battery.

Cathode

The cathode stores lithium and is the positive electrode made from a chemical compound metal oxide.

Anode

The anode stores lithium and is the negative electrode typically made from carbon.

Separator

The separator restricts the flow of electrons inside the battery but allows for lithium ions to pass back and forth from the cathode and anode electrodes.

Electrolyte

The electrolyte fills between the electrodes and carries the lithium ions from the anode and cathode during charge and discharge.

movitherm battery inspection anatomy

Battery Inspection Anatomy

Lithium-Ion Battery Operation

The operation of a lithium-ion battery is all about the back-and-forth movement of lithium ions between the cathode (+) and anode (-) electrodes. The ions move in one direction during charging (absorbing power) and in the opposite direction during discharge (supplying power). When the ions no longer flow the battery is either fully charged or discharged.

Charge Phase (Absorbing Power)

During the charge phase, with external power applied, lithium ions will migrate from the positive cathode to the negative anode through the separator and electrolyte. At the same time, electrons will flow from the cathode to the anode, however, unlike the lithium ions, the electrons cannot pass through the separator and take a different path around the outer circuit. Arriving at the anode, the electrons and ions combine. The battery is fully charged and ready to use when no more ions can flow.

movitherm battery inspection anatomy

Battery Inspection Anatomy

Discharge Phase (Power From)

During the discharge phase, the lithium atoms in the anode are ionized and separated from their electrons. The lithium ions migrate through the separator and electrolyte from the negative anode to the positive cathode. Simultaneously, the free electrons flow from the anode to the cathode electrode via the outer circuit, providing power to an external device like a laptop computer. The ions and electrons recombine at the cathode becoming electrically neutral. The battery is fully discharged when no more ions can flow and needs charging to supply power again.

movitherm battery inspection anatomy discharge

Battery Inspection Anatomy

Lithium-ion Battery Manufacturing Process

The following graphic illustrates the battery manufacturing process, which includes three major parts: electrode preparation, cell assembly, and battery electro chemistry activation.

movitherm battery inspection battery manufacturing

Battery Manufacturing Process

1. Slurry Preparation:

the active material (AM), conductive agent, and binder are mixed to form a uniform slurry with the solvent.

2. Coating and Drying:

The slurry is pumped into a slot die, coated on both sides of the current collector (Al foil for cathode and Cu foil for the anode), and delivered to drying equipment to evaporate the solvent.

3. Calendering:

The electrodes are compressed by driving through a two-cylinder press. This will help adjust the physical properties (bonding, conductivity, density, porosity, etc.) of the electrodes.

4. Cutting Electrodes:

The ﬁnished electrodes are stamped and slitted to the required dimension to ﬁt the cell design. The electrodes are then sent to the vacuum oven to remove the excess water.

5. Cell Assembly:

After the electrodes are well prepared, they are sent to the dry room with separators for cell production. The electrodes and separator are winded or stacked layer by layer to form the internal structure of a cell. The aluminum and copper tabs are welded on the cathode and anode current collector, respectively.

6. Electrolyte Filling & Formation:

The cell stack is then transferred to the designed enclosure. Manufacturers use a variety of packaging depending on the cell application. The enclosure is ﬁlled with electrolyte before the ﬁnal sealing and completes the cell production.

Battery / Electrode Performance

At a basic level, any factors that impact the travel of lithium-ions between the cathode and anode electrodes within a battery will impact performance of that battery. As such, the design, manufacturing, and operation of a battery should be to optimize ion and electron flow.

Within the manufacturing process there are instances when defects and flaws might be introduced into the battery product. For example, during the Coating & Drying step the forming electrodes become potentially susceptible to the following:

Uneven compound spread/thickness variation
Variation in carbon to polymer binder ratio
Scratches
Air bubbles/blisters

Other performance damaging factors can result from the introduction of contamination particles into the electrode foils. During coating, calendaring, and slitting electrode foils can be exposed to delaminated particles, abraded metallic particles, and dust from the production environment.

The introduction contaminants, defects, and flaws will adversely affect the ion / electron ability to travel within the electrochemical cell and thus reduce battery performance.

Active Thermography for Battery Inspection and Quality Control (QC)

IR Thermography has shown to be an effective non-destructive testing method for QC in multiple industries for various applications. The basic operation of an IR camera is based upon the heat transfer principle of radiation. The infrared camera has within it a focal plane array of detector elements that “see” infrared light radiated from object surfaces. The radiation captured by the infrared camera detector is digitized, converted to data, and displayed as an image that can be viewed in the visible spectrum. Certain infrared cameras are radiometrically calibrated to record and display measurement units. Infrared cameras are available with different sensors and pixel resolutions to see specific infrared wavebands.

movitherm battery inspection

Advanced Thermography for Battery Inspection and Quality Control (QC)

Flash Thermography for Battery Inspection

Battery Inspection using active Thermography involves the excitation of the target and has been found to be most effective in the detection of flaws and contaminants of battery electrodes. Flash IR thermography is a form of active thermography where the target is exposed to a flash of thermal energy and the subsequent change in surface temperature is monitored by an IR camera. A thermal wave signal sequence is acquired by a computer with real-time image signal processing and analysis revealing how the thermal energy passes from the surface to the interior of the target. If the target has voids or defects, the thermal conduction paths will be disrupted. These disruptions lead to temperature differences on the surface that are detected by IR thermography.

movitherm battery inspection ndt

Flash Thermography for Battery Inspection

In general, an increase in the temperature profile suggests the presence of contaminants and agglomerates, while a decrease in the temperature profile indicates pinholes and blisters.

Another Battery Inspection application uses active flash thermography directly following the cell assembly stage where anode and cathode electrodes are welded together, and arrester tabs are attached. Welds are critical since they determine internal contact resistance which impacts charging times, power output, and heat generation. Additionally, weld strength against wear and fatigue will determine the lifetime of the battery.

By analyzing the heat propagation through the weld with advanced thermography, determinations can be made about the weld structure and electric conductivity. In general, high thermal conductivity indicates good welds that are uniform with good penetration and positive current flow.

movitherm battery inspection performance detractors

Battery Performance Detractors

Conclusion

Battery Inspection and Monitoring electrodes, cells, and batteries along the production path can help identify faults and defects early, allowing for quick production condition adjustment. Identifying product quality issues closer to generation points will reduce scrap, improve product quality, and optimize production costs.

Active thermography has proven to be an effective inline NDT method for evaluating and diagnosing the production of lithium-ion batteries. It can be used to identify the introduction of contamination particles and the formation of defects during the electrode creation stages. Additionally, Battery Inspection using active thermography can be an effective tool for evaluating welds in cell creation and battery packing.

MoviTHERM2024-08-16T17:23:50-07:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

6 Things to Know Before Buying an EBT System

What You Need to Know Before Buying an Elevated Body Temperature Screening System

Elevated Body Temperature Screening

This article discusses six topics you need to know before buying a thermal camera. There are so many options out there, it can quickly can overwhelming. Especially when you have no background in using thermal cameras for elevated body temperature screening or “EBT”.

This “6 Things you need to know before buying a thermal camera for elevated body temperature screening” article and accompanying video is intended for readers that are in the research and decision making process. Which thermal camera screening solution is right for me?

I have witnessed about 30 new “solutions” and entire new companies enter the market, just in the past two month alone. There is so much misinformation out there and so many false claims, that I felt compelled to write this article and make this video. The COVID-19 crisis has brought out the best in people and unfortunately also the worst.

A lot of companies are currently investing significant sums of money into technology they do not understand the first thing about. A lot of vendors out there didn’t even know how a thermal camera worked two months ago and are now calling themselves experts.

Elevated body temperature screening (EBT) not only requires an in depth understanding about thermography, but also a solid understanding of physiological effects of the human body. In particular, how the body thermally regulates.

Visit our Youtube channel for more educational video content: https://www.youtube.com/user/movitherm

Some companies promote their solutions as “fever screening” cameras. This is a misleading statement, since no thermal camera has ever been cleared by the FDA for fever screening.

These cameras can merely detect a variation in skin surface temperature. My name is Markus Tarin, and I am the President & CEO of MoviTHERM – Advanced Thermography Solutions.

I have spent the past 20 years developing thermal imaging systems for industry and research. Never before have I seen such a frenzy and unethical business practices when it comes to thermal cameras being offered for elevated body temperature screening.

When I started to learn about thermal imaging technology, back in the 90s, it took a go six months to get a fundamental understanding about the infrared spectrum, heat radiation, conduction, convection, emissivity, reflectivity, transmissivity and all the other fancy physical effects that influence the accuracy of a thermographic measurement.

So I empathize with so many of you out there trying to make an “informed” purchase decision within a very short period of time. Many of you may not even have an engineering background, let alone the ability to interpret technical specifications of thermal cameras. Now add to this the complexity of human physiology and how the body’s thermoregulation may skew the results of an optical instrument used for temperature measurement.

The reality is that you won’t have enough time to properly understand enough about these subject matters to truly make an educated and sound decision. What you are left with, is often the marketing literature of the solution provider. And their whole purpose is to play into the panic and fear around this subject matter to sell you their solution.

I felt compelled to share my knowledge and help educate people on this topic. For that purpose, I have put together six topics and boiled them down to the essentials. Hopefully people will find some value in this. This article is not meant to be an exhaustive “training course” or white paper by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, it is meant to convey some basic concepts to separate the marketing hype from technical facts.

Topic# 1 – How does a Thermal Camera work?

A thermal camera captures the radiated infrared energy from the surface of a solid object. The captured energy is then mathematically converted to a temperature reading. The temperature reading of each pixel of the camera is then being associated with a color, representing a temperature.

The absolute accuracy of a thermal camera depends on many factors. Considering all factors (Emissivity, spatial resolution, detector and system noise, temperature drift etc.), the expected accuracy of these cameras is no better than ±2° Celsius or ±3.6 °Fahrenheit. It technically can’t be better, unless you are placing the thermal camera into a very tightly controlled thermal chamber under laboratory conditions.

This is due to the fact that the image detector in the camera, the lens and the electronics warm up and create a temperature drift. Without active temperature compensation, this drift is a large contributing factor to the achievable accuracy on these cameras. All the cameras that are being offered for elevated body temperature screening are based on microbolometer type detectors.

Micro-Bolometer Pixel

I have to get technical – sorry…

I have seen marketing literature lately, that claim a camera accuracy of +/- 0.5C without the use of an external black body i.e. calibrated temperature reference source. They back up the claim with the fact that the entire calibrated temperature range was optimized for human body temperature, rather than the typical 170C to 350C range of typical thermal cameras. It is true that using a smaller dynamic range potentially helps with accuracy. However, this also requires a higher degree of amplification. With amplification comes additional noise. If the detector has an NETD of 0.05k (50mK) at 30C. The best theoretical accuracy achievable is about 10 times NETD. So 0.05K x 10 = 0.5K or 0.5C, ignoring all other error sources. Typical dynamic ranges of microbolometer detectors require a 14bit analog to digital converter. So, in order to make use of the largely reduced dynamic range, one would have to amplify the signal from the detector. This will also amplify the detector noise and hence will affect the achievable accuracy negatively. None of this helps and none of this deals with the temperature drift problem.

Takeaway: Achieving an accuracy of 0.5C with a microbolometer detector based camera requires one of two things:

Active cooling and temperature control of the lens, the detector and signal electronics, which none of these have OR
Using a external temperature reference source (aka black body, that is stabilized to better than +/- 0.5C)

Topic# 2 – What can a Thermal Camera detect?

A thermal camera can only detect, measure and document the variations of skin surface temperatures.

It cannot detect or diagnose any of the following:

If somebody has a fever or not.
If somebody is sick or healthy.
If somebody has an infection of any kind.
If somebody is contagious or not.

A diagnostic decision can only be rendered by a healthcare professional, using other FDA approved methods (fever thermometer, blood test, viral tests etc.)

A thermal camera used for this application requires an FDA 510k clearance. With such a clearance, it can be used as an “adjunct” screening tool for skin surface temperature measurements. It shall never be used on its own to render any diagnostic decision.

Topic# 3 – How to properly measure elevated body temperature?

Body temperature is correlated closest at the inner canthus/tear duct.
Measuring skin surface temperatures anywhere else in the face, will not work properly.
Eye-wear will obstruct the tear ducts and must me removed
Person should be standing still at a fixed distance to the camera
The inner canthus should be covered by sufficient number of camera pixels to allow for an accurate measurement. (At a minimum 3 x 3 pixels, ideally more)

Topic# 4 – What camera pixel resolution do I need?

The tear duct area is about 5mm. We need at a minimum 3 pixels to cover that region for an accurate measurement.
5mm / 3 pixels = 1.6mm/pixel
Using a thermal camera with 320 pixels, we can capture an image size of 320 pixels x 1.6mm/pixel = 512 mm [~ 20 inches]
Using a camera with 160-pixel resolution, we are left with an image size of ~10 inches.
Therefore, pointing a camera into a crowd to detect elevated body temperature will not work.
Assuming an image size of 5 feet, it would require a thermal camera with >12 Megapixels and these do not exist.

Topic# 5 – Reference Black Body vs. Reference Population

There are two legitimate measurement setups available for elevated body temperature measurement.
One uses an external black body reference to increase the accuracy of the measurement to about ±0.5° Celsius or better.
The other one uses a relative comparison of skin surface temperatures (baseline group)
Both setups are valid and require a manual correction from time to time to account for external factors that are impacting the thermoregulation of the human body.
Thermoregulation is the ability of the human body to keep its inner core temperature stable.
Core body temperature is: 36.4–37.1 °C (97.5–98.8 °F)
The body will either try to conserve energy or try to get rid of excess energy to maintain its ideal core temperature.
This results in increased or decreased skin surface temperatures, as the skin is the
interface to the environment.

Topic# 6 – Which solution can I trust?

Be aware of “ambulance chasers”. More than 30 new solutions and companies have been created in the past two months.
Work only with reputable companies with a proven track record.
How long has the solution they are selling been on the market? Was it successfully used during previous pandemics, such as SARS & Swine Flu?
Be aware of false camera accuracy claims.
Be aware of fully automated systems.
Be aware of low-cost solutions.
Do not buy a solution that claims to be able to scan more than one person at a time. (Crowd scanning).
Be aware of false claims in marketing literature and websites.
(i.e. Fever detection, avoids spreading infection, any diagnostic claims, keeping you safe etc.)
Not all thermal cameras and solutions are created equal!

So, what is an example of a trust worthy solution?

FLIR A320 Tempscreen
Originally developed for previous pandemics, such as SARS, Swine Flu etc.
Installed thousands of times around the world at airports, public buildings etc.
Proven solution, tried and tested.
FDA 510k Clearance for skin surface temperature measurements.
Manufactured by the world’s largest manufacturer of thermal camera – FLIR Systems, Inc.

Would you like to discuss your concerns and questions with me personally? Then go to the Contact Us section and schedule a free consultation today!

MoviTHERM2025-02-17T16:30:06-08:00Thursday, March 21, 2024|Blog|

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