Training and Equipment: Which First?
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Training and Equipment: Which First?
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Put the horse before the cart.” When it comes to thermography, many people put the cart in front of the proverbial horse by buying infrared equipment before obtaining proper training.
Purchasing the correct imager is a challenge for many reasons: initial purchase price can be costly, no imager is capable of performing all applications, imager performance varies widely, and available specifications are frequently exaggerated.
Further compounding this challenge is that many manufacturers offer “free training courses” as sales incentives to purchasers of new equipment. Frequently these free courses are taught by inexperienced/unqualified instructors, are introductory in nature, and are designed as operator courses for the subject equipment omitting important theory or applications. Because these courses are taught after equipment is delivered, inexperienced purchasers lack the knowledge required to make an informed decision when selecting new equipment.
In order to properly select and specify infrared equipment, buyers should put the horse before the cart by receiving quality certification training from an independent institute prior to equipment purchase. For new users, training should include infrared theory and heat transfer concepts, equipment selection and operation, image capture and analysis, standards compliance, applications-specific inspection techniques, documentation of findings, and temperature measurement techniques.
Infraspection Institute offers Level I, II, and III training and certification for thermographers worldwide. Our cutting-edge infrared training courses are taught by highly-experienced thermographers in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere without marketing hype. For more information call 609-239-4788 or visit us at www.infraspection.com.
