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Visual Inspections & Thermography

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You can’t see the forest because of all the trees.” Sometimes thermographers can’t see visible discrepancies for the thermal imagery.

Thermal imaging is a very powerful tool for detecting, displaying and recording thermal patterns across the surface of an object. With the high tech information that thermography provides, it’s often easy to overlook problems that are visually apparent. Taking some time to study your subjects and their surroundings can provide additional information that can aid in your analysis or even discover deficiencies that your thermal imager may not detect.

When performing an infrared inspection, be certain to visually inspect targets and their surroundings and:

• Note how nearby hot or cold objects may affect the inspected items
• Identify environmental conditions that may adversely affect infrared data
• Ascertain how target characteristics such as emittance will impact infrared analysis
• Look for signs of previous overheating such as discoloration, oxidation, or melting
• Correlate visual observations to the displayed thermal image

Lastly, many published standards and specifications require visual inspections be performed simultaneously with thermographic testing. Taking the time to visually inspect your subjects may improve your diagnoses and help to ensure that your inspections are compliant with industry standards.

Proper conduct of infrared inspections is one of the many topics covered in the all of Infraspection Institute’s Level I training courses. For course locations and dates or to learn more about our Distance Learning Program, visit call us at 609-239-4788 or visit us online at www.infraspection.com.