applications

Infrared imaging technology provides real-time, nondestructive, non-contact analysis safely and quickly. Some current applications are listed below. Others have yet to be realized. If you have a problem you think infrared might help you solve, do not hesitate to contact us for free consultation and advice.

One of the primary applications of infrared imaging (and our specialty here at A1 Infrared) is the evaluation of industrial, institutional, commercial and residential electrical systems. It is a proven method of reducing downtime and energy costs while increasing safety, maintenance performance and ultimately, profits.

This is a failing line terminal on a 2 pole circuit breaker. As you can see from the visual image on the right, this problem was not visible in normal light and would have gone undiscovered until catastrophic failure occurred.

A hot load break elbow in an oil filled transformer. Note how much warmer it is than the elbow below it. Here again, the problem cannot be seen in the visual spectrum.

Infrared can identify problems in many types of mechanical systems such as bearings, belts, steam traps and boilers, as well as silos, tanks and cracking towers.

The white area in the infrared image of this processing tower indicates a possible problem situation.

The nature of environmental control makes infrared the ideal method finding heat loss/gain in structures as well as evaluating the performance of ductwork, insulation, and all types of cooling and heating systems.

Here we can see the roof of this house is quite warm, indicating inadequate insulation and subsequent heat loss. (We can also determine that the car on the right arrived first.)

With this image we can identify an area of inadequate ceiling insulation (black arrow) and cold air infiltrating at the top of the wall (yellow arrow).

Infrared is proven to be effective in identifying areas of moisture retention in both roofs, walls and some types of floors. The non-destructive nature of infrared imaging allows us to pinpoint problem areas without further damaging the structure.

Not only is infrared useful in evaluating vessel electrical systems, it is also effective in examining hull integrity both above and below the waterline. For more information on marine applications, please see the link on our links page.

Infrared is currently being used to help veterinarians diagnose and treat a wide variety of animals including livestock, pets, and cetaceans. Find out more on our links page.

Infrared is quickly coming into its' own as a medical diagnostic tool, most notably, as a highly effective, safer alternative to X-rays in the detection of breast cancer. Please see our links page for more information.

One of the first commercial applications for infrared was law enforcement. We have all seen the police chase videos from helicopter mounted infrared cameras on television and YouTube. Behind the scenes, infrared proves invaluable for night surveillance, locating grow operations and drug labs as well as search and rescue.
Many fire departments use infrared to locate victims in smoke filled buildings and confirm that all of the fire has been completely extinguished.

Infrared can be used to monitor temperature and air-flow in grain drying systems as well as evaluating bin and silo integrity. Aerial infrared surveys can be used to identify large areas of plant stress in fields help pinpoint drainage problems.