1. Thermal Imaging
  2. Applications
  3. Spectral Thermography

Spec­tral Infrared Ther­mo­graphy

Spectral thermography provides material specific precision measurements

  • Concentrate measurements on highly emissive or transmissive spectral ranges

  • Thermography on glass and through glass as well as temperature measurements through gases or even gas flames with spectral filters

  • Detection of various gases

  • Recording of temperatures and characterization of large-scale flames

  • Filters close to the detector of the infrared camera avoid warm aperture effects

Spectral thermography - Applied combustion
Spectral thermography - Applied combustion
spectral thermography through glas
On-glass-measurement of lamps
0 | 4
Through-glass measurement with infrared thermal imaging

Meas­ure­ment in Ranges with High Emissivity Reduce Meas­ure­ment Error

Emissivity values of materials greatly vary throughout the infrared spectrum. Concentrating the thermographic measurements on spectral ranges with an explicitly high or low emissivity can lead to detection of special effects. Spectral filters integrated in infrared camera systems allow the distinct transmission or blocking of radiation of selected IR ranges with the object’s high emissivity or high transmission. Thus, disturbing background radiation can be minimized and measurement errors reduced.

Users, who choose dedicated filter parameters, can e.g., measure and inspect the inside wall of a furnace whilst the burning gas is not detected due to the used filter – a typical measurement through gas. Another setting of the filter parameters can reduce the effect of the background radiation when measuring thin plastic foils to really measure the foil temperature itself.

thermal imaging of a lamp with a through-glass filter

Meas­ure­ment of Ranges with High Trans­mis­sion

Concentrating on spectral ranges at which the transmission of the material is especially high allow for doing thermographic measurements of objects behind the material. The filament of a lamp can be measured without being influenced by the manifold colder glass of the lamp. The same holds true measuring objects behind flames.

Asso­ci­ated Ther­mo­graphic Auto­ma­tion Solu­tions

Automation InfraTec INDU-SCAN - In-process industrial temperature measurement
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Process Control – INDU-SCAN

Contactless measurement of temperature distributions and profiles with industrial thermographic cameras permits efficient monitoring and control of temperature-dependent processes and procedures within a system-integrated quality assurance programme in industry.

Quality Assurance for Coating Processes | InfraTec / Picture Credits: © iStock.com / Greppe
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Quality Assurance for the Coating of different Materials | InfraTec

Infrared cameras allow the non-destructive and process-synchronous monitoring of coating processes to ensure that the coatings are free of defects as soon as they are applied.

PV-LIT test solution for solar cells
Non-destructive Testing

Photovoltaic Test System – PV-LIT

Get advantages in costing and quality by non-contact thermographic testing of your solar cells and PV-modules.

Automation InfraTec INDU-SCAN - In-process industrial temperature measurement
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Process Control – INDU-SCAN

Contactless measurement of temperature distributions and profiles with industrial thermographic cameras permits efficient monitoring and control of temperature-dependent processes and procedures within a system-integrated quality assurance programme in industry.

Quality Assurance for Coating Processes | InfraTec / Picture Credits: © iStock.com / Greppe
Indus­trial Auto­ma­tion

Quality Assurance for the Coating of different Materials | InfraTec

Infrared cameras allow the non-destructive and process-synchronous monitoring of coating processes to ensure that the coatings are free of defects as soon as they are applied.

PV-LIT test solution for solar cells
Non-destructive Testing

Photovoltaic Test System – PV-LIT

Get advantages in costing and quality by non-contact thermographic testing of your solar cells and PV-modules.

Advant­ages of this Ther­mo­graphy Solu­tions in this Applic­a­tion

InfraTec glossary - Rotating filter- und aperture wheel

Separate Filter & Aper­ture Wheel – Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy

The combination of a separate filter and aperture wheel, allowing a total of 35 freely selectable combinations, is prerequisite for an universal application in measurement tasks with high object temperatures and in the field of spectral thermography. The neutral density filters used for signal attenuation or the combination of spectral filters and apertures reliably prevent interference effects.

Thermal image during ignition of an airbag  Image Small

Window Mode (Subwin­dowing) – Capture of Rapid Sequences

The thermal imaging camera can be operated in full, half, quarter and sub mode. With the camera control software, it is possible to use the extended subwindowing function. Using click-and-drag, freely definable sections can be set up quickly and conveniently. A defined sub-frame of the detector is picked out to achieve these extremely high refresh rates.

InfraTec Service - thermography lenses

High‐performance Full Optics

High quality precision lenses allow the adaptation of the image geometry to almost every measuring situation. Its performance parameters are calibrated with respect to functionality, quality and flexible application. Due to proper IR-transparent lens materials and high-precision antireflexion coating, the lenses are optimised for different spectral ranges.

Thermography with ImageIR series - HDR feature - Picture credits: © iStock.com / Vershinin M

HDR – Simultaneous Mapping of Wide Temperature Ranges

The High Dynamic Range (HDR) function of the Infrared ImageIR® camera series enables measurement scenarios with extremely different temperatures to be recorded continuously. When recording in HDR mode, multiple thermograms with different integration times and different filters are recorded quickly in succession and compiled into an overall image with a high dynamic range. The measuring range can span up to 1,500 K. Users obtain high-contrast images in a wide temperature range characterized by high measurement accuracy.

Thermografie-Kameraserie ImageIR® mit neuer 10 GigE-Schnittstelle

10 GigE Inter­face for a Strong Increase in Output

The 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface of the high-end camera series ImageIR® opens this extremely fast transmission standard with a NIC specially developed by InfraTec. This works with optical or electrical transceiver modules that are easy to change and are called SFP+.

InfraTec thermography - Thermal resolution

Thermal Resol­u­tion – Determ­in­a­tion of Differ­ences of Only a Few Millikelvin

For detection of small temperature changes InfraTec's infrared cameras offer thermal resolutions up to < 15 mK in real-time operation. By using the Lock-in Thermography method it is possible to further increase this resolution significantly. For this purpose test objects are periodically excited and non-destructively examined for defects and irregularities.

InfraTec glossary - Rotating filter- und aperture wheel

Separate Filter & Aper­ture Wheel – Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy

The combination of a separate filter and aperture wheel, allowing a total of 35 freely selectable combinations, is prerequisite for an universal application in measurement tasks with high object temperatures and in the field of spectral thermography. The neutral density filters used for signal attenuation or the combination of spectral filters and apertures reliably prevent interference effects.

Thermal image during ignition of an airbag  Image Small

Window Mode (Subwin­dowing) – Capture of Rapid Sequences

The thermal imaging camera can be operated in full, half, quarter and sub mode. With the camera control software, it is possible to use the extended subwindowing function. Using click-and-drag, freely definable sections can be set up quickly and conveniently. A defined sub-frame of the detector is picked out to achieve these extremely high refresh rates.

InfraTec Service - thermography lenses

High‐performance Full Optics

High quality precision lenses allow the adaptation of the image geometry to almost every measuring situation. Its performance parameters are calibrated with respect to functionality, quality and flexible application. Due to proper IR-transparent lens materials and high-precision antireflexion coating, the lenses are optimised for different spectral ranges.

Thermography with ImageIR series - HDR feature - Picture credits: © iStock.com / Vershinin M

HDR – Simultaneous Mapping of Wide Temperature Ranges

The High Dynamic Range (HDR) function of the Infrared ImageIR® camera series enables measurement scenarios with extremely different temperatures to be recorded continuously. When recording in HDR mode, multiple thermograms with different integration times and different filters are recorded quickly in succession and compiled into an overall image with a high dynamic range. The measuring range can span up to 1,500 K. Users obtain high-contrast images in a wide temperature range characterized by high measurement accuracy.

Thermografie-Kameraserie ImageIR® mit neuer 10 GigE-Schnittstelle

10 GigE Inter­face for a Strong Increase in Output

The 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface of the high-end camera series ImageIR® opens this extremely fast transmission standard with a NIC specially developed by InfraTec. This works with optical or electrical transceiver modules that are easy to change and are called SFP+.

InfraTec thermography - Thermal resolution

Thermal Resol­u­tion – Determ­in­a­tion of Differ­ences of Only a Few Millikelvin

For detection of small temperature changes InfraTec's infrared cameras offer thermal resolutions up to < 15 mK in real-time operation. By using the Lock-in Thermography method it is possible to further increase this resolution significantly. For this purpose test objects are periodically excited and non-destructively examined for defects and irregularities.

Contact to thermography division of InfraTec

Would You Like to Know More?

It is not unusual for tasks to be associated with special requirements. Discuss your specific application needs with our specialists, receive further technical information or learn more about our additional services.

United Kingdom & Irland
InfraTec GmbH Infrarotsensorik und MesstechnikGostritzer Straße 61 - 6301217 DresdenGERMANY
InfraTec glossary - Rotating filter- und aperture wheel
Spectral infrared thermal imaging to monitor the film production

Wide Range of Spec­tral Filters for Mounting Close to the Detector

InfraTec offers a wide range of special spectral filters for thermographic measurement of the most different materials and applications. Those filters can also be customized. Both the infared camera systems of the ImageIR ® series as well as the long-wave uncooled VarioCAM ® hr head cameras provide facilities for a mounting close to the detector within a filter wheel or a filter slider. The filter wheel of the ImageIR ® models is especially convenient as filters can be changed remotely controlled and motorized. Warm aperture effects caused by a filter position in front of the lens and resulting in possibly big measurement errors can be avoided by such positioning close to the detector being possible in infrared camera systems of InfraTec.

Applic­a­tions of Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy

Besides the "on-glass" and "through-glass" measurement exists a number of other applications in different industrial sectors as well as in the field of research and development:

  • IR-reflectography
    IR-reflectography is used for the detection of lower painting layers due to its spectral behaviour (upper layer transmissive, lower drawings reflective).

  • Humidity detection
    With the help of humidity detection, for example for the analysis of building materials in case of claims, the spectral absorption factor of water band is defined.

  • Leakage
    Another interesting application is the detection of leakages on tanks using IR-detectable gases. A suitable and available gas is CO2, having a strong absorption band at 4,25 μm. A tempered background helps to recognize the leaving gas flow.

  • Temperature measurement of flames
    Temperature of flames can be estimated by measuring selectively within the absorption band of CO2 at 4.25 μm. Thermography at objects behind the flame is possible using the spectral range of (3.75 … 4) μm (for example furnace walls or pipes).

  • Film extrusion process
    IR-reflectography is used for the detection of lower painting layers due to its spectral behaviour (upper layer transmissive, lower drawings reflective).

Asso­ci­ated Indus­tries & Applic­a­tions

thermal imaging for automotive applications

Auto­motive Industry

Infrared camera systems help you to secure a high product quality in production and at your suppliers.

thermography for aerial photography

Aerial Ther­mo­graphy

Detect persons and objects in the field or monitor wide-area geologic properties or environmental damages.

All branches and application areas

Public­a­tions by our Customers

Infrared Cameras for Spec­tral Ther­mo­graphy Applic­a­tions

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 8300 hs

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeT2SLS or InSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9400 hp

Image Format(2,560 x 2,048) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
System Cameras

ImageIR® 9100

Image Format(1,280 x 1,024) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInGaAs

InfraTec Infrared camera
System Cameras

ImageIR® 8100

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInGaAs

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9500

Image Format(2,560 x 1,440) IR-Pixel
Detector typeMCT

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9400 hs

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 9300

Image Format(1,280 x 1,024) IR-Pixel
Detector typeInSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 7300

Image Format(640 x 512) IR-Pixel
Detector typeMCT or InSb

InfraTec Infrared camera
High-end Cameras

ImageIR® 8300 hp

Image Format(1,280 x 1,024) IR-Pixel
Detector typeMCT or InSb