Ways to test the accuracy of your infrared thermometer
To produce the best product it is imperative that the right kind of tools should be used. Tools that are inaccurate and made of poor materials can result in the production of inferior products. Among the many tools used by business in the manufacture of products, infrared thermometer is amongst the most important. While manufacturing steel it is important to pay attention to temperature. Any wrong move can result in inconsistent production. Thus, businesses engaged in the manufacture of steel rely heavily on infrared thermometers. Infrared thermometer medical is also used in the healthcare industry on a wide scale. Below are mentioned a few ways whereby you can ascertain the accuracy of your infrared thermometer.
Use a trusted pyrometer to measure the accuracy
One of the best methods to tests the accuracy of your infrared thermometer is by using a trusted pyrometer. This step is not only helpful but simple and accurate. Many applications require the use of many pyrometers to gauge the measurement. Thus, if you want to test the accuracy of your new pyrometer, measure the exact area of the thermal energy with both the new as well as old pyrometer. This method will allow you check the accuracy of your new pyrometer and adjust its calibration to match the settings of the old one. However, in this method you need to act with caution as your old pyrometer should be absolutely accurate. Also keep in mind that each area of the thermal energy will have different temperatures. Therefore, for best results, measure the same area with both the pyrometers.
Use a blackbody to confirm accuracy
The accuracy of a pyrometer can also be gauged with the aid of a blackbody calibrator. A blackbody calibrator has a number of qualities. It is not only a good emitter but is also a diffuse emitter. This means that a blackbody not only produces a large amount of infrared energy for a particular temperature, but is also capable of radiating the exact amount of intensity in every direction. An empty cavity and a small target opening are the features of a blackbody calibrator. In the interior is located a radiation source which is in the shape of a tube. This in turn is embedded in a furnace or heat pipe. The laboratory blackbody’s temperature can be gauged with the aid of a pyrometer. Thus the pyrometer can be accurately calibrated because of the known value of the emissivity of the blackbody.
The blackbody calibrators are used by a large number of manufacturers to calibrate pyrometers. This enables them to sell accurate pyrometers to the customers. Nevertheless, blackbody calibrators have their own drawbacks. They are very costly and great skill is needed to operate them. Therefore rather than owning a blackbody, it is a much better to send the pyrometer to a shop which deals in blackbody calibrator. This will be a much affordable, convenient and time saving process.
Check the accuracy of an infrared thermometer with a thermocouple
To check the accuracy of your infrared thermometer you can also use a thermocouple. A thermocouple, which is used to measure temperature, is accurate and very easy to use. It is composed of two wires which are made of different metals. Both of these metals are fused at a particular junction. Whenever a change in temperature occurs, a voltage is created by the junction. Thus, In order to calculate the temperature, the thermocouple reference tables are used.
First using a thermocouple to measure an object’s temperature and then again measuring it with the aid of a pyrometer will provide greater accuracy. This will enable you to adjust the settings of the pyrometer in accordance with the measurements shown by the thermocouple. If you want to get an accurate measurement, it is essential that you measure the same area with both the thermocouple and the pyrometer.
Just like the blackbody, the thermocouple also has certain shortcomings. In comparison to a pyrometer, thermocouples are not very accurate and also witness a lot of wear and tear. Also when buying a thermocouple, check out the credible ones. Cheap thermocouples will save you a lot of money but they usually compromise on accuracy.
Bottomline
Since infrared thermometers are important accessories and are instrumental in the development of a product, it is important that they should be accurate and in pristine conditions. To avoid any hassles later on buy products from premium companies like Ethicon.