Thermographic Cameras

Regular CCD chip cameras have a NEAR InfraRed sensitivity around 800-900 nanometer (0.8-0.9 micron) wavelengths which may be intentionally blocked by a filter. Removing this filter will NOT give you the HEAT(LWIR) images you are looking for.

Although prices have come down over the last decade ($50K US to $10K US for 640x480 pixels) LWIR = Long Wave InfraRed imagers are still expensive because the imaging chip (bolometer array) and the lens (made from large pieces of Germanium) are very costly to manufacture.

Wavelengths here are DEEP InfraRed in the 7-15 micron region. Glass will NOT work in this range, hence the exotic Germanium optics. Significant signal processing power and thermo-electric COOLING of the bolometer array are required for good thermal sensitivity and accuracy. This adds even more cost. The cheapest ones I've seen are the portable 320x240 pixel thermal imagers for ~$5K US.

If you really need this kind of temperature data, a good thermal imager is worth the price!

A google search of "camera filter modification IR" and similar produced a number of photography sites covering the CCD IR filter modification, however for this sort of application I would think that even if you could modify a standard CCD camera it wouldn't have the resolution or repeatability needed to see subtle temperature differences.

If purchase is too expensive, your options are to either use thermocouples (not very ideal I know, but still a cheap option), or renting a thermal imaging camera.

http://www.techrentals.co.nz/Products_Catalogue.asp?ID=2

You may also be able to buy a cheap second-hand thermal imaging camera online.

Be very wary of IR thermometers as a cheaper alternative to a thermal imaging camera as they don't work well on shiny surfaces.

The shiny surface problem is a function of low emissivity and even good thermal imagers will give misleading results to untrained users.

Rental or lease of the expensive imagers was very common and is a very GOOD idea if you only need limited use. Our imager was a sales demo at less than half price (still $13K US). It was well worth this cost for its accuracy and resolution. Thermal analysis software provided critical lab data and an NTSC output allowed us to create some pretty awesome product demonstration videos.

Hi,

both FLIR and Jenoptik gave good results but pretty expensive.

Used one "Hughes Probeye" available at www.Helmut-Singer.de, maybe also useful to ask lasermotion.com. I got a lot of very good equipment from both of them.

RHABE