Thermal imaging in harsh conditions.

An industry-leading protection design for thermal imaging cameras without the compromise of a wire grid has been revealed by AMETEK Land. This new, proven, protective housing has been developed for thermal cameras in challenging installation conditions and offers many distinct benefits around optical clarity, temperature accuracy, improved efficiency and lower maintenance.

James Cross, AMETEK Land’s Global Industry Manager for Hydrocarbon Processing Industries, said: “By using the gridless concept on several installations, the AMETEK Land LWIR in EXSH housing has provided LAND’s famed crystal-clear images with highly accurate, sensitive, repeatable temperature data. End-users increasingly demand higher accuracy temperature values to achieve better yields, improved efficiency, and longer maintenance intervals, and we expect the demand for gridless housing designs to increase with it.”

Thermal imaging camera housings must meet impact test requirements, so a wire grid or mesh is typically installed in front of a germanium window, which acts as a protective layer to absorb and disperse impact energy.

Germanium windows are completely impermeable to ultraviolet and visible light, giving them a dark, metallic appearance to the naked eye. When it comes to the infrared range, it has an excellent, broad transmission range from 2-16 μm, making it an ideal candidate for mid-wave-infrared (MWIR) and long-wave-infrared (LWIR) applications.

LAND’s protective housing uses a germanium window, but without an additional wire grid, that still satisfies the Ex d impact test requirement. It also reduces exposure to high temperatures and corrosive, outdoor environments, and also ensures the thermal imaging camera is not a potential source of ignition.

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