Infrared thermography: a view from the USA

Thermography is enjoying widespread use around the world, including in the United States. A surge in the condition monitoring sector, in particular, is driven by the shrinking cost of infrared equipment on the one hand and, on the other, by a highly competitive industrial/commercial economy. Other strong influences are efforts by industrial and commercial insurance companies to understand more effectively and manage their risks by better utilising condition-based monitoring tools, including thermography.

This paper describes the situation in the United States with regard to both the evolution of imaging equipment and the current application of the technology. Issues that are hindering a more effective use of the technology are also discussed, including a failure to adopt meaningful training and certification standards, a lack of adequate inspection standards, and the constraints of working in an economic climate that is obsessed with short-term returns.