Argus Camera Applications
What firefighting applications can the Argus4 camera be used for?
- Assessing the fire scene
- Search and rescue
- Capturing vital forensic detail before it is destroyed
- Identifying the source and spread of fire
- Detecting hidden fires in cavity walls, floor and ceiling voids
- Training and assessing firefighting techniques
- Navigating through smoke filled areas
- Fire prevention surveys
- Examining containers storing hazardous or flammable materials.
What other applications can Argus thermal cameras be used for?
The list of areas in which a thermal camera is a useful measuring instrument grows longer every day.
This is also true for other equipment that uses IR technology. (IR is an abbreviation for infrared.
Infrared radiation is another name for thermal radiation.)
- Heat release in vehicles
Owing to friction, moving mechanical parts heat up. Thermal cameras evaluate how efficiently vehicle brakes, engine parts and suspension components are working. Many of the electrical systems in vehicles also give off heat, e.g. seat heating, and so can be checked for safe operation with a thermal camera.
- Heat loss in buildings
Poor insulation in a building is easy to identify. The differences in thermal radiation rapidly reveal the areas of heat loss
- Water penetration in structures
Penetration of water into the structure of a building can cause serious damage if the water freezes and as a result expands. Water that penetrates an aircraft freezes at high altitudes. After landing, areas with ice take longer to warm up than other areas. A thermal camera can detect these cold areas and so identify parts of the structure in need of sealing before damage occurs. Damage in concrete structures, for example buildings or bridges, can be identified in the same way.
The additional advantage of using a thermal camera is that water penetration can be detected without opening or destroying the structure. Furthermore, large structures can be quickly scanned.
- Leaking pipes and conduits
A leak in a pipe used for water-borne floor heating can be rapidly identified with a thermal camera. The same applies to leaks in pipes used for district heating.
A thermal camera mounted to a helicopter can also be used for checking whether there are any gas or fluid leaks in a pipeline.
- Troubleshooting of electronics
Electrical components on circuit boards give off heat. By searching for hot spots, it is possible to identify components that are overheating and are thus at risk of failing.
If it is known which components should get hot, this knowledge can be used in pinpointing the absence of heat, that is components that have stopped working, accelerating the process of fault finding.
- Even checking foodstuffs
After a foodstuff has been frozen, a specialised thermal camera can check for effective freezing by identifying any deviations in temperature.
