Seeing the invisible: Cooled VS. Uncooled thermal images

Engineer Manager Name: Jacky

Thermal imaging can be used to detect defects, provide assistance, make predictions and solve problems in a variety of industrial, commercial and military scenarios. Thermal imaging sensors "see" the heat radiated by objects (invisible to the human eye) and convert it into an image. All objects with a temperature above absolute zero generate heat energy. Radiated thermal energy covers part of the electromagnetic spectrum and increases with temperature.

Thermal imaging has a wide range of uses, from advanced research to defense and security, and even sports and leisure activities. There are currently two types of thermal imaging sensors on the market, cooled and uncooled. Both have the best products to pick from at MH.

How do you know if a cooled or uncooled imager is right for your needs? You first need to look at where and how the thermal camera will be used.

Cooled systems

Cooled thermal images are maintained at a very low temperature by a cooling system. The fact that they are cooled presents them from being “blinded” by their own infrared emissions. Each time the system starts up, it must be cooled. These cooled sensors are the most sensitive to tiny differences in temperature between objects in the scene being observed. Cooled imagers are often bulkier than uncooled imagers, but they offer very high image quality and are compatible with longer-range lenses.

Uncooled systems

Uncooled thermal imaging cameras are compact and do not need to be integrated into bulky and potentially heavy packages. They are especially suitable for mobile applications where weight is more important than image quality. MH uncooled thermal imaging products are much cheaper than their cooled counterparts such as 6100B, 900, good quality and reasonable price. MH uncooled thermal imaging sensors can offer some very significant advantages over other cooled imagers on the market. For ranges of 5 km or more, a cooled thermal imaging system may be more economical and better suited for the task. That's because uncooled cameras require bulky, expensive lenses to increase their range.

MH’s experts can help you choose the type of system that suits your needs. Please contact us in time to choose the most suitable thermal imaging product for you!

Engineer Manager Name: Jacky