I cant' be of much help as I've never used any of these systems to discover overheated connections. The systems, like those provided by Omega, boast an accracy of about 1 degree C. This should be fine for line-of-sight instances. But for connections inside panels something like the glass covers mentioned by lynnbr2 might work.
Incidentally, the link to ElectroPhysics didn't mention anything about glass covers.
The thermal system explained by lynnbr2 is a good approach. There are inexpensive point and click systems that use a laser beam to determine the emissivity at a particular wavelength, and then a thermal sensor to measure the emission near that wavelength. These hand held systems are sold for consumers for use in kitchens for measuring the temperature of a pot, or a roast, or a pot roast... But when using a thermal approach one must have the circuit under significant power.
Great idea @lynnbr2. Anything that makes safety reviews and maintenance easier increases the likelihood that it will be performed. I like the idea of IR friendly glass which not only makes the checks easier, in many cases it means the checks do not require a process shutdown.
There is now IR-friendly glass that can be added to any cabinet to create a viewport so that the internal circuitry can be imaged by the thermal camera without opening the cabinet.
This is especially handy on Motor Control Centers that employ and interlock on the door. However, because of the increased engineering req'd and subsequent addt'l BoM cost, they are not common.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
