1. What is the Infrared Thermometer?
From heavy industry, to baking, to the medical field, infrared
thermometers are everywhere. Despite their prevalence, few people---
even those who use them on a daily basis---understand what they are or
how they work. Understanding how thermometers eschewed mercury in
favor of infrared detection can give you an idea of the direction our
technology, and our society, is going
Temperature can be measured in a number of different ways, and the
infrared thermometer does it by analyzing infrared radiation that comes
off of an object. Nearly every object emits infrared radiation, which
makes these thermometers great for accurately measuring temperature. In
an increasingly digital and accurate world, the use of infrared
thermometers is becoming as commonplace as the use of light bulbs.
In general, infrared thermometers use a series of lenses to collect infrared
light---energetic light that is often associated with heat. The infrared light
is detected by sensors in the body of the thermometer and measured.
Factoring in the ambient temperature and reading the differences, the
thermometer produces a digital readout of the temperature of the object in
either Celsius or Fahrenheit, depending on the model or preference of the
user.
2. In the increasingly sophisticated world of manufacturing, some materials
are heated or cooled in tightly controlled conditions, making conventional
monitoring difficult, if not impossible. Because the infrared thermometer
does not need to touch the object and calculates temperatures in seconds,
it has become indispensable in the manufacture of plastics, metals and
ceramics.
As the technology that makes infrared thermometers becomes cheaper,
some interesting adaptations have taken place. For instance, Nuevo Vivo
has produced a handheld wine temperature thermometer for the wine
enthusiast to ensure their favorite vintage is served at the proper
temperature. Haymaker has taken this one step further, incorporating the
infrared thermometer into the handle of a wine key or corkscrew.
Jacob Fadden is credited with turning infrared thermometer technology to
medical use when he invented the infrared ear thermometer. Fadden
would later adapt these "point and shoot" thermometers for veterinary use
as well. Basically, the handheld device has an even more limited range of
detectable temperatures than the cooking version, allowing it to very
precisely and very accurately note the temperature of a person by
measuring the infrared energy given off through the ear canal, a more
3. reliable and less manipulatable area to take the temperature.
A smaller version of the industrial thermometer, the cooking infrared
thermometer sometimes uses a laser beam to detect the temperature.
Because heat bends light, the diversion of the laser beam will tell the on-
board computer how hot a cooked item is, usually to within a fraction of a
degree. The advantage of the infrared thermometer is that it does not
pierce the surface of the object being cooked and can be used quickly,
allowing for more even baking or cooking.
IR thermometers are used to measure the temperatures of very hot
objects, objects in hard-to-reach places, hazardous materials and in food
manufacturing to monitor the temperature of frozen and hot foods. Use
the laser sight to focus on the object being measured. For an accurate
temperature reading, the object being measured should fill the field of
view of the IR thermometer. The black tape should be allowed to come to
the ambient temperature of the object before a reading is taken. Use the
black tape as the target for the temperature reading. For liquid objects,
just stir the liquid and then take the temperature reading. IR thermometers
work at room temperature and in very cold environments.
