SWIR Thermography

High-temperature thermography using Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras is a powerful technique for imaging and analyzing thermal emissions from objects above 100°C. These cameras operate in the 0.9 to 1.7 micron wavelength range, where radiation from high-temperature sources becomes detectable. This capability makes InGaAs cameras valuable tools in industrial environments requiring precise thermal monitoring and analysis.

Applications of SWIR thermography include industrial furnace monitoring, where maintaining optimal operating temperatures is critical for safety and efficiency; hot-end glass bottle inspection, where thermal consistency ensures product quality; and the detection of slag impurities in molten metals, which is essential for maintaining material purity in metallurgy.

Thermography, broadly defined as infrared imaging of thermal radiation, spans the 0.9 to 14 micron spectrum. However, SWIR thermography focuses on shorter wavelengths, enabling the imaging of extremely high-temperature targets with high contrast and detail. As the temperature of an object increases, its thermal emission becomes stronger and shifts toward shorter wavelengths, making SWIR ideal for capturing these emissions with clarity.

Unlike longer-wavelength thermal cameras, SWIR cameras like Sensors Unlimited’s SU320MX offer additional benefits, such as high resolution, rapid imaging speed, and the ability to operate in environments with ambient light. InGaAs cameras can successfully image blackbody sources and thermal targets from 100°C up to and exceeding 1600°C, making them indispensable for process control, materials evaluation, and defect detection in harsh industrial settings.