How do you make sure you invest your hard earned money in the right kind of technology? You trust the market leaders of course. That’s vital if you’re looking for thermal imaging units. You need state of the art technology if you want accurate results for such intricate work, right?
That’s why we looked into Fluke’s range of thermal imagers. This brand has been around for quite a while. The question is whether they kept up with the latest tech developments. Read on to find out and see if your next thermal imager can be found in their unique range. We also put together a list of the best budget thermal cameras if price is your number one priority.
Fluke History:
There’s no question that Fluke has experience in today’s market. After seven decades one can trust the experience provides the company with insight to manufacture some of the best items on the market.
Fluke was started in 1948 by John Fluke although the company was only founded in 1953. It became prominent in the market of electrical metering and calibration equipment. Its values led it to have a share of $150 million in a $6 billion market. These values include:
These values drive the company today.
Fluke has undergone many changes and expanded its activities over the years. Today it’s a subsidiary of Fortive Corporation. As part of this entity Fluke is a multi national company with manufacturing sites in three different continents. Its authorized distributor and manufacturer representative channels are in more than 100 countries.
What does all this tell you? Fluke has the expertise and market insight to produce quality products, as well as the resources to make them some of the best in the world.
Since 2008 Fluke used this background and resources to develop even more products in diverse technological fields. Some of the newer products are thermal imaging units and below you’ll see some of their best.
Applications:
But why is this such a popular field and why should you take notice? Chances are you don’t know yet how one of the models below can make your life easier. This applies to personal use, as well as a variety of industrial applications.
Firstly, you should know what thermal imaging is and makes possible. The machines use systems based on the science of infra-red technology. Objects you aim a thermal imager at will reflect the infra red light. This relates to the amount of heat an object radiates which is usually more than the environment around it.
The camera analyzes and converts this data into an image for you to see. This can make a scene with very low visibility—such as in darkness, during fog or when there’s smoke—become exponentially clearer.
Now imagine how one of these tools can help you in these situations:
- To help security personnel or the police view details about a scene before taking action.
- To enhance security equipment as thermal imagers can be added to CCTV infrastructures. There will be much more detail so security teams can take action sooner or have proof of intruders after a security breach.
- Detection of heat behind paneling or inside walls can help you detect water leaks (water loses heat slower than the surrounds) or power surges. The latter can help you determine where an electrical infrastructure needs maintenance and these features are helpful in many industries:
- HVAC
- Building maintenance
- Mechanical problem analysis
- Electrical work
- The science can help wildlife institutions identify animals at night or help hunters see their targets.
The science can be applied in many ways and the specific design determines where & how you’ll get the most use of your thermal imager. Below we look at some of the best Fluke designs that are usually used for building maintenance.
Best Fluke Thermal Imagers
Best Mid Range - FLUKE TIS10 and TIS20
The TIS10 and TIS20 are practically designed for inspecting any building. Each has a sturdy handle to angle it towards the piece of wall or roof you think may have a problem. You simply point and shoot so it’s remarkably easy to use.
The unit incorporates a camera too which means you can capture images to share with others. This makes it practical for the professional arena where building inspectors may have to compile reports.
Sharing is made super easy thanks to Fluke’s Connect technology. This connects you via an app and you can even email images while still on site. Your team can view images in real time.
For the one holding the device there’s a 3.5” LCD display which is large enough to see necessary details. With an 80x60 resolution, images are reasonably clear on the TIS10. If you require better, which is often the case in professional applications, the TIS20’s 120x90 resolution should suffice.
Alternatively, you can store images easily thanks to the 4GB SD card, or use the 4GB internal memory.
It’s not cheap, but with the range of applications and the problems its images can prevent from happening, it’s a worthwhile investment.
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