Efficient development processes and fast troubleshooting
in research and development

Do you know everything you can measure with a thermal imager in the research and development field?

A highly sensitive thermal imager enables

  • Targeted detection of predetermined breaking points
  • Determination of thermal anomalies in real time and monitoring of cooling and heating processes
  • Performance of safety checks on electrical components
  • Analysis of heat development and dissipation on circuit boards and optimization of development processes
     

Find out more about how thermal imagers from Testo can support you with thermally demanding development tasks.

Analyzing and optimizing

Thermographic recording of circuit boards
Thermal image of a circuit board

Electronic components on circuit boards are getting smaller and smaller and more and more closely packed together. This means heat dissipation requirements are rising. How to save time and resources in development using a thermal imager from Testo:

  • Precise visualization of the smallest temperature distributions thanks to the minimum focusing distance of 10 cm
  • Fast and easy analysis of the relationship between hot spots and heat dissipation
  • Optimization of heat dissipation

Evaluating thermal processes

Thermal image LED
Thermal image LED

A multi-point measurement does not suffice for the investigation of thermal processes such as the heating and cooling behaviour of LEDs. Thermal imagers with fully radiometric video measurement analyze temperatures as a time progression. How it works:

  • The imager records sequences and videos of thermal images.
  • All temperature readings are available at any given moment during the process and can be analyzed retrospectively.

Excerpt: Tech sheets

Temperature accuracy tech sheet

Did you already know that the testo 885 and testo 890 thermal imagers have one of the best temperature accuracies on the market?

You can find out about all the technical background in the tech sheet:

  • What characterizes high temperature accuracy?
  • What does a good sensor have to be capable of?
  • What role does adjustment play?
  • How can measurement data be precisely analyzed using LabVIEW?

Reference report: Checking helicopter rotor gears in research and development with the testo 890 thermal imager.

Reference report preview
  • Thermal anomalies on gear wheels, bearings and shafts indicate a need for optimization in terms of design.
  • Long-term recordings with different mechanical loads enable conclusions to be drawn about reliability and service life.
  • Thanks to compatibility with LabVIEW, the image data can be processed using the programming software used at the Institute and saved in a structured way.

Here you can find out why the testo 890 has become an indispensable testing and measuring instrument for the scientists in other respects too.

Rotor gears transmit power from the drive to the rotor and are therefore exposed to extreme mechanical stresses. Scientists from the Technical University of Vienna use the testo 890 thermal imager for numerous testing and optimization tasks.

Thermal decoupling of components

Thermal image insulation
Thermal image insulation

Components subject to significant heating and temperature-sensitive components are often located close together in large assemblies. To prevent sensitive components from overheating, individual components or whole areas have to be thermally decoupled. How a thermal imager will support you:

  • Measurement of heat distribution and analysis with the testo IRSoft thermography software
  • Checking of tests and analyses with different insulation materials
  • Optimum layout of insulation and avoidance of unnecessarily high unit costs
  • Fast troubleshooting if the thermal decoupling is not working
  • Development of efficient solutions for cooling components

Developing mechanical components

Thermographic imaging of mechanical components
Thermal image mechanical component

Excessive temperatures in the mechanics can have a negative impact on components. There is thus a focus on heat development in research and development involving mechanical components or whole assemblies. How a thermal imager will support you:

  • Visualization of thermal anomalies in real time and fast identification of the cause (e.g. friction)
  • Analysis of heat transmission within assemblies or at components

Application example: Quality assurance in electronics

Quality assurance application example preview

The heat development of electronic components on a circuit board can affect the function of adjacent assemblies and even lead to the malfunction of the whole circuit. The testo 885 and testo 890 thermal imagers enable 

  • Detailed investigation of small components and fine structures in terms of their thermal behaviour
  • Monitoring heat development over longer periods of time and in different load conditions
  • Easy and comprehensive analysis and documentation of thermal processes using testo IRSoft
Find out here how the testo 885 and testo 890 can enhance analyses in quality assurance and accelerate optimization processes.

Application example: Accelerating research and development

Thermal processes application example preview

Research and development departments have to design products and ensure their market readiness in shorter and shorter timescales. To do this, problem areas must be detected at an early stage, comprehensively analyzed and effectively optimized. The testo 885 and testo 890 thermal imagers enable

  • Visualization and investigation of fine structures and heat differences
  • Recording and analysis of thermal processes over longer periods of time 
  • Transfer of measuring values from the thermal images to temperature-time diagrams and exporting them as images or Excel files
Here you can find out how testing and development processes can be significantly accelerated with the testo 885 and testo 890.