They are widely used in the steel and glass industries, where product temperatures are very high and it is necessary to determine the temperature of material in motion. Infrared thermometers are the second largest component of the worldwide infrared market. These thermometers detect the infrared energy emitted by objects and materials, and use this value to measure temperature. What is unique about infrared thermometers is their ability to determine the temperature of an object without making physical contact with it. They are widely used to measure objects at very high temperature, and objects in motion.
Infrared thermometers come in both portable and fixed models.
Examples of applications for portable models include measuring the temperature of automobile engines, tires, concrete, steam traps, furnaces, and plastic materials. Fixed infrared thermometers are used to measure the temperature of materials in a fixed location, such as a process control loop. Fixed thermometers, which are also called online thermometers, are available in a variety of body formats, operating wavelengths, and output signals. Materials that are extremely hot, moving, or inaccessible are ideal candidates for fixed infrared thermometers. Infrared thermometers for firefighting applications, also called firefighting cameras, are the fastest growing segment of the infrared market.