FLIR's Latest Cameras Are Wired for Sound, Ditching Thermal Imaging in Favor of Acoustics
Where its thermal imagers make invisible heat visible, the Si2-series acoustic imagers aim to do the same for sound.
FLIR, a company best known for its thermal imaging products, has announced the launch of new imagers that aim to make the invisible visible — spotting gas leaks and the like by their sound, and making their sources more easily detected.
"Increasing safety while avoiding costly failures is the aim of the new Si-Series," FLIR's Rob Milner says of the company's latest launch. "With the addition of three leading-edge models that scale up for professional use in a wide variety of situations, the new Si2-Series of cameras cement their position as the industry’s most complete, enterprise-ready solution.
"The highly capable FLIR Thermal Studio will also be upgraded to include gas-leak quantification, making data simple to record and easier to share via reports between users, cutting down the time to perform and record multiple site inspections."
That FLIR is synonymous with thermal imaging is obvious: its very name is derived from the forward-looking infrared (FLIR) thermal cameras it brought to market. Where thermal cameras make otherwise-invisible heat discernible to the eye, though, the company's acoustic imagers aim to do the same for sound — primarily as a way of easily and quickly locating gas leaks, though also with an electronic eye towards finding faulty bearings and damaged motors during machine inspection.
The new FLIR Si2 acoustic imaging cameras are split into three models. The Si2-PD is designed for partial discharge detection in power infrastructure inspections, offering an on-device severity assessment system to quantify detected problems. The Si2-LD targets leaks in pressurized systems and faults in manufacturing and other industrial devices. Finally, the Si2-Pro combines the features of both — offering pressurized leak detection, mechanical fault detection, and partial discharge detection with on-device severity assessment in a single unit.
The new acoustic imaging cameras are now available from FLIR, alongside the company's earlier first-generation models; pricing starts at $18,000 for the FLIR Si2-LD.