HIKMICRO THERMOGRAPHY CAMERA CALIBRATION SERVICES

1.    Do I Need a (Re-)Calibration?                    

Temperature is one of the most basic parameters found in the natural environment. Thermal imaging cameras are widely used in construction, electrical, chemical industries, etc. As the temperature is becoming the most measured parameter in industrial processes, ensuring proper calibration of machine maintenance is critical. All HIKMICRO thermal imagers will undergo strict temperature calibration before leaving the factory. This ensures the temperature measurement accuracy of the device when it reaches the hand of the user.

All measurement systems, including thermal imaging cameras, can drift over time.  Your camera can be recalibrated if it ever drifts outside of the accuracy specification or if your organization’s procedures require specific intervals for calibration.  Our Service Center offers calibration and maintenance for all of our products.

HIKMICRO's thermal camera calibration services can help you maintain your equipment and verify that it is operating according to factory specifications. With regular maintenance, you can ensure the reliable performance of your thermal imaging tools. You will be able to use calibrated equipment to identify thermal anomalies, complete accurate inspections, inspect equipment, document fault conditions, and ensure quality control.

HIKMICRO's Service Center has thermal imaging camera calibration and repair facilities for all HIKMICRO thermal imaging cameras and products. HIKMICRO's Quality Management System is ISO 9001:2008 certified. This applies to the entire company, including all service and calibration facilities. All HIKMICRO thermal imaging cameras can be fully calibrated. Our professionals can calibrate your thermal imaging camera and each calibration comes with a calibration certificate.

 

2.    What are the benefits of doing (Re-)calibration？    

•   Guarantee the accuracy of the measured temperature while ensuring the reliability of the instrument.

•   Reduce duplication of work and overall operating costs.

•   Reduce the chance of false passes and false failures, maintaining the quality of the results.

•   Obtain capability assurance to ensure the capability of the equipment meets international standards.

•   Maintain high quality, ensure equipment meets production control standards, and maintain global quality standards.

•   Minimize your risk by ensuring your equipment is professionally tested, avoiding the risk of product retesting and rework.

•   Increase your customer’s purchases, using regularly calibrated equipment will enhance your company's image and gain customer acceptance.

 

3.    Calibration Procedure                                         

①  Perform a complete appearance check and maintenance, including lens and screen.

②  Verify the internal connections and provide minor repairs as needed.

③  Verify the laser alignment function, when applicable.

④  Verify the battery health.

⑤  Verify the focus status.

⑥   Verify the functionality of the touch screen and buttons, when applicable.

⑦   Upgrade the firmware to the latest version.

⑧   Verify image uniformity.

⑨   Verify ambient temperature compensation as needed.

⑩   Verify the Wi-Fi, hotspot functionality, when applicable.

⑪   Verify the storage status.

⑫  Carry out Thermal & Optical Bi-spectrum image fusion calibration, when applicable.

⑬   Re-calibration to ensure temperature measurement accuracy meets factory specifications.

⑭   Calibrate temperature ranges up to +2,000 °C, when applicable.

⑮   Provide a calibration label with the next due date.

⑯   Provide a calibration certificate.

⑰   Provide a test report.

 

4.    How and Where Can I Get My Thermography Cameras Calibrated?  

Please contact your local distributor to fill out the Calibration Service Form and to receive instructions on how to ship your service order.

 

5.    List of Thermography Cameras to Calibrate 

Series	Model
HIKMICRO SP Series	SP60 SP60H
HIKMICRO G Series	G60 G40
HIKMICRO M Series	M30 M20 M20W M11 M11W M10
HIKMICRO Pocket Series	Pocket2 Pocket1
HIKMICRO B Series	B20 B10 B2L B1L
HIKMICRO E Series	E1L

 

6.    How are Thermography Cameras Calibrated in the Lab? 

The temperature measurement calibration of the HIKMICRO infrared thermal imager is based on the Stephen-Boltzmann law. Under the set environmental conditions, multiple high-emissivity and high-precision black bodies are used as the known temperature radiation reference source.

Black bodies have high emissivity, which means they radiate and absorb almost all electromagnetic radiation (an ideal black body has an emissivity of 1.0, completely absorbing and emitting all radiation). Therefore, temperature calibration of the thermal imager can be achieved by correlating the blackbody infrared radiation received by the thermal imager with a known temperature. According to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the total energy radiated per unit area and per unit time of a black body is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature of the black body. Due to the nonlinear relationship between infrared radiation energy and temperature, in order to calibrate the thermal imager, multiple temperature samples covering the entire temperature measurement range need to be selected and presented to the thermal imager continuously. Considering the influence of heat dissipation and temperature drift of the thermal imager itself, a series of black bodies are used to quickly complete the temperature measurement and calibration process in a short time. In the HIKMICRO temperature measurement calibration laboratory, multiple black bodies are placed in a circular arc, and the infrared thermal imager is placed on a rotatable worktable at the center of the circle and is connected to the automatic control center of the calibration system. The thermal imager is aimed at each blackbody in turn to obtain its radiation response signal. The calibration system correlates this signal to its temperature, performs a data fit, and generates a calibration response curve. This response curve will be stored in the camera's memory. In practical applications, the corresponding temperature degree can be calculated according to the received radiation response signal of the object. The temperature measurement calibration process ensures that the thermal imager meets the product temperature measurement accuracy specification.

 

7.    Can I (re-)calibrate a thermography camera myself?    

Because the calibration of a thermal imager is a very complex process, it needs to be calibrated in the laboratory using multiple black bodies. Therefore, it is not possible for individuals to calibrate a thermal imaging camera on the job site because the calibration values are stored in the non-volatile memory of the camera electronics and the end-user typically does not have access to this part of the camera. Due to the extensive requirements, thermal imaging cameras cannot be recalibrated by end-users and cameras need to be recalibrated in a specialized laboratory. This generally needs to be done by the original manufacturer. However, if you're concerned about your camera's inaccurate measurements, you can perform a simple check on-site without any expensive equipment.

 

8.    How can I check the performance of the thermography camera? 

We recommend that thermographers regularly check the temperature measurement function of the camera. This isn't a "calibration check" (it can only be done with a black body), but it can provide a quick and easy way for thermal imagers to determine if their camera is functioning properly and if further investigation of calibration is required.

Here we introduce two simple and fast ways to check the temperature measurement function, the temperature of ice water and boiling water, without any expensive equipment.

It should be noted that due to variations in altitude, atmospheric pressure, and water purity, the water method is not a completely accurate method and is not a substitute for regular blackbody calibration.

 

Method 1: Ice water

① Fill the glass with ice cubes and then with cold water.

② Stir the water and stir evenly after standing.

③ Point your HIKMICRO thermal imager towards the inside of the cup and set the ROI as the box (the box should not exceed the mouth of the cup).

④ Temperature reading should be 32°F ± 3.6°F (0°C ± 2°C). Document the differences and further calibrate your camera as needed.

 

Method 2: Boil water

① Boil a pot of water.

② Once the water boils, point your HIKMICRO thermal imager towards the inside of the pot and set the ROI to the box (the box should not go beyond the mouth of the pot).

③ The temperature reading should be 212°F ± 3.6°F (100°C ± 2°C). Document the differences and further calibrate your camera as needed.

[Note: The boiling point of water will change with the altitude, please confirm the boiling point temperature of water suitable for your altitude.]