An intrinsically safe thermal imager for Zone 1 environments

CorDEX's TC7000 is ATEX and IECEx certified for Zone 1 IIC T4. Very low voltage and current are implicit in its high safety rating, and this has been achieved without any compromise on performance. The company has considerable experience in designing and building hand-held NDT equipment for hazardous area operation and all this know-how is invested in this product.

It contains every feature for the professional thermographer, including a colour 3.2" backlit LCD display, intuitive joystick navigation and an ATM-style keypad for quick and easy access to shortcuts. The high resolution, 320 × 240 uncooled detector ensures the smallest thermal problems are visible within the wide temperature measurement range of -20degC to +600degC.

An articulating lens of the TC7000 is important for several reasons. As well as improving ergonomics, it allows the lens unit to be adjusted to reduce glare when the camera is used outside. It also enables the lens to be protected in transit, when the thermographer may be climbing ladders or working in difficult access areas.

Ruggedness is a natural by-product of the camera's design, it is therefore suitable for tough industrial environments. The camera case is shock and drop tested to IEC EN60079-11 and a neck/wrist strap is supplied for safe, single-handed operation. A compartment in the handgrip holds three standard AA batteries that allow up to 8h of continuous operation.

Another key advantage of the TC7000 is the inclusion of a 13.5MHz RFID tag scanner. This allows all images with embedded measurements and voice annotations to be auto-linked to a location.

The 10Gb onboard memory provides ample image storage; images are downloaded to a PC via USB. CorDEX CONNECT reporting and predictive maintenance software allows a complete picture of each location to be built up, trends plotted and an intelligent predictive maintenance schedule to be established. The TC7000 is fully compatible with the CorDEX Instruments' IW Series of intelligent IR windows with RFID technology and dynamic image correction. The combination substantially reduces potential of error and reduces inspection costs.

Those in the petrochemical industry will be very familiar with Zone 1 environments. For this sector the TC7000 allows the regular scanning of hotspots of refractory linings, pipe and tank insulation, steam traps, electrical and mechanical systems. There are also many other industries where Zone 1 applies. These include the production or processing of grain, chemicals, sugar and similarly dusty foodstuffs.

The mining industry is another market for this camera, as is water and sewage processing and aerospace where jet fuel may be present. The TC7000 is also expected to prove popular in the marine industry and in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other petrochemical carriers.

For further information on the TC7000 thermal imaging camera visit www.cordexinstruments.com/.