Thermal Imaging Competitors
Essay by 24 • July 4, 2011 • 1,194 Words (5 Pages) • 1,459 Views
Competition
There are only a few key players currently in this market that focus on the building trades industry. They are FLIR Systems, LumaSense, Jenoptik, and InfraRed Solutions. The cameras range in price from $7,000 - $40,000. FLIR Systems is seen as the biggest competition. FLIR, established in 1978, is headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon. They have worldwide facilities for manufacturing, sales and service, and research and development. FLIR not only manufactures thermal cameras, but they also offer products in the following industries:
o Automotive
o Border Security
o Surveillance
o Utility
o Marine
o Search & Rescue
o Home Inspection
o Medical
FLIR’s annual revenue in FY07 was $219.2 million in the Thermography industry. The HeatSeeker 3000 will be in direct competition with FLIR’s B Series Thermal Imagers and the InfraCAM SD Thermal Imagers. They are targeted towards home inspectors, HVAC contractors, general contractors, air quality professionals, energy auditors, and anyone else involved in the building trades. FLIR markets to their customers by describing what issues there are in the building trades industry. For example, they state, “Moisture in building materials can destroy structural integrity and nurture mold. The first step in moisture problem remediation is to quickly and accurately locate and remove all sources of moisture.” They then describe how their cameras can help find those issues. For example, “FLIR infrared cameras instantly show you what's wet and what's dry. IR cameras can instantly find the ultimate source with little or no physical disassembly of the premises and minimal disturbance of inhabitants.”
FLIR also offers training for their users. Their instruction addresses extensive field experience in thermography and building construction. It also includes references numerous cases illustrating how IR thermography has pinpointed sources of building moisture and enabled energy savings. Courses are currently held in several states across the US. Courses can also be held at a site of your choosing.
FLIR targets home inspectors by marketing that their cameras quickly identify problems that can't be seen by the naked eye, which eliminates destructive probing methods. The results are captured and documented instantly and easily into professional reports. They state that the infrared inspection helps you save time and money, and provides a unique competitive advantage for residential and commercial inspections.
Reference: www.flir.com
LumaSense Technologies is also a competitor in this industry. They have facilities in Germany, California, and New Jersey. LumaSense was founded in 2005. It has since then acquired smaller thermal imaging companies, Mikron and Impac. They also are involved in more industries, such as:
o Utilities
o R&D and Industrial
o Medical
o Semiconductor
o Environmental
o Automotive
o Aerospace & Defense
o OEM Solutions
LumaSense Technologies is a private company and does not disclose annual revenue. They offer one camera that is in direct competition with the HeatSeeker 3000, the IVN 770-P. This thermal camera is targeted as a portable thermal imager, which “can precisely measure temperatures between -20Ð'oC and 250Ð'oC. The thermal images have a high optical resolution of 76800 (320 x 240) measurement points. The fully radiometric detector identifies the exact temperature of every single pixel.” LumaSense focuses largely on their technical specifications and does not get into detail about how the camera will benefit the customer. LumaSense states on their website:
o 76800 pixels (320 x 240): 4 times higher resolution than other
cameras of same price class!
o Fully radiometric array
o Precise measurement, temperature resolution of 0,1Ð'oC
o Flip-up 3.5” LC display
o Video OUT (PAL/NTSC, S-Video)
o Large memory capacity (400 images)
o Incl. 1 license analysis and reporting software
o USB interface
o Export license free
o Additional lenses
Reference: http://www.impacinfrared.com/uploads/Datenblaetter_pdf/Thermographie/E_Datasheet_IVN770P.pdf
The third competitor is Jenoptik. They were founded in 1846 and are located in Germany. In 1996, Jenoptik went public. They have products in three key areas, lasers, optics, and sensor systems. Jenoptik reported revenue in their Laser & Optics industry of 199,198 euros. The VarioCAM Ð'® series is in direct competition with the HeatSeeker 3000. Jenoptik claims their “high resolution delivers thermal images offering the precise detail resolution you require for demanding applications in industrial research & development. With an image resolution of up to 1.2 megapixels, enabled by Jenoptik’s worldwide unique Resolution-Enhancement-Technology, the camera sets new benchmarks in handheld mobile and stationary real-time thermography.” Jenoptik also concentrates on the technical aspects of their camera. They list the following specifications on their website:
o Image resolution: 640 x 480 pixel (detector format), 1280 x 960 pixel (RE mode) Measuring range: - 40Ð'oC … +1200 Ð'oC
o Measuring accuracy: Ð'± 1.5 K ( 0 Ð'oC ... +100 Ð'oC) , other wise Ð'± 2 K / Ð'± 2 %
o Spectral sensitivity: 7.5 Ð'µm ... 14 Ð'µm
o Image rate: 50 Hz (PAL) and 60 Hz (NTSC)
o Weight: 1.5 kg
References: http://www.jenoptik-los.com/cms.php?pageid=799&lang=1
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