Viewport enables closed-door IR scans of electrical panels.
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Press Release Summary:
Coupled with SpyGlass(TM) fisheye lens, UL-approved Viewport allows inspector to scan panel by looking through 0.62 in. opening. Design, offered in 3 styles, facilitates frequent inspections and enables thermographer to work without aid from electrician or safety barricading. Unaffected by moisture, dirt, UV, or corrosive environments, product has open design that needs no IR-transparent window or metal screen that could skew readings by IR camera.
Original Press Release:
Viewport is First UL-Approved Device Enabling Closed-Door Infrared Scans of Electrical Panels
Convenience of low-cost Viewport, coupled with the Mikron SpyGlass(TM) lens, encourages frequent, safe inspections of electrical panels.
April 2005 - Mikron Infrared's patented Viewport is the first UL-approved device to allow closed-door infrared inspections of electrical panels. Matched with Mikron's SpyGlass(TM) fisheye lens, it allows an inspector to scan a panel by looking through a single port's tiny 0.62" opening.
Designed to make frequent inspections more convenient, the Viewport enables a thermographer to work without the help of an electrician or safety barricading, and with minimal personal protective equipment. The Viewport is also excellent for use with ultrasound detection equipment.
Thermal scans through the Viewport are highly accurate, because the unique open design needs no IR-transparent window or metal screen that can skew readings by the IR camera. When used with the plastic-tipped SpyGlass lens, there is no "path to ground" through the camera, enhancing operator safety. The Viewport is unaffected by moisture, dirt, UV or corrosive environments that can destroy IR windows.
UL-approved for installation on NEMA type 1, 2, 3, 3R, 4, 5, 12,12K and 13 enclosures, the Viewport is ideal for OEM use or retrofit in the field. Installation requires 20 minutes or less. The Viewport has received UL approval number NITW2.E228318 in the U.S. and NITW8.E228318 in Canada.
"Plant maintenance people simply make more frequent infrared inspections, when it is safe and convenient to do so," said Mikron Sales Vice President Jon Chynoweth. "Early users have documented hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings from unscheduled outages and lost production."
Three styles of the Viewport are available, with a list price starting under $50 - the lowest in the industry, according to the manufacturer. The standard Viewport model is closed with a protective O-ring-sealed, screw-on cap when not in use. Other models include a locking device or a window with a locking device.
The Spy Glass fisheye lens, with its wide field of view (53 degrees horizontal by 40 degrees vertical, or 66 degrees diagonal), allows easy scanning of the interior of the electrical cabinet through the Viewport, providing a temperature measurement accuracy of ±3 degrees C. With a focus range of 4" (10 cm) to infinity and a large depth of field, the SpyGlass lens reduces the need to re-focus for different electrical cabinet depths.
For more information about the SpyGlass lens and Viewport, contact Jon Chynoweth at 888-506-3900 or email jon@mikroninfrared.com.
