See the whole area, not just one point
A hot spot is usually the first sign that something is off. A heated sheet has a cold zone that won't form right. A cap seal runs too hot. Material on a conveyor starts to smolder. A bearing starts to drag.
The problem is that hot spots often show up somewhere you aren't measuring.
A fixed thermal camera solves that. Instead of reading one point, it watches an entire area, finds the hottest spot on its own, and sends that temperature or an alarm straight to your PLC. One camera can cover what used to take several spot sensors, with less wiring and less to go wrong.
Why spot sensors miss hot spots
A thermocouple or an infrared pyrometer measures one point. That works when you know exactly where the heat will appear. With hot spots, you usually don't.
- A heated sheet or web can develop a hot or cold zone anywhere across its width.
- A hot spot on a conveyor can show up anywhere across the belt width.
- A bad connection in a cabinet can be on any terminal, not the one you put a sensor on.
The usual fix is to add more sensors: one per zone, one per lane, one per bearing. Each one needs its own mounting, wiring, transmitter and PLC input. Costs add up, and so do the chances that one sensor gets knocked out of alignment or fails without anyone noticing.
How thermal camera hot spot monitoring works
The Xi 80 has 80 x 80 pixels, which means 6,400 temperature readings in every frame, 50 times a second. It runs on its own once it's set up. No PC needs to stay connected.
- Point it at the area. Mount the camera so the product, process zone, conveyor or machine fills its view.
- Draw your measurement areas. In the included PIX Connect software, outline each area you care about, such as each heating zone or each lane on a conveyor.
- Set your limits. Choose the temperature that should trigger a warning or an alarm for each area.
- Let it run. The camera finds the hottest point in each area and tracks it, even when the hot spot moves.
- Send it to your controls. Temperatures go out as 4-20 mA signals, alarms trip relays, or everything goes over EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Modbus TCP. Your PLC decides what to do: warn an operator, slow the line, or shut it down.
You can also view the live thermal image from any web browser through the camera's built-in web server, which helps when someone asks why an alarm tripped.
What you can monitor
Anything with a surface you can see and a temperature that tells you something is wrong.
| Application | What a hot spot tells you | What one camera replaces |
|---|---|---|
| Plastics thermoforming and IR heating | A zone running hot or cold before the part is formed | One pyrometer per heating zone |
| Cap sealing and packaging | A seal running too hot or too cold | A sensor per lane |
| Web, film and paper lines | Uneven temperature across the width | Several pyrometers across the web |
| Material on conveyors and in storage | Smoldering material before it becomes a fire | Linear heat detection or multiple pyrometers |
| Electrical cabinets | A loose or corroded connection heating up | Sensors on individual terminals |
| Motors, bearings and gearboxes | One part running hotter than normal | A sensor on each one |
| Heaters and ovens | A failed element or uneven heating zone | One sensor per zone |
For switchgear, see our Switchgear Condition Monitoring page.
Note on fire detection: a thermal camera is an early warning tool. It catches heat before smoke or flame, but it does not replace a listed fire alarm or suppression system required by code.
One camera vs. multiple spot sensors
Take six points to watch: six heating zones across a sheet, or a motor, gearbox and four bearings on a drive train. Here is what each approach takes.
| Six spot sensors | One Xi 80 camera | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | 6 sensors + 6 transmitters | 1 camera + 1 industrial process interface |
| Hardware cost | 6 x [sensor + transmitter price] = [total] | $1,200 + [PIF price] = [total] |
| Mounting points | 6 | 1 |
| Cable runs to the panel | 6 | 1 |
| PLC inputs used | 6 analog | 3 analog + 3 alarm relays, or one Ethernet connection |
| Coverage | 6 points | The whole view, with the hottest spot tracked in each area |
| If a hot spot appears between sensors | Missed | Caught |
How many outputs you get:
- Camera alone: one 4-20 mA output, good for a single "hottest spot" reading.
- With industrial process interfaces: 3 analog outputs and 3 alarm relays per interface, stackable up to 3 interfaces for 9 outputs.
- Over fieldbus: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Modbus TCP kits send all your measurement areas to the PLC over one cable.
Connecting alarms to your control system
Pick the option that matches how your plant already works.
- 4-20 mA analog: Wire the camera's output to an analog input card, the same as any temperature transmitter. Simple and familiar.
- Alarm relays: The industrial process interface trips a relay when an area passes its limit. Wire it to a stack light, a horn, or a PLC digital input.
- Fail-safe relay: The process interface also has a relay that changes state if the camera, cable or software stops working, so a dead sensor never looks like a healthy machine.
- EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP: Add the matching interface kit and read every measurement area as a tag in your PLC. Best when you're watching many areas.
- Remote alerts: Add a DigiRail IoT gateway to send readings to Dasberry Cloud for dashboards, logging, and email and text alerts, with no monthly fee.
Power and data can run over a single PoE cable, with Ethernet runs up to 100 m.
Choosing a lens and mounting position
The lens is built into the camera and can't be changed later, so match it to your mounting distance and the smallest thing you need to measure.
| Lens | Area covered at 1 m | Smallest spot it can measure | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12° | ~0.21 m wide | ~1.6 mm | Small or distant targets |
| 30° | ~0.54 m wide | ~2.8 mm | A single machine or drive train |
| 55° | ~1.04 m wide | ~5.4 mm | Larger equipment with close mounting |
| 80° | ~1.68 m wide | ~8.6 mm | A whole cabinet or wide area in a tight space |
Mounting tips:
- Get a clear line of sight. The camera sees surfaces, not through guards or covers.
- Mount where the equipment you care about fills most of the image.
- In dusty or hot areas, add the air purge or water-cooled housing.
- Not sure which lens? Talk to an engineer with your distance and target size, or use the Optris camera calculator.
When a thermal camera isn't the right tool
The Xi 80 covers most hot spot jobs. When it doesn't, another camera in the Xi Series usually does.
- Small or distant targets. With 80 x 80 pixels, the target needs to cover at least a few pixels for an accurate reading. For more detail or larger scenes, the Xi 410 LT has 384 x 240 pixels and reads up to 1500 °C.
- Hot, shiny metal. Bare metal reflects heat and reads low in the long-wave band. Painted, coated or oxidized surfaces are fine. For hot metal, use the short-wave Xi 1M (450 to 1800 °C), or the Xi 05M for molten metal.
- Inside furnaces and through flames. Flames block a long-wave camera's view. The Xi 320 MT sees through them to the target in a kiln or reheat furnace.
- Hidden heat. If the hot spot is inside a housing or behind a guard, no camera can see it. A contact sensor may be the only option.
- One known point. If you only need one temperature at one fixed spot, a single pyrometer or thermocouple is cheaper. See our IR sensors for single-point options.
- Hot surroundings. The camera body is rated for 0 to 50 °C ambient. Above that, use the water-cooled housing.
Compare every model side by side on our Xi Series thermal cameras page.
FAQ
Does the camera need a PC connected to work?
No. You set it up once in PIX Connect, then it runs on its own and sends outputs directly to your controls.
Can a thermal camera send a 4-20 mA signal to a PLC?
Yes. The Xi 80 has a built-in 0/4-20 mA output, and the industrial process interface adds three more analog outputs plus three alarm relays.
How many areas can one camera monitor?
Up to 9 hardwired outputs with three stacked process interfaces. Over EtherNet/IP, PROFINET or Modbus TCP, you can bring in more areas without extra wiring.
What temperature range does it cover?
-20 °C to 900 °C, split into three software-selectable ranges.
Is it accurate enough for process monitoring?
Accuracy is ±2 °C or ±2%, whichever is greater. For hot spot alarms, what matters most is catching a change from normal, which the camera does well.
Does it work outdoors or in washdown areas?
The housing is stainless steel and rated IP67 / NEMA 4. An outdoor protective housing is available for exposed installs.
Get started
The Xi 80 thermal camera starts at $1,200 and ships same or next day when in stock. Need more resolution or a different wavelength? See the full Xi Series lineup.
Not sure if one camera can cover your application? Send us your equipment, mounting distance and how you want alarms handled. A US-based engineer will tell you which lens and outputs you need, or whether a spot sensor is the better fit. Call (860) 733-1117 or start a chat.