Axis Communications has released the “world’s first” explosion-protected thermometric camera, designed and certified for use in Zone and Division 2 hazardous locations.

According to the company, the new camera enables remote temperature monitoring to optimize operational efficiency, with a detection range that can extend into Zone and Division 1 hazardous locations.

Expanding into Zone and Divison 2

Up to now, only Zone and Division 1 thermometric cameras have been available, making remote temperature monitoring within hazardous areas cost-prohibitive for many Zone/Division 2 areas.

AXIS Q1961-XTE also has the potential to monitor temperature within Zone/Division 1 hazardous locations, even when installed in a Zone/Division 2 area, as a result of the camera’s effective temperature detection range.

This capability can decrease hardware costs for sites that currently rely on Zone/Division 1-certified thermometric cameras. 

The camera’s remote temperature monitoring and automated alert capability enhances operational efficiency by indicating advance warning of overheating equipment.

This solution also increases the speed and effectiveness of response compared to using a handheld device, which relies on the manual observation of a specific spot at a specific time.

Making this capability accessible to Zone/Division 2 hazardous areas, operational processes within critical infrastructure and industrial environments, such as waste management and recycling, can be optimized and made safer, the company says.

Compared to static thermometer sensors, the new Axis thermometric camera provides temperature readings across a wide area, giving data about machine or application health.

AXIS Q1961-XTE can also monitor the temperature of rotating machinery, like conveyors and its alert algorithms ignore false alarms, such as vehicle exhaust emissions. 

Temperature readings from the different monitored zones are available in a metadata stream, providing access to temperature statistics over time that allows for trend monitoring.

This can optimize operational efficiency by enabling preventative maintenance in reaction to early signs of temperature variations outside of an acceptable deviation, minimizing the potential of unplanned downtime.

What’s new?

Operating as a temperature sensor, the camera can also maximize process efficiency by providing real time temperature data to a process control system. 

AXIS Q1961-XTE Explosion-Protected Thermal Camera can remotely monitor temperatures ranging from -40 °C to 350 °C (-40 °F to 660 °F).

The camera provides automatic alerts if the temperature exceeds or falls below a set threshold and it can send a notification if the temperature increases or decreases too rapidly.

AXIS Q1961-XTE features 10 configurable detection areas with automatic alerts and spot temperature readings can be taken anywhere within the camera’s field of view to identify exact temperatures in specific areas.

The camera’s image sensor is an uncooled microbolometer featuring 384×288 pixels, with a pixel size of 17μm in the 8-14μm spectral range.

The athermalized lens features a 55° horizontal field of view and a focal length of F1.18. AXIS Q1961-XTE features a thermal accuracy of ±5 °C (±9 °F) below 120 °C (248 °F), and ±15% above 120 °C (248 °F).