Improved thermal image quality with FLIR's MSX exclusive technology
Thermal durability detection of automotive parts

At CES 2016, it clearly emerged as the main topic, surpassing conventional home appliances and mobile devices. This is because everything from the currently ongoing ADAS (Driver Assistance Systems) to the era of self-driving cars—once seen only in movies—has taken a step closer. However, the outlook is not entirely optimistic. This is because automobiles are deeply linked to human life, and accident rates must be reduced to a much lower probability than for humans. Consequently, as the number of advanced components increases, the importance of "functional safety" is also growing.

In response to these demands, the Automotive Testing exhibition was held at COEX from January 27 to 29. Over 120 participating companies showcased cutting-edge testing technologies used in automotive production processes and products that improve vehicle reliability, durability, safety, and quality across all procedures, from initial prototype analysis to line end inspection and quality assurance.

Among these, one of the essential aspects of vehicle inspection is thermal measurement. Since automotive parts require thermal durability to withstand high temperatures, thermal imaging cameras capable of observing this are effective. Accordingly, FLIR, which has been developing only infrared cameras, participated in the 2016 Automotive Testing and exhibited infrared cameras necessary for vehicle inspection.

FLIR is characterized by making cameras available at various price points through its proprietary MSX thermal image enhancement system. FLIR stated, “MSX technology stands for Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging, a technology that improves infrared thermal image quality by adding the contours and detailed shapes of target objects to the thermal image,” adding that “since text that is invisible in standard thermal images appears clearly, labels can also be seen clearly.”

Currently, the FLIR E4, E5, E6, and E8 models are equipped with MSX functionality. These products feature a built-in third-person LCD color display and a 640 x 480 digital visible light camera. Additionally, they offer enhanced portability with ease of use and a weight of 540g, and can be used for 4 hours with a field-replaceable Li-ion battery.