Why use Thermal Paint?

Simplicity

The engine is painted with the thermal paint, a standard engine test is performed and a trained naked eye can see where any potential hot spots are. This is in comparison to thermocouple tests that are difficult to perform. Also, ALL the surface is tested as opposed to specific parts of the engine that the thermocouples or a high frequency pyrometer can be attached to or pointed at.

Low Cost

Customers have reported up to an 80% reduction in their engine testing costs and turn time by up to three times. Each customer's needs are different but there are many reasons for the reduction in these costs. Such reasons include:-

• Thermal Paint is significantly less than the cost of welding many expensive Pt/Rh thermocouples.
• Analysis is much quicker due to automated electronic component analysis.
• Engine parts are re-useable as the paint can, if required, be removed and the parts can be sold as is, as most other testing methods either are designed to test the engine to breaking point or the welding of thermocouples to engines makes parts unusable.
• Test modules can be re-used for additional testing after modifications have been made.

Accuracy

Accuracy of the paint changes are within a margin of error of 15° F.

Wide Temperature Testing Capability

The paint offers accurate results between the temperatures of 118° F - 2282° F (48° C - 1250° C).

Temperature Measurement on Moving Parts

Previous technologies have proved to be insufficient to truly and accurately examine the temperature profiles of parts that are moving. Attaching thermocouples to moving parts through slip rings was not an exact science and great skill is required to produce an average result. Again, high frequency pyrometers require great skill and can only return spot temperatures on accessible areas of the surface being tested.

Negligible Testing Deviation

The layer of paint has a thickness of 0.03 mm (0.001 inches) which does not affect the performance of the component under test. This is in comparison to significant changes in the activity of fuel and air flow caused by thermocouples attached in previous testing methods. The estimation of error for thermocouple testing has become a science within itself. Even with such a high tech level of result generation, a level of guesswork still has to be incorporated resulting in lower levels of accuracy and quality in testing. Thermal Paint with its negligible interference offers a replication of the non-test scenario standard operation and therefore improved accuracy in replicating the results that will be seen when the product is in the field.