How to clean an infrared calibrator target

The best/proper method to clean your infrared calibrator target

The black body paint on the target of your infrared calibrator is very delicate. To remove the dust or debris from the paint, the only thing you can do is use compressed dry air. The dry air must have no oil and no water in the line or hose. Use a filter on an air hose to remove the oil and an air dryer to remove the water. Have the compressed air set to about 100 psi.

Some items like compressed air in a can will contain a propellant that will spray out. Be careful with these products.

Test the air against a piece of paper or cardboard. If you can see any spots of any liquid, do not use. Try a different source.

DO’s and DON’T’s

• Do not use any chemical on the black body target.
• Do not attempt to repaint the target.
• Do not wipe the target
• Do use the target cover when not using the target
• Do use the target cover for transporting the unit

If the IR target gets contaminated

If the target does get contaminated, the block will need to be replaced. It cannot be repainted, touched up, or resurfaced. The painting process is very delicate. During the process, we sandblast the surface, put it through a chemical wash, rinse, dry for several hours, paint, and then bake the paint for 4 hours.

Recommended Products

4180, 4181 Precision Infrared Calibrators
9132 and 9133 Portable Infrared Calibrators

Recommended Resources

Infrared Temperature Calibration 101 - application note
Infrared Temperature Calibration 101 - webinar
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