With the drop in price and increase in quality for Infrared cameras - you would think that the Infrared conferences (Snell, IR/INFO and Inframation) would be busting at the seams with infrared newbie's seeking knowledge.

That is not the case with growth very slow at all of the above. (all would agree that these are the best focused IR conferences for PdM in the world)

Do you think that training and conferences were easier to justify when you had to invest $40,000 for an IR Camera (manger thinks we better send our guy to learn all he can)?

When the company only spends $5000 and the sales persons claims that these new IR cameras as so easy to use - perhaps conference attendance is seen as a huge luxury.

With 5000 new "potential" thermographers being produced per year - you have to wonder where they all are.

Can anyone comment?

Terry O

I think that it is just a cost issue. Less training for the working man means more money in the upper managements pockets----for a while.

It may be that with the prices falling it means that a technician can do infrared while he was doing his primary function (vibration, maintenance, or whatever). Companies, or a least my company, would rather send me to a class in a field of predictive technologies rather than to a conference.

However, I know from my own experience that colloboration with other people, no matter the technology, always adds to my skill level.

I guess it is a difference of views as to what "training" really is.

Aubrey

quote:

Originally posted by Terrence O'Hanlon:
...the Infrared conferences (Snell, IR/INFO and Inframation)... (all would agree that these are the best focused IR conferences for PdM in the world)

I have never been to those particular conferences, but I have heard great things about them.

I have gone to 2006 EPRI Infrared User's Group (IRUG) and will be going again to the 2007 IRUG this July. If I remember right, there were about 50 attendees last time.

I find the IRUG is also a very helpful conference with a mix of presentations by vendors and users.

One big advantage for me is that most of the attendees work at power plants monitoring equipment very similar to what we monitor, and also many nuclear plants, so we can address a few unique nuclear requirements and organizational aspects.

So as good as those other conferences are, I personally will probably continue to go to the EPRI IRUG.