In the early 1980s when the first industrial versions of radiometric infrared cameras were being employed for electrical and mechanical condition monitoring, the co-founders of Infratherm, Mike Ratne and John Robinson saw an opportunity to develop a business dedicated to the supply and support of these instruments. Both founders were graduate engineers with extensive experience in electrical and material sciences and understood the unique advantages of non-contact means to monitor temperatures in a dynamic, industrial environment.

Infratherm was established as a separate entity within the framework of the Australian operations of Eurotherm Pty Ltd, an international leader in Instrumentation and Process Control products and systems.

Over the next 10 years, thermal imaging radiometer technology and its acceptance as an industrial and investigative tool grew at a rapid rate, mandating the company to leave the association with its parent and dedicate all its resources to growing the thermal imaging business.

Their first supplier was the Swedish manufacturer Aga, which developed the Agema Thermovision range of cameras, based on the MCT Sprite detector.

The industry took an enormous leap when the Billerica MA-based manufacturer Inframetrics Inc., released their InfraCam Series of radiometric thermal imaging cameras. These were the first commercially available cameras featuring a focal plane array detector, dramatically reducing the size and fragility of earlier scanning systems.

Today’s thermal imaging cameras are still based on this focal plane array technology, however significantly more sensitive and less expensive than Inframetrics forerunner.

Acquisitions were rife in these developing days of the international marketing of infrared camera systems motivating Infratherm’s founders to move away from working with a single, dedicated supplier to reaching out to the worldwide leaders in the field and structuring relationships based on the customer's needs and not limited by the range of cameras a single manufacturer could offer.

This strategy proved very successful for both the company and the supplier, permitting Infratherm to satisfy the customer's specifications with the best solution from the supplier(s) most aligned with their requirements.

With over 30 years of direct involvement with our technology partners, Infratherm has developed a wealth of practical experience in the supply of optical sensors for a wide range of applications and uses.

Building on the sensor front end, Infratherm has been able to add the building blocks to generate complete turn-key solutions for their customers. One such example was the specification, supply, installation and commissioning of an overarching security system for a large gold mine in PNG.

With more than 300 optical sensors spread across an eleven-kilometre perimeter and coupled to access control, recording, alarming and response systems, this $3m project spanned two years of work by Infratherm’s dedicated staff.

Infratherm today is a company focused on the customer’s needs and its relationship with the best-in-class suppliers of technology products to service these needs. Infratherm is able to offer a supply only service through the system design, supply, integration and commissioning of projects.

They offer qualified after sales support, specialized training, repairs, calibration and maintenance on all products sold. They still serve their traditional clients in the thermographic market as well as security and surveillance, military and paramilitary, scientific research and development, search and rescue, State and Federal agencies, industrial, medical and manufacturing.

Industry and customer feedback provides the company with the ability to modify its products and services to maintain an active and leading role in our technology sphere.