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Finding a problem with an infrared camera is sometimes not enough. In fact, an infrared camera image alone without accurate temperature measurements says very little about the condition of an electrical connection or worn mechanical part. Many electrical targets are operating properly at temperatures that are significantly above ambient. An infrared image without measurement can be misleading because it may visually suggest a problem that does not exist. Infrared cameras that incorporate temperature measurement allow predictive maintenance professionals to make well informed judgments about the operating condition of electrical and mechanical targets. Temperature measurements can be compared with historical operating temperatures, or with infrared readings of similar equipment at the same time, to determine if a significant temperature rise will compromise component reliability or plant safety. Digital image storage, available on most FLIR Systems infrared cameras, produces calibrated thermal images that contain over 78,000 independent temperature measurements that can be measured at any time with FLIR Systems infrared software products on standard PC platforms.