Types of Visual Inspection Cameras | Pipe Cameras

Article #2 out of 5 (Push Cameras)

What types of visual inspection cameras are available for industrial inspections?

In this article, we will dive into the types of tools available for visual inspection in the industrial field.

First, to make things easier, we will divide all the types and models of the various visual inspection equipment into five main divisions: Borescopes, Push Cameras, Borehole Cameras, Pole Cameras, and Crawlers.

In this article we will look into the Push Cameras, other articles will cover the Borescopes, Borehole Cameras, Pole Cameras, and Crawlers.

Push Cameras:

In the market of visual inspection tools, push cameras have their rightful place since they are the only way to inspect long pipelines, ducts, sewer lines, and the like.

If you search on the web, you will find them under keywords like push cameras, plumbing cameras, sewer cameras, pipe cameras, and other similar names.

In this article, we will bring all the styles, configurations, and models into two main categories:?Straight View Cameras?and?Pan and Tilt Cameras.

Straight-view pipe cameras are electronic systems that, with the means of a long flexible push cord, propel a straight-looking camera and visualize images on a screen.

The straight-view pipe cameras are the most popular in the pipe inspection market since for most inspections the view angle of the camera is enough for most inspections.

Of course, there are units that range from the low end that are suitable for occasional inspection to high-end straight view cameras that are used by big companies and municipalities.

Pipe cameras come in different lengths, from short, lightweight units to heavy systems with push cable lengths of up to 500ft in length.

The diameter of the pipes that are inspected with a pipe camera ranges from 0.5" to 12" in diameter, though for larger pipes, a pipe crawler or a pan and tilt unit would be suitable much better than the straight view camera unit, which has a limitation in the angle of view.

Also there are other pipe cameras in this section that can be set apart from the regular simple inspection cameras.

These pipe cameras are built differently, use different designs and constructions, and therefore cost more. However, these cameras are generally more rugged and durable and can perform better in environments where others would fail.

An example of a camera like this is a MiniFlex Plumbing Camera that has a special push cable and rubber camera neck, which allows it to pass bends in front of which other cameras would stop.

Pan and Tilt Pipe Cameras are special electronic systems that propel a rotating camera head using a push cable and display the footage on a monitor screen.

The pan and tilt pipe cameras are mostly needed for bigger pipe inspections since the camera head needs to be larger to accommodate all the electronics and mechanisms to move and rotate the camera head.

However, there are new advancements made in the technologies that made the camera head smaller in diameter, thus facilitating its use in smaller-diameter pipes as well.

For most inspections, the straight view cameras are the cheaper option and work well enough for a thorough inspection.

However some situations require a pan and tilt camera such as inspecting sidewalls and bigger pipes where the angle of view and the illumination of the striaght view camera would not be enough.

Pan and Tilt Cameras are on the high side of the budget since these units are special and are more expensive to make.

Some pan and tilt cameras integrate other useful technology, such as manual focus, for a more thorough inspection.

Conclusion:

There are many pipe cameras available on the market, and we have split them into two categories: Straight-View Cameras and Pan and Tilt Cameras. For most inspections, the straight-view cameras are the best option moneywise and featurewise.

Again, generally, you get what you pay for, so for harsh professional inspections, a higher-end push camera would be the better option. So, in the end, it comes down to budget, application, and how often you would need to use a camera.

The pan and tilt cameras are more for bigger diameter pipes and special applications where a side wall inspection is needed or a close inspection of a joint.

If you have any comments or suggestions for future articles, feel free to give me an IDEA!