Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

Emissivity is a critical concept associated with infrared thermography in Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) technology. It refers to the ability of a surface to emit infrared radiation, which is essential for accurate temperature measurement using infrared cameras. Different materials have different emissivity values, meaning that their ability to radiate heat varies.

In infrared thermography, understanding emissivity is crucial because it affects the accuracy of the thermal readings. If the emissivity of a surface is not considered, the temperature readings can be misleading, leading to incorrect assessments of equipment condition. Monitoring temperature changes over time with proper consideration of emissivity allows maintenance professionals to identify potential issues such as overheating or improper functioning of equipment, which are critical elements of condition-based maintenance.

This role of emissivity in thermography differentiates it from other CBM technologies, where factors like sound waves (ultrasonic testing), vibration patterns (vibration analysis), or chemical composition (oil analysis) are more prominent but do not involve the thermal radiation aspects that make emissivity significant in infrared thermography.