CEM’s thermal imaging technology safeguards the safety of electric vehicles
In recent years, the rapid adoption of new energy vehicles has brought new momentum to green mobility. However, safety concerns such as battery fires, electrical short circuits, and charging pile malfunctions have also drawn increasing public attention. How to detect risks in advance and prevent accidents has become a pressing issue for the industry.
The challenges of new energy vehicle diagnostics urgently call for technological breakthroughs
The core components of new energy vehicles include key modules such as battery packs, electric motors, and electronic control units. Under conditions like overload operation, component aging, or poor contact, these systems are highly susceptible to failures or even fires caused by abnormal temperature rises.
Traditional diagnostic methods rely heavily on manual experience and step-by-step inspections, which are time-consuming and often miss hidden faults—an obvious shortcoming. In particular, the risk of thermal runaway triggered by localized overheating in battery packs is difficult to predict using conventional methods, highlighting the urgent need for non-contact, visualized diagnostic tools.
CEM has introduced two handheld infrared thermal imagers, the DT-874Z+ and DT-979Z+, specifically designed for electric vehicles. These tools enable non-contact temperature detection and help quickly identify thermal defects through thermal imaging, assisting technicians in performing diagnostics and assessments. By detecting potential hazards at an early stage, they help ensure vehicle safety from the very beginning.
CEM’s thermal imaging safeguards electric vehicle safety
The DT-874Z+ features an ultra-high infrared resolution of 320×240, while the DT-979Z+ offers a high-resolution 256×192 infrared sensor. Combined with a 3-megapixel visible light camera and AUF patented fusion technology (China Invention Patent No. ZL:201680000185.3), these devices can capture even the slightest temperature differences in real time. With a temperature measurement accuracy of ±2°C / ±2%, they support full-range monitoring across a wide temperature span of -20°C to 550°C.
Battery System Health Monitoring
New energy vehicles rely on unconventional fuel sources, with lithium batteries currently being the most commonly used power battery type. However, the highly active nature of lithium ions also brings a potential fire hazard.
During production processes such as high and low temperature aging, as well as charge and discharge testing, there is a constant risk of thermal runaway. The DT-874Z+ and DT-979Z+ use 8 different color palettes and multiple imaging modes—including infrared, visible light, AUF fusion, and picture-in-picture (DT-874Z+)—to quickly scan the surface temperature distribution of battery packs, providing a 3D visualization of the thermal field.
During inspection, the device can automatically lock onto the highest, lowest, or central temperature, enabling efficient monitoring of temperature changes throughout the lithium battery charging and discharging process. This allows for timely detection of abnormal temperature zones and helps prevent the risk of thermal runaway.
Motor and Electronic Control System Fault Diagnosis
Overheating of motor windings or poor heat dissipation of the electronic control unit are common issues in electric vehicles. These two thermal imagers are capable of dynamically measuring the temperature of motors in operation.
The detected data can be transmitted to smartphones and computers via WiFi (DT-979Z+) or USB. Using the ThermoViewPro professional free software, users can perform point analysis, line analysis, and area analysis. After analysis, the data can be exported in various formats, such as images, PDFs, or Excel spreadsheets, providing a more comprehensive analysis of temperature changes at heat source points in thermal images.
Charging Facility Safety Maintenance
Charging stations contain several critical electronic components, such as high-voltage contactors, charging cables, transformers, and battery management systems. These components generate a significant amount of heat during operation. If the temperature becomes too high, it can lead to equipment failure or even fires. Therefore, ensuring that the temperature of each key component within the charging station remains within safe limits is a crucial task for charging station operation and maintenance.
The portability of the DT-874Z+/979Z+ makes them ideal for on-site inspections, allowing for the rapid screening of temperature anomalies at charging station contact points. This helps technicians quickly locate fault points, reducing repair time and costs. Furthermore, with image archiving and point, line, and area analysis, inspection reports can be generated, supporting standardized operation and maintenance management.
Infrared thermal imaging has become an essential technology for automotive repairs today. The CEM DT-874Z+ and DT-979Z+ handheld infrared thermal imagers enable non-contact temperature measurement and provide a clear display of the temperature field distribution of target objects. They meet the temperature detection needs in the production, maintenance, and repair of new energy vehicles, empowering the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry.