Fluke Corporation, the global leader in handheld electronic test and measurement technology, recently announced the Fluke 566 and Fluke 568 thermometers, which feature broad infrared (IR) temperature measurement functionality, an on-screen menu system and a dot-matrix display enabling users to take even complex measurements quickly, easily, and from greater distances. Both of the rugged Fluke 566 and Fluke 568 handheld thermometers combine contact and non-contact temperature measurement capability in one single, easy-to-use tool, providing a total and convenient temperature measurement solution for industrial, electrical and maintenance professionals.

The thermometers provide a broad temperature measurement range from -40°C to 800°C/-40°F to 1472°F (Fluke 568) or -40°C to 650°C/-40°F to 1202°F (Fluke 566) at one percent measurement accuracy, making them appropriate for a wide variety of inspection applications. With a user interface designed for intuitive operation and available in six languages, users can access advanced features such as adjustable emissivity, alarms and data logging with a few pushes of a button via a soft-key menu displayed on the dot-matrix LCD screen. The display has two levels of backlight to facilitate viewing even in challenging lighting conditions. Both models include a K-type thermocouple bead probe enabling users to take contact measurements immediately. The thermometers also are compatible with all standard miniconnector type-K thermocouples. MIN, MAX, AVG, and DIF temperature values are captured to help users save time and reduce calculation errors. Audible and visual alarms can be set easily to instantly alert users of measurements outside of set limits.

The Fluke 568 features a distance-to-spot ratio of 50:1 and the Fluke 566 has a distance-to-spot ratio of 30:1, enabling users to measure smaller objects or from further away; and the adjustable emissivity feature with built-in materials table or numerical setting allows users to measure a wide variety of surfaces more accurately and to easily compensate for shiny surfaces. The Fluke 568 thermometer can capture and store up to 99 points of data, which can be viewed on the thermometer or downloaded quickly to a computer via USB connection for later analysis and trending, using the included FlukeView Forms software. With the USB connection and FlukeView Forms software, the Fluke 568 also can be used for real-time, hands-free monitoring of temperatures to troubleshoot processes and equipment. According to the company’s press release, in addition to the Fluke 566 and Fluke 568 thermometers, the Fluke 560 Series includes the Fluke 561 Infrared Thermometer for basic temperature measurement applications in plant maintenance, HVAC and electromechnical environments.