RealWear Navigator 520 + Thermal Camera
See the problem.
Diagnose it faster.
Prove the repair.
A hands-free inspection, diagnostic and support platform for refrigeration engineers — not just a headset. Thermal and visual inspection, technical information, digital workflow and live expert support, all voice-operated, all on one rugged wearable.
Navigator 520 + Thermal Camera · in the field
Live thermal readout · illustrative
Why it matters on a refrigeration job
Three reasons engineers keep it on
See heat patterns invisible to the naked eye
Scan compressors, motors, bearings, pipework and cold-room fabric for abnormal thermal behaviour before it becomes a breakdown. Thermal imaging is an established troubleshooting technique across HVAC/R — it helps an engineer narrow down where to look, and then prove the fix worked.
FLIR Lepton sensor · −20°C to 400°C range · MSX image enhancement
No dropped tools, no removed gloves
Navigator 520 is voice-operated by design. Pull up manuals, checklists or a live video call while both hands stay on the compressor, the panel, or the ladder — in plant rooms, cold stores and loud mechanical spaces alike.
IP66 · MIL‑STD‑810H · hot-swap battery · 4-mic array to 100 dBA
Escalate without a second van on the road
An unfamiliar compressor or an intermittent control fault doesn't need a second site visit. The engineer streams their own view to a senior colleague or manufacturer contact and keeps both hands on the job while they talk it through.
First-person live video & two-way audio · works over existing 4G/Wi‑Fi
Where it earns its keep
Refrigeration use cases
Compressor inspection
Heat patterns across housings, motors and bearings can point to abnormal operating conditions before they show up as a fault call.
Electrical inspection
Panels, contactors, terminals and connections scanned for hot spots that indicate a loose connection or an imbalance — a well-established thermography use case.
Condensers & evaporators
Compare temperature patterns across coils to spot fouling, airflow problems or icing without pulling the unit apart first.
Fans, motors & bearings
Rotating equipment often runs hot before it runs loud. Thermal patterns give an early read on developing mechanical or electrical wear.
Cold rooms & cabinets
Identify thermal bridges, damaged insulation and failing door seals — the same principle FLIR documents in commercial cold-storage inspections.
Preventative maintenance
Add thermal inspection to planned visits instead of waiting for a failure. Repeatable images build a real condition history per asset.
Remote diagnostics
Stream a first-person view to senior engineers, a manufacturer or technical support — no phone to hold, no camera to steady.
Service documentation
Visual and thermal evidence captured before, during and after a repair, tied to the customer, asset and visit.
Guided inspections
Checklists, manuals and step-by-step workflow presented in the engineer's display while their hands stay on the equipment.
Thermal Camera Module
See what the eye can't see
Many refrigeration faults reveal themselves through temperature, long before they show up as a breakdown. Instead of reaching for a separate camera, the engineer looks at the equipment, calls up the thermal view by voice, and captures the evidence on the spot.
- SensorFLIR thermal sensor with MSX — overlays visible detail onto the thermal image for sharper, easier-to-read scans.
- Range−20°C to 400°C measurement range, IP66-rated, paired with a 48MP visual camera.
- OutputRadiometric JPEG files — temperature data is retained in the image for later analysis, not just a flattened screenshot.
- RatingFor hazardous areas requiring intrinsically safe devices, we upgrade you to RealWear's ATEX Zone 1 certified Navigator Z1 with Thermal Camera.
Every visit becomes a record
Capture the problem. Capture the repair. Capture the proof.
A service visit generates information worth keeping. Build a visual and thermal record around the work itself, not just a job sheet that says "all fine on leaving site."
Before
Capture the equipment's starting condition, visually and thermally.
Inspect
Scan compressor, panel, coil and pipework for abnormal readings.
Diagnose
Cross-reference against normal diagnostic instruments and history.
Repair
Work hands-free with manuals or a remote expert on-screen.
Verify
Re-scan to confirm the fault is actually resolved, not just quieter.
Report
Attach the evidence to customer, site, asset and visit automatically.
When the engineer needs a second opinion
Bring your most experienced engineer to every job
HARDI's technicians used Navigator 520 to support customers as far afield as Japan and South Africa remotely, resolving cases in roughly 90 minutes on average and avoiding an on-site dispatch that HARDI estimates at around €5,000 a trip.
RealWear press release, HARDI International.BMW deployed RealWear across 347 US centres and selected MINI dealers, with some repairs completed up to 75% faster once technicians could bring in remote support instead of waiting for a specialist to travel.
RealWear client case study, BMW of North America.From reactive to condition-based
Build a thermal history of every asset
Regular thermal inspection helps an engineer learn what "normal" looks like for a specific compressor, panel or cold room — so a change stands out well before it becomes a callout.
FLIR's own cold-storage material documents this directly: a facility using scheduled thermal inspection identified insulation leakage and electrical hot spots early, catching problems before they escalated into major repairs.
A repeatable planned-maintenance route
Compressor
Motor
Electrical panel
Condenser
Evaporator
Cold-room envelope
Same route, same order, every visit — so the images stack up into a comparison, not a one-off snapshot.
Technology is only useful if engineers use it
Why Metro, not just the box
Managed around your operation
Metro supports the complete solution around your engineers and their work challenges — from initial setup and deployment through to ongoing support, updates and day-to-day management.
Training that sticks
Voice commands and display positioning take a short adjustment period. We build that into rollout rather than leaving engineers to work it out alone.
Spares, batteries and support
Hot-swap batteries, chargers and device management handled as an ongoing service, not a one-off purchase.
Do more, hands free
Metro helps turn everyday inspections into simple digital workflows. Engineers can capture information, images and findings while they work with the data automatically fed into inspection records and reports. Less paperwork. Less manual data entry. More focus on customers.
Getting started
Simple steps to get started
Getting started is straightforward. We’ll guide you through the process and take care of the technical setup.
Apply
Complete and sign the application form.
Share your details
Send us the technical information we need.
We configure
We configure the bundle around your requirements.
We deliver
We send the fully prepared device to you ready to go.
We train you
We provide practical training.
Go live
You’re ready to go.
The managed solution
Everything needed to put it to work, not just a headset
From £233 a month, subject to terms — on most refrigeration contracts, avoiding a single unnecessary return visit or bringing in a remote expert instead of a second engineer covers the cost for that month outright.
- RealWear Navigator 520
- Thermal Camera Module
- Spare battery & charging dock
- Device & software configuration
- Engineer training & onboarding
- Ongoing device management & support
Talk to Metro
Tell us about your business
Leave a few details and we’ll get back to you to talk through your requirements and arrange a demonstration.
- No obligation, no hard sell — just a conversation about your engineers and your sites.
- Prefer to call someone? +44 203 906 1400.
Ready when you are
See it. Diagnose it.
Prove it. Fix it.
Discover what RealWear from Metro could do for your business.
Book a Demonstration · www.metrocomms.co.uk