Temperature measurement, surface temperature, intelligent pyrometer

Stresses can occur during induction hardening which can be counteracted by heating up again to the tempering temperature. However, temperatures lower than those used for hardening are involved. The temperatures are measured with pyrometers from Micro-Epsilon.

For temperature measurements in asphalt mixing systems, both the temperature of the mineral discharge and the temperature after mixing are measured. Infrared sensors from Micro-Epsilon are used for this which still operate reliably even under adverse environmental conditions.

Micro-Epsilon temperature sensors are always used for the manufacture of construction materials when the monitoring and control of the temperature are critical for the product quality and productivity. The most important application areas are the cement industry, the production of plasterboard sheets and the pretensioning of architectural glass.

Non-contact temperature measurement of thin plastic films is in practice a difficult measurement task. Depending on the type of plastic, the measurement must be performed in different spectral ranges. In research and development of printable films, the surface temperature of heated plastic films is detected using a CTP-7 pyrometer (spectral range 7.9µm). Furthermore, the thermoMETER CTP-3 thermometer with a spectral range of 3.43µm is also suitable for non-contact temperature measurement of plastic films.

Bolts are preheated to 400 °C - 500 °C in order to be pressed easily by the die. Micro-Epsilon pyrometers are used to measure the temperature. Maintenance of the optimum preheating temperature is important in order to ensure a smooth production process and to increase the process speed.

In the optimisation of braking systems for the High Octane Motorsports e.V. racing car at the University Erlangen-Nürnberg, the temperature rise of the brake disc needs to be measured during on-road testing.

Temperature is an important process variable in iron and steel production. Adhering to predetermined process temperatures ensures, amongst other things, high product quality. Providing reliable and reproducible measurement results, particularly in high temperature processes, non-contact infrared temperature measurement from Micro-Epsilon has become well established in the metal production and processing industry. Infrared temperature sensors and thermal imaging cameras from Micro-Epsilon are frequently used for monitoring and control purposes. Numerous models, equipment options and a comprehensive interface concept enable their fast and easy integration in different measuring positions.

Special sensors which are used for permanent temperature monitoring are installed at the individual stations of the glass production line.

Infrared temperature sensors from Micro-Epsilon measure the film temperature before the three-roller mill. An optimal regulation of the process temperatures is made possible due to the precise temperature values which results in a constantly high product quality.

The measurement and the documentation of the production parameters in foundries are playing more and more important roles for the compliance with the quality requirements. Particular attention must be paid here to the measurement of the temperature in the production process.

Stationary Micro-Epsilon temperature sensors are used for optimisation of the additives during plaster hardening. Due to the constant temperature monitoring of the hardening reaction, defects can be detected immediately and thus sustainably increase the quality.

In order to be able to bend and shape flat glass, the exact glass surface temperature must be taken into account. Special pyrometers from Micro-Epsilon have been developed for measuring in glass manufacturing.

Temperature plays an important role in the glass industry for many manufacturing and production processes. It is a matter of obtaining precise temperature measurements of transparent (glass) and non-transparent (moulds, crown and side walls of the glass furnace) objects.

In order to manufacture constant high quality products, the temperature of the workpieces must be precisely measured during the hardening. Non-contact infrared sensors from Micro-Epsilon are suitable for hardening processes due to their particular characteristics.

The Acrovision AFS-100 Fever Screening Solution detects elevated body temperatures. It is used in public institutions such as airports, schools and hospitals, at service providers, manufacturers and in public transportation as an effective instrument to measure the temperature of the skin surface. The system consists of a thermal imaging camera, an ambient reference radiator and a monitor. The British company Acrovision relies on technology from Micro-Epsilon for this system. For temperature measurement, the thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA-HD-T100 camera is used.

After pressing, the heated metal object is subjected to the cooling process. In order to guarantee a high quality finished product, a controlled cooling rate is necessary. Non-contact thermometers from Micro-Epsilon are particularly suitable for the temperature monitoring.

Constant temperature monitoring for the quality assurance is a must for monitoring production processes, foodstuffs storage and the sale of foodstuffs. Non-contact infrared thermometers are particularly used in the areas of storage, transport and manufacturing processes such as baking, freezing, roasting and refining.

After drying and sorting the wood laminates, they are cut to the required length, glued, stacked and pressed afterwards. They are heated using microwaves for the glue drying and the individual glue layers are measured with a very small infrared spot size. The extremely small measuring spot diameter of the Micro-Epsilon thermometers makes friction-free measurement possible.

Metal teeth for saw blades are soldered in soldering machines. In doing so, a fast IR temperature measurement provides exact regulation and prevents mechanical stresses in the saw blade and the danger of crack formation.

Contact or touch temperature is an important parameter in the tactile quality of a surface. The feeling of the temperature that a material causes can be determined by using a measuring system. If this parameter is known, an objective feeling of quality can be made. The measurement results are shown on a sensotact-scale – a tactile reference system. A physical basis for these values is created by measuring the temperature of the surface shim. Afterwards a step-less measuring analogue of the reference scale is possible. In the measuring system, temperature sensors of the thermoMETER CSmicro series are used.

Different temperatures in a workpiece can be an indication of faulty production. Thermal imaging cameras visualize these so that workpieces can be automatically checked for various geometrical features or conclusions can be drawn about their quality. The "imess" company relies on the thermoIMAGER series of thermal imaging cameras from Micro-Epsilon in its inline inspection machines for quality control and dimensional accuracy testing. With its turnkey systems, imess serves numerous industries and applications.

Non-contact IR thermometers from Micro-Epsilon are used for fast and non-contact temperature measurement for the manufacture of paper products, particularly in the areas of coating and drying.

The non-contact temperature measurement in glass furnaces, melting furnaces and feeders is a more and more frequently used alternative to measurement with thermal elements. Micro-Epsilon provides infrared temperature measurement systems particularly for this area which can operate efficiently even without cooling at an ambient temperature of up to 250 °C.

Users of injection molding machines for plastics processing are facing increased quality requirements imposed by end-users, in particular for automotive applications. Because of this trend, the importance of inline temperature control right after extrusion as a global quality attribute is growing.

Infrared thermometers from Micro-Epsilon are used for almost every production stage in the manufacture of steel and aluminium. The precision pyrometers from Micro-Epsilon are used in order to obtain reliable data for efficient process control.

Application areas:

• Casting
• Preheating
• Warm and cold rolling
• Forging, annealing, hardening

Precise temperature measurement at several places is necessary for extrusion: after preheating the bolt, for the discharge of the profile from the die and for quenching the extruded product. An additional check of the tool temperature is usually carried out in order to obtain optimum production results.

Measuring the temperature of the radiation source and the ambient temperature are not sufficient to make clear decisions about the heating behaviour of the target itself. Therefore, the product temperature must be monitored and analyzed, which is why Ceramicx uses IR temperature sensors from Micro-Epsilon. The measurement values provided allow conclusions to be made about the state of the finished product and help control the heating system. The thermoMETER CT sensors with external controller can be firmly installed into the heating systems during production. The compact and robust design makes space-saving installation possible. The sensor head is robust against high temperatures allowing the sensors to be fixed inside the heater housing looking directly at the object to be heated. The measurement is performed on a non-contact basis as direct surface contact via temperature probes would damage the component and is also not normally practical.

The infrared elements equipped with Micro-Epsilon sensors offer precise and repeatable process control of the end products. Therefore, the reject rate can be minimized while the controlled temperature regulation has a positive effect on energy consumption.

High quality PCBs with SMD components are repaired in rework stations. Hot air is used to remove any defective components and residual solder, to perform solder paste printing and to solder new components into place. The repair process starts automatically when the PCB reaches a specific surface temperature, which simplifies the replacement of defective SMD components. In addition, automatic start-up significantly reduces both the thermal load on the PCB and process time. For accurate temperature measurements, Finetech uses the thermoMETER CT non-contact infrared temperature sensor from Micro-Epsilon.

A high-resolution thermal imaging camera, thermoIMAGER TIM QVGA from Micro-Epsilon, monitors the thermal properties of the drive batteries either during unstacking or on a conveyor belt. For this measurement task, the camera is mounted stationary or guided to the measuring point by a robot arm. With a single, non contact measurement, it detects the temperature profile of the entire battery surface. The individual measurement is sufficient to reliably identify possible hot spots and defects on the battery. Thanks to a frame rate of 80 Hz, short cycle times and high throughput can be achieved.

Thermal vacuum mold equipment is used for the decentralised manufacture of mouth guards for teeth. A special film is heated for this and drawn into a shape using a vacuum. The temperature is measured without contact using thermoMETER CS so that the film has the correct temperature and elasticity for the reshaping. The measurement is performed quickly, precisely and without effects on the target.

The use of precision pyrometers is indispensable for optimum furnace regulation in order to measure the exact internal temperature. The Micro-Epsilon temperature sensors have successfully proven themselves for the stationary measurement on the furnace.