What industries are infrared thermometers suitable for?

Infrared Thermometers - What Industries Are They Suitable For?

Due to the nature of infrared measurements, infrared instruments are more commonly used in industrial fields. Infrared thermometers are commonly used in the steel, glass and plastic industries. They are also widely used in preventive facilities.

Steel Industry

The steel industry uses thermometers because the products are in motion and the temperatures are very high. Common steel industry applications are where temperature is a constant as molten steel begins to transform into a block. Reheating the steel at the same temperature is key to preventing it from warping, and infrared thermometers are used to measure the internal temperature of the regenerator. In high-temperature rotating mills, infrared thermometers are used to confirm that the product temperature is within the rotation limits. In cooling mills, infrared thermometers monitor the temperature of the steel as it cools.

Glass Industry

In the glass industry, the product is also in motion and is heated to very high temperatures. Infrared thermometers are used to monitor the temperature in the furnace. Handheld sensors detect hot spots by measuring the outside. Measuring the temperature of molten glass determines the appropriate furnace mouth temperature. In flat glass products, sensors check the temperature at each stage of processing. Incorrect temperatures or too rapid temperature changes can cause uneven expansion or contraction. For bottle and container products, the molten glass flows to the forehearth where it is kept at the same temperature. Infrared thermometers are used to detect the temperature of the glass in the forehearth. So it should be in the right condition at the exit. In fiberglass products, infrared sensors are used to detect the temperature of the glass in the forehearth in the processing furnace. Another use of infrared sensors in the glass industry is in the windshield production process.

Plastic Industry

In the plastics industry, infrared thermometers are used to prevent product contamination, measure dynamic objects and measure hot plastics. During the blown film extrusion process, temperature measurement to adjust heating and cooling can help maintain the integrity of the plastic tension and its thickness. During the cast film extrusion process, sensors help control the temperature to ensure the thickness and consistency of the product. In the sheet extrusion process, sensors allow the operator to adjust the heater extinguishing and the cold roll to ensure product quality.

Preventive Maintenance

With a portable thermal display system, maintenance personnel can find potential or existing problems. For example: overheating of engine coil windings, plugged cooling fins on transformers, poor capacitor contacts, heat buildup in the cylinder head of compressors. Any problem that is accompanied by an increase in temperature or a temperature curve that is completely different from the surrounding temperature can be located using a portable thermal display system. In most cases, problems can be discovered and corrected in a timely manner before the process is required to be stopped.

Chemical Industry

In the petrochemical industry, refineries use temperature display systems in routine preventive maintenance procedures. These procedures include monitoring the furnace process and confirming the thermocouple readings. In furnace process inspections, infrared displays are used to detect the proportion of carbon accumulation on the heating surface tubes. This accumulation, called coking, will lead to a higher firing rate in the furnace and will also increase the temperature of the tubes. This high temperature condition will reduce the life of the tubes. Because this coking prevents the product from evenly absorbing the heat of the tubes. When using an infrared thermometer, we will find that the surface temperature of the tubes in the intersection area is often higher than the surface temperature of the tubes in other areas. (end)