Precise temperature measurement and profiling enhances quality and manufacturing efficiency
Temperature measurement and monitoring are vital means of ensuring that automotive components meet demanding safety and quality requirements. Fluke Process Instruments offers a versatile range of industry-specific pyrometer, thermal imager, and data logger products that also help manufacturers optimize productivity and resource efficiency.
Fluke Process Instruments manufactures infrared sensors, thermal imagers, temperature profiling instruments, and software functions for various stages throughout automotive parts production. These are marketed as Raytek, Ircon, and Datapaq product lines. Application experts are readily available to provide technical support to customers, helping them choose and set up the correct system for specific conditions that vary greatly from steelworks and automotive press shops to electronics manufacturing and paint shops.
Temperature measurement at a safe distance
Fluke Process Instruments specializes in managing high-temperature processes and otherwise demanding or tricky applications. Where the use of thermocouples and resistance thermometers is impractical, Raytek and Ircon infrared thermometers are a viable alternative with crucial advantages for users. The noncontact systems cannot cause the measured object to be contaminated or spoiled in any way. They can be used to monitor stationary objects as well as moving processes. The sensors are installed at a safe distance, allowing for long-term continuous use in harsh environments and in high-temperature applications. Measuring points are typically set up for automatic operation and minimal maintenance.
Profiling systems that enter the furnace
Sometimes, observation from afar is insufficient and a look into the oven is in order. For these applications, Fluke Process Instruments develops complete hardware-and-software in-process temperature profiling solutions that take the data logger through the oven or furnace and provide accurate product temperature profiles. The Datapaq line comprises the most comprehensive range of thermal barriers to suit virtually any thermal treatment. They can protect the electronics for hours in ambient temperatures up to +1,370 °C. The proven process optimization tool automatically and accurately predicts the effect of altered parameters such as process temperature and line speed. This speeds up process setup and line changes and helps improve overall line performance and energy utilization.
Application cases:
Hot working of structural parts
In the manufacture of light-weight pillars that meet today’s high safety standards, infrared linescanning systems ensure correct thermal treatment and 100% quality control and documentation of all processed pillars. When red-hot blanks leave the furnace, they are immediately picked up by a robot and placed in the press. The linescanner has only a 50 mm wide window for scanning the entire surface to ensure uniform heating. It scans 150 lines per second and compiles thermal images that are archived for all pillars. When the formed pillar is removed from the press, two linescanners scan the pillar from different perspectives, viewing all sections and again ensuring proper temperature distribution that is necessary to achieve the desired high-tensile strength.
Die casting
Automated die cast cells are monitored by means of a Raytek ThermoView Pi20 thermal imager combined with Raytek DataTemp Pi software. Thermal images are available for monitoring via a PC in real-time. Users can define 64 free-form areas of interest, configure alarms for up to 192 measurement conditions (max, min, time at temperature), and link them to automatic shutdown procedures in order to reduce rejects and increase productivity.
Furnace surveying
The Datapaq TP3 data logger performs temperature uniformity surveys (TUS) and system accuracy tests (SAT) compliant with CQI-9 and monitors the manufacture of, e.g., motor blocks, cylinder heads, frames, and chassis components. Featuring up to 20 channels and a large memory for 3.6 million data points, it records detailed temperature profiles with an accuracy of ±0.3 °C. The Datapaq TP3 provides full connectivity options, including Bluetooth and USB download as well as real-time data transfer via radio. Users can perform ten consecutive profiling runs before downloading to a computer via USB or Bluetooth.
Instant feedback on paint cure success
A temperature profiling system especially engineered for automotive paint shops, the Datapaq Oven Tracker XL2 enables time-saving measurements of a whole series of processes, e.g., e-coat, primer, base coat, and clear-coat curing. Up to 16 thermocouples are attached to the car body. Upon leaving the oven, traffic light signals on the logger housing indicate the success or failure of the thermal treatment, enabling users to correct any problem very early before they even download the data. The logger can store up to ten profiles, thereby saving time and effort while maintaining full transparency for quality assurance and documentation. The software provides comprehensive process optimization and evaluation functions and enables reporting compliant with Qualicoat, QS9000, ISO9000, ISO9001, and CQI-12.
Contact:
Fluke Process Instruments
Email: sales-info@datapaq.com
WWW: www.flukeprocessinstruments.com
