IRWeb INFO

{Image Courtesy Williamson Corporation}
From the Williamson IR website page on Applications of Dual Wavelength infrared thermometers:

“One of the greatest advantages of a dual-wavelength infrared thermometer is that the target can be smaller than the optical resolution of the sensor. This feature is particularly appropriate when viewing past an optical obstruction or when viewing a small or wandering target such as a thin wire…”

“For this application, the dual wavelength sensors are able to provide a relatively large target area of 0.5in diameter while measuring the significantly smaller wire. Using a dual-wavelength sensor it is possible to measure a wire that is less than 0.001in diameter and with a wander from side to side of as much as 0.2in.”

(ED NOTE: This IR thermometer type, dual wavelength or dual waveband wherein the dual signals are ratioed are sensitive to the ratio of the spectral emissivities in the two spectral wavelength bands and are only insensitive to emissivity changes if the emissivity ratio does not change.

In such a situation the object of measurement is called a gray body, and it is relatively rare except for some of the Iron Oxides that are found on Iron & Steel within the wavelength regions used by many commercial relatively “short wavelength”, infrared thermometers, eg: 0.7 to 2.5 micrometers.)

True wafer temperature measurements in Molecular Beam Epitaxy, or MBE, is an applications story (Application Note 18) from LayTec GmbH in Germany about the benefits of this technology in semiconductor processing, especially for GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) and InP (Indium Phosphide), two materials that are opaque at the wavelength region of interest in the Near Infrared (NIR), 950 nm.

The lead in to the applications note reads as follows:

“LayTec’s in-situ sensors are state-of-the-art in-situ growth monitors for basic growth studies, process development, process transfer and for enhancing run-to-run reproducibility in production environment. These sensors are offered for a variety of growth systems in MBE, MOVCD and other growth techniques. All sensors are available with LayTec ?s True Temperature measurement mode based on emissivity corrected pyrometry: EpiTT, EpiR TT and EpiRAS TT“.

You can download a copy of the entire note: “True wafer temperature measurements in MBE “- CLICK HERE - PDF - 122 Kb

A downloadable PDF FIle from Mikron Infrared describes the use of IR Thermometers in manufacturing operations using thermoformed plastic sheet materials.

Thermoforming Applications: Thermoforming Temperature Measurement

The Thermoforming Application

Thermoforming is the process of using heating elements and/or cooling elements to mold or shape
some type of material. Typically this material will be a type of plastic.

The process follows a path from extrusion to molding. Most thermoforming companies will use extrusion machines to extrude the plastic, which then will be pulled into an oven and heated until it reaches a certain temperature.

Once this temperature has been obtained the plastic is moved out of the oven into a cooling and molding zone. Usually the machine runs on a timer so the temperature of the plastic varies and is inconsistent within the oven.

The plastic is molded and cooled either by water-cooling or air-cooling. Most applications use water-cooling either sprayed onto the plastic or pushed through the metal mold.

Finally, the plastic is moved to a cutting zone where the shapes are cut out of the plastic. This can be done either manually or automatically as well.

This application has a couple of different sections that are ideal for infrared pyrometers and imaging.
(more…)

Large Area Calibrators with Radiometric Calibration Traceability From -15 °C to 500 °C!

American Flats UT, USA — The new blackbody calibrators being offered by Hart Scientific are a breath of fresh air.

They come with radiometric calibration traceability built-in and the sales web page on the Hart Scientific website is exceptionally informative.

So, too are the online and free downloadable PDF files of the Users Manual (in 7 additional languages), the Technical Manuals and an Applications Note entitled “IR Calibration 101″!

Not only are they exceptionally complete and well-written, in our opinion, they set a new benchmark for their competitors, Ametek-Land and Mikron Infrared in the industrial and scientific blackbody arena.

It looks like Fluke has really done its homework and executed a well-reasoned product development plan.

Kudos to the people at Hart Scientific and Fluke!

Everett WA, USA — This applications story on the Fluke website begins: “When a motor bearing fails, the motor heats up and lubrication begins to break down. The windings overheat and then the temperature sensor cuts out and stops the motor. Worst case, the shaft binds up, the rotor locks up and the motor fails completely…” It continues:

“Many predictive maintenance (PdM) programs use thermography to monitor the apparent temperatures of operational equipment, using the heat values to detect and avoid equipment loss. By using thermal imagers to capture two-dimensional infrared maps of bearing and housing temperatures, technicians can compare current operating temperatures to benchmarks and detect potential failures.” and so on.

You can read the full online text by clicking here and also gain access to a download of the whole note.

A YouTube video from FLIR Systems that shows the ThermaCAM GasFindIR in action detecting gas leaks. Some interesting comments on the effect it could have on worker safety that was never realized before this tool was available to visualize the flow of dangerous gases from leaks.

This YouTube video is a 3D real time model is of a cement kiln turning while monitored by an infrared line scanner. Single scanning images are combined and built up on a computer display.

The resulting thermal map of the kiln exterior is used to pinpoint locations of both blockages in material flow and pending failures in the refractory block insulation on the kiln interior.

The model is radiometric which means that any point of the kiln wall can be accurately measured for its temperature - Visualisation provided by Thermoteknix, on the Web at thermoteknix.com