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NON-CONTACT
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

METAL INDUSTRY
when temperature matters
Metal industry Further information can be found in our IR principles brochure:
www.optris.global/infrared-basics Applications of when temperature matters

ENGINEERING / PHYSICS temperature measurement technology

PRODUCTION PROCESSES IN THE METAL INDUSTRY

Environmental influences Emissivity and temperature measurement

Avoiding breaches Preventing aborted pours Process optimization
From the image below it is apparent that the transmission of
of metals
on the rolling train
the air is very strongly dependent on wavelength. Areas with Emissivity is a major factor in the accurate measurement
high attenuation alternate with areas of high transmissivity, the of temperatures. It must be adjusted according to the
so-called atmospheric windows. In the long-wave atmospheric application.
window (8 - 14 µm), the transmissivity is consistently high,
Emissivity theoretically depends on the material, its surface
while in the short-wave range measurable attenuation occurs
quality, the temperature, the wavelength, the measuring angle
via the atmosphere which can lead to distorted measurement Torpedo wagon
and, in some cases, even the applied measuring configu-
results. Typical measurement windows there are 1.1 - 1.7 µm,
ration. Many non-metallic surfaces to be measured have a Continuous
2 - 2.5 µm and 3 - 5 µm. casting plant
constant emissivity with regard to wavelength but emit less
Other influencing variables are possible thermal radiation radiation than black bodies. They are called gray bodies.
sources in the vicinity of the measurement object. To avoid
Objects whose emissivity depends, amongst other things, on Slag ladle car
distorted measurements due to increased ambient tempera-
temperature and wavelength, e.g. metallic surfaces, are called
tures (e.g. when measuring the temperature of bearing rings
selective radiators. Crucible induction furnace
in a hardening furnace where the walls are hotter than the
measurement object) the infrared measuring device features
adjustable compensation for ambient temperature influenc- Task: Task: Task:
es. The most accurate measuring results can be achieved Steel needs to be transported in Thanks to improved efficiency the In the manufacturing of semi-finished
ελ
using a second temperature measurement head for automatic various vessels including torpedo demands on continuous casting lines products the slabs are cooled from
ambient temperature compensation and correctly adjusted wagons, slag ladle cars and smelting are also increasing. This necessi- around 1250 °C in racks. For quality
emissivity. ladles. Even if the wagons and ladles tates extensive process monitoring assurance and process optimization
are equipped with fireproof materi- measures, especially where tem- the forming temperature is measured
als, breaches may result due to the perature measurement is concerned: between the individual rollers.
100
1500 °C hot steel. This presents a the technology has become cheaper
Transmission in %

Spectral transmit-
tance of air (1 m, danger to both the stock and per- with increased levels of precision.
75 Wavelength in µm
32 °C, 75 % r. h.) sonnel which could result in millions For the operators the investment is Process temperature:
Spectral emissivity of metals: 1 Silver, 2 Measuring of bearing rings during of euro in damages. To prevent any worthwhile, as costly aborted pours 700 °C to 1100 °C
50 Gold, 3 Platinum, 4 Rhodium, 5 Chrome, the hardening process such breaches the vessels are mon- can be avoided at the point of origin.
6 Tantalum, 7 Molybdenum
itored with thermal imaging cameras Recommended
25 and protected via recognition of measurement devices:
There are several important reasons why the measurement
temperature differences. • optris PI 1M
of metals should, if possible, always be done in the short-
0 • optris CTlaser 1M / 2M
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 wave range. Firstly, at high temperatures and short measuring
• optris CTvideo
Wavelength in µm wavelengths (2.3 μm; 1.6 μm; 1.0 μm), metal surfaces do no
• optris CSvideo
t just have the highest radiation intensity, they also have the
Dust, smoke and suspended matter in the atmosphere can highest emissivity.
Process temperature: Process temperature:
soil the lens which can result in incorrect measurement re-
Secondly, in this range they equal the emissivity of metal 300 °C to 600 °C 800 °C to 1000 °C
sults. The use of an air purge collar (a screw-on nozzle with
oxides so that temperature deviations caused by changing
compressed air connection) prevents suspended matter from
emissivities are minimized. Recommended Recommended
getting deposited in front of the lens. Air and water-cooling
measurement devices: measurement devices:
accessories enable the use of infrared thermometers even in 88 LT LT
P7P7 • optris PI 400i • optris PI 1M
harsh environmental conditions. P3P3
77
G5G5 • optris PI 640i • optris CTlaser 1M
66
F2F2
F6F6
• optris CTratio 1M / 2M
Compensating ambient influences 55
MTMT
3M3M
Radiation
[%]
[%]
Error[%]

2M2M
from 44
Error

ambient
Fehler

1M1M

Tamb n 08M08M
33
05M05M
Object 22

11

TObjn 00
00 250
250 500
500 750
750 1000
1000 1250
1250 1500
1500 1750
1750 2000
2000 2250
2250 2500
2500

Tambn Temperature
Temperatur [°C
Temperature ]
[°C]
[°C]

Measuring error in the case of emissivity wrongly adjusted by 10% as a function of Monitoring of the refractory lining of a slag ladle Run-off area of a continuous casting plant Hot working of sheet metals and manufacturing
Sensor the wavelength and object temperature (LT: 8 – 14 μm; P7: 7.9 µm; P3: 3.43 µm; car while pulling out of the factory of wire
G5: 5 μm; MT: 3.9 μm; F2: 4.24 µm; F6: 4.64 µm; 3M: 2.3 μm; 2M: 1.6 μm;
Absorption Reflexion Transmission Emission
1M: 1.0 μm; 08M: 800 nm; 05M: 525 nm)

2 3
Applications of when temperature matters

temperature measurement technology

PRODUCTION PROCESSES IN THE METAL INDUSTRY

Workpiece control in Deep drawing Temperature monitoring Slag detection

drop forging in the casting process
Task: In the manufacturing of metals, The optris PIX Connect software Process temperature:
slag – a non-metallic smelting residue provides the option of measuring the 1250 °C to 1500 °C
– is a by-product of various process- percentage of slag in the material with
Casting and slag
detection es. To increase the quality of the end the infrared cameras so that residues Recommended measurement
product the amount of slag needs to can be skimmed off where necessary. device:
Die forging Deep drawing be kept as low as possible. Here, a camera with 7.9 µm spectral • optris PI 450i G7 / PI 640i G7
sensitivity is used.

Efficient Quality assurance Optimization of the

induction hardening in induction welding galvanization process
Task: Task: Task:
In die forging the semi-finished For stable process control when In the casting manufacturing pro-
products need to reach a particular deep drawing, the die and sheet cess, liquid materials are poured into
forging temperature before forming. metal temperatures need to be mea- a mold, and this becomes a solid
To get the best possible production sured permanently. body after it sets. At the moment of
results the surface temperature of casting the temperature of the mate-
Induction welding Coating
the material is monitored accord- rial is measured in order to influence
ingly. The same goes for the forging Process temperature: the cooling phase which is decisive
after forming or before storing. 200 °C to 350 °C for quality.
Induction hardening
Recommended measurement
Process temperature: device:
700 °C to 1250 °C • o
 ptris CTlaser 3M Task: Task: Task:
Process temperature: In (partial) induction hardening an In the manufacturing of induction Products are often coated with
Recommended 1250 °C to 1600 °C area is brought to a required hard- welded joints, in pipes for example, metals, for example with copper and
measurement ness temperature and subsequently the quality needs to be assured. For nickel, to increase their strength.
devices: Recommended measurement quenched. For this process it is this purpose the temperature of the The objects to be coated are brought
• optris PI 1M devices: extremely important to adhere to rims is recorded after the inductor to the desired temperature in front of
• optris CTlaser 1M • optris PI 05M an optimum time/temperature profile and before the squeeze rollers, the galvanizing bath to optimize the
• optris P20 1M • optris CTlaser 05M in order to achieve the desired with the process controlled in this electrochemical reaction.
Bath tubs as deep-draw products • optris P20 05M structural composition of the metal. manner.

Process temperature:
Ensuring the
700 °C to 1100 °C Process temperature: Process temperature:
monitoring of materials
950 °C to 1450 °C 150 °C
Recommended measurement
devices: Recommended measurement Recommended measurement
Task: Process temperature: • optris PI 1M devices: devices:
The manufacturing of metal products is 150 °C to 900 °C • optris CTlaser 1M / 2M • optris PI 05M • optris PI 640i
almost exclusively automated because Recommended measurement • optris P20 1M / 2M • optris CTratio 1M / 2M • optris CTlaser 3M
of the high process temperatures. devices:
Here, the precise assessment of the • optris PI 1M
workpieces out of the mold is very • optris CT 3M and CTlaser 3M
important for the monitoring of the
materials or reject control.

Quick assessment of a steel slab for Measurement of casting stream during casting Inductively heated pipe Temperature monitoring of pipe rims shortly Chrome-plated gear part
monitoring of materials into a mold before welding

4 5
Metal industry when temperature matters

INFRARED CAMERAS AND INFRARED THERMOMETERS

The short wavelength infrared cameras of the optris PI series are fixed thermography systems that offer The innovative two-color-detector technology makes the optris
outstanding value for money and are used in the metal industry for extremely reflective surfaces. CTratio 1M and 2M best fit for measuring small, moving or even partially obscured
The thermal imaging cameras are connected to a computer via USB 2.0 or integrated into a PLC and are metal objects in wide temperature ranges between 250 °C and 3000 °C.
ready to use immediately after connecting. The short response time of 1 ms allows also the monitoring of very fast processes.

optris Compact speciality cameras for the metal industry optris CTratio 1M / 2M
The ratio pyrometer is largely insensitive to dust, steam and dirty viewing windows. Due to this special feature
The optris PI 05M, 08M and 1M are cameras made With their high maximum image frequency of 1 kHz these
of providing reliable measurement data even through the most worst contamination and of recording data even at the
specifically for the metal industry and suitable for tempera- cameras can be used for very fast processes.
lowest visibility of the measured object, it is preferably used for temperature monitoring in metal working processes
ture measurements on metals due to their short measuring
that are difficult to access. The robust, electrically insulated measuring head enables precise measurement results for
wavelengths of 500 nm, 800 nm and 1 µm, since metal The optris PI 05M and 08M are ideally suited for all laser
ambient temperatures up to 315 °C without cooling.
surfaces have the highest radiation intensity and emissivity machining processes due to the excellent blocking of radi-
at higher temperatures and short measuring wavelengths ation above 540 nm (05M) and 800 nm (08M).
(see page 2). The special spectral ranges ensure more accurate mea-
With the ratio pyrometers of the CSvision family, it is possible to measure temperatures of metals
surements with changing emissivities and are less sensi-
tive to atmospheric influences. non-contact, safely and reliably in a range from 250 °C up to 3000 °C from variable distances.
The novelty of the CSvision series is the switchable two-step brightness reduction
In addition the optris PI 450i G7 / 640i G7 are used in the filter, which makes it easy to sight and focus on very bright objects.
field of slag detection. In this spectral range (7.9 μm) the
differences in emissivity between the molten metal and the
surface of the slag are relatively big. It is this feature that optris CSvision 1M / 2M
is used for the detection of slag. Special analysis tools in Especially in metallurgy ratio pyrometers provide stable measured values due to the dual-channel measuring principle.
the PIX Connect software allow the percentage of slag to The CSvision is equipped with an innovative Smart Ratio Mode (SRM) and can thus master even challenging
be displayed. applications with variable emissivity ratios. The built-in video sighting and motorized focus, which can be operated
via software or app, ensures simple sensor alignment under all conditions.

optris PIX Connect - license-free software The optris CSlaser 2M infrared thermometer was specifically developed for exact
temperature measurements of metal surfaces. Its short measuring wavelength
The PIX Connect software provides outstanding enables the precise measurement of metal temperatures and metal oxides.
customization options for its respective applications.
With SDKs for Windows and Linux the cameras can
be easily integrated into applications and control
optris CSlaser 2M
systems. In confined spaces the 1 kHz line scan The robust, one-piece IR thermometer can be easily integrated into a facility.
camera function can be employed. The standardized two-wire interface guarantees the reliable transfer of the data as well as simple integration into a PLC.
The IR thermometer features an innovative double laser sight for the exact selection of the measurement spot.
The optris PI 05M, 08M and 1M infrared cameras With a variety of lenses it can be customized to a variety of applications.
offer an optical resolution of 764 x 480 pixels.

The optris CTlaser 05M / 1M / 2M / 3M infrared thermometers were specifically developed for the
temperature measurement of metal surfaces and molten metals. They feature short-wave spectral ranges
optris IRmobile app – Smart IR measuring of 525 nm (05M), 1 µm (1M), 1.6 µm (2M) and 2.3 µm (3M), which also minimize measurement errors in the
The IRmobile for android is the app for all IR thermometers and IR cameras of optris. case of changes in emissivity. The temperature ranges of the thermometers are between 50 °C and 2200 °C.

You can use your infrared temperature measurement monitor and

analyze directly on a connected smartphone or tablet. With the optris CTlaser 05M / 1M / 2M / 3M
integrated simulator it is possible to do this without connected With their extremely short response time of 1 ms, these highly efficient infrared thermometers
devices to try out many functions. enable the monitoring of quick processes, measuring precisely and reliably even for the smallest
measuring fields of up to 0.7 mm. Thanks to its innovative double laser sight, the robust, high quality
The app supports android devices from version 5.0 with stainless steel measuring head of the CTlaser also enables the exact selection of the measuring field from
Micro-USB or USB-C connectors that support USB OTG. any distance. In addition, selectable analog outputs and various digital interfaces provide a high level of variability
in the evaluation of the measured data. For use in high ambient temperatures the measuring head can be
For further information please visit www.optris.global/irmobile-app optionally fitted with a water cooling system or with a protective housing (CoolingJacket Advanced).

6 7
Specifications are subject to change without notice · Temperature measurement metal industry-BR-EN2023-05-B

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Optris GmbH
Ferdinand-Buisson-Str. 14
13127 Berlin · Germany
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Phone: +49 30 500 197-0
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E-mail: [email protected]
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www.optris.com
facebook.com/optris.gmbh when temperature matters