Temperature monitoring of glass heat treatment

Together, the Datapaq, Ircon, and Raytek product lines cover all temperature measurement tasks in glass manufacturing that are otherwise hard to conduct.

For instance, glass tempering: the DATAPAQ Furnace Tracker line comprises the first temperature profiling system thin enough to pass through the tempering furnace and air quench.

Ten thermocouples distributed across the glass sheet track the heating and cooling behavior of the material, giving crucial feedback on the process.

The thin gap between furnace and air quench is enough for a Raytek GS150 infrared temperature monitoring system to generate a full thermal image of the glass sheet.

The 150 Hz infrared linescanner offers a superior resolution with up to 1,024 measurement points per line, revealing even minimal temperature deviations.

The technologies are complimentary: profiling runs with a data logger serve the purpose of quickly setting up production lines for different glass types and thicknesses, whereas non-contact infrared measurement technology supports 100% production monitoring and traceability.

The system solution enables manufacturers to optimize their processes, especially in the production of high-value products such as architectural glass.

Additional technologies include DATAPAQ Furnace Tracker systems for glass container annealing, windshield manufacturing, vacuum coating, and autoclave and PVD processes; the Ircon Modline 77 and 78 infrared thermometers for the production of float glass and ultra-thin drawn glass; and the Raytek MP150 linescanner for especially demanding processes such as glass molding and coating.

The contact-free systems ensure maximum reliability and speed without any risk of product contamination.

Illustration: Correct temperature data from hard-to-monitor glass manufacturing processes: infrared and profiling solutions from Fluke Process Instruments