OEM EN

Applications for fixed mountedinfrared camera systems

Opmaak OEM EN(2) 30-04-2004 11:56 Pagina 1


The technology to assess and monitor production processeshas been around for years. However in the past 5 years theinfrared camera industry has undergone massive changes thathave resulted in huge leaps forward in instrument design andspecification. Yet, some companies are still willing to risk hugefinancial penalties, extended periods of downtime and evenhealth and safety violations by failing to adopt a proactivementality towards on-line process monitoring utilizing infra-red camera’s.

The initial investment involved in installing infrared camera’s isso minute in comparison to the losses accrued throughdecreased production efficiency and loss of quality that moreand more industries are discovering the benefits of infrared.For instance, suppliers of components to the automotiveindustry report that the cost involved in recall campaigns canrun into the millions.

Infrared is not only used to improve production efficiencies orto optimize quality control, it also plays a critical role in theearly detection of fires, to see through smoke or in securityand monitoring applications.

The effects of fire are often underestimated. In addition to thedestruction of goods and machinery, the immense costs ofproduction loss, the water damage and even the loss of lifeare impossible to estimate. Infrared camera’s are able todetect fires in the very early stages so that an alarm can begenerated and the fire extinguished before massive damagehas occurred.

THE ADVANTAGES OF INFRARED

THERMOGRAPHY AT A GLANCE!• Sees the heat produced• Can trigger alarms • Is contactless, quick and easy to use• Performs inspections when systems

are in production• Identifies and locates the problem• Measures the temperature• Stores the information• Saves you valuable time and money

bad

good

On-line thermal imagingInfrared camera systems that pay for themselves

Differences in temperature on the surface of the object often indicate importantcharacteristics for quality control.

To monitor critical temperatures, e.g. from ladles in steel mills, full radiometric IR cameras, are used. They check pre-set values, for example the maximum temperature, and trigger an alarm if necessary.

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Today, the use of infrared camera’s for on-line thermal imaging,process monitoring and infrared machine vision has becomewidespread. Users have recognized the advantages of being ableto “see” thermal patterns in real time and to use the infraredvideo and the associated temperature measurement data to trigger alarms or to steer processes.


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Each component canindividually be

inspected by aninfrared camera

Infrared image of aflawed resistor

Fully automated quality control with

FLIR Systems camera

Visual: Steam obscures view

Infrared:See log vats clearly

APPLICATION: SEE THROUGH STEAM AND SMOKE

INDUSTRY: WOOD INDUSTRY

PRINCIPLE: To insure logs are properly softened in theplywood and veneer manufacturing processthey are bathed in outdoor troughs filled witha caustic hot-water solution. Once they are sufficiently softened, they are removed fromthese vats, loaded on conveyor belts andtransported into the plant for peeling. Logsfrequently jam in the vats. A crane operatorunclogs the jams and makes sure the logskeep moving on the output conveyor. His viewis however blocked by the steam created bythe combination of the hot water bath and,especially in winter months, the cold outdoortemperatures. By using an infrared camera theoperator can see through the smoke and perform his task fast, safely and accurately.

BENEFITS: - Continuous production. (without the IR camera production was not possible from November through March)

- Avoid production stops due to blocked vats- Safer working environment

APPLICATION: AUTOMATED QUALITY CONTROL

OF PRECISION RESISTORS

INDUSTRY: AUTOMOBILE COMPONENTS SUPPLIERS

PRINCIPLE: Precision resistors are used by the automo-bile industry in fuel injection systems andother electronic control units. Weak points inthe resistors may occur during the manufac-turing process and can later result in faultyelectronic devices. An infrared camera caninspect each resistor automatically. Within 1second, the system makes an infrared image.Because the faulty component has a highersurface temperature, a defect is shown as ahot spot in the image. When a hot spot isdetected, a trigger signal is automaticallygenerated and the faulty component isremoved from the production line.

BENEFITS: - Fully automated quality control- 24-hour operation without an operator- 100% quality control of every component


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APPLICATION: OUTDOOR FIRE DETECTION

INDUSTRY: COAL

PRINCIPLE: After coal has been mined the various product grades are homogenised on different storage areas. As spontaneouscombustion, due to an increase in temper-ature, cannot be excluded, the storage tipsare monitored continuously for hot spots, sothat an early fire alarm may be triggeredand fires can be avoided.

BENEFITS: - Permanent, outdoor fire watching- Automatic alarm triggered when a pre-set

temperature is reached- Prevention of spontaneous fires and

material loss

APPLICATION: FIRE DETECTION IN WASTE BUNKERS

INDUSTRY: WASTE PROCESSING AND RECYCLING

PRINCIPLE: In vast storage warehouses of waste incinera-tion plants, many very different materials arecollected. Spontaneous fires can be causedby the composting processes. Also the inclu-sion of highly combustible objects is a firehazard.

An infrared camera prevents spontaneousfires by identifying fire pockets in an earlystage so that a fire alarm can be triggered.If one of the fire pockets should start to burnand to produce smoke, an operator canlocate the fire source immediately since theinfrared camera sees through the smoke.The fire can be extinguished instantly.

BENEFITS: - Early identification of fire pockets and prevention of fires

- Automatic alarm triggered when a preset temperature is reached

- Rapid control of the source of the fire in spite of smoke-filled bunker warehouse sincethe infrared camera sees through smoke

Fire packets identifiedin a coal tip

Detailed view fromabove of a waste bunkerwith transport crane

Infrared image of thewaste. Hotter regions canbe clearly recognized andthese can be taken forincineration first

Continuous depotmonitoring withThermoVisionTM


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APPLICATION: FLARE DETECTION

INDUSTRY: STEEL

PRINCIPLE: When smelting steel, various materials arefed into the blast furnace together with thepig iron. The gases, which are formed during this process, are generally used forpower generation. In the event of faults inthe turbine or over-production, the generat-ed gases are burned off on special flares.Like hydrogen flames, the flames generatedby these gases are invisible to the humaneye. They can however easily be detectedby infrared cameras.

BENEFITS: - Reliable flare detection- Automatic alarm if flare stack tip fails- Increased environmental safety

APPLICATION: GENERAL FIRE PREVENTION

IN CRITICAL VESSELS

INDUSTRY: CHEMICAL, STEEL, NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS, ETC.

PRINCIPLE: Many vessels, such as chemical and bio-chemical reactors and storage tanks oftencontain critical materials and finished products, which must be safeguarded.Furthermore, during certain productionprocesses it needs to be closely monitoredthat the temperature does not exceed cer-tain values. Early detection of a fire, possi-bly caused by lightning or overheating ofthe production process, can save enormousinvestments and lives.

BENEFITS: - Avoidance of fires or explosions- Trigger alarms when detecting an

unusual temperature rise- Monitor and protect critical steps in

the production process- Increased safety for people and materials

Wavelength / µm

LWIR

Rela

tive

resp

on

se

Chemical reactors are monitored for

dangerous temperaturedevelopments

Continuous temperaturemonitoring in

critical storage tanksand vessels

Early identification of fire sources is necessary for all

industriesVisual: Steam obscures view

Infrared image of a flair in daylight

Relative signal, e.g. of hydrogen flames


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APPLICATION: FUNCTION TEST AND QUALITY

ASSESSMENT OF CAR WINDOWS


PRINCIPLE: Due to the high demands of the automobileindustry the quality of all front and rear win-dows has been improved steadily overrecent years. In addition to the traditionalpresence check and the search for weakpoints in the material on the heating wiresin the rear windows, the product quality ofa heated front window is also monitoredcontinuously. Furthermore infrared camerasare used for air conditioning test benches inorder to acquire valuable temperaturedata.

BENEFITS: - Presence check on heating wires (rear window)

- Detection of weak places as hot spots on the heating wires (rear window)

- Detection of defects, shown as hot spot, on heated front windows

- Parameter optimization in window de-icing

Glossy mould with strutsbefore foaming. Thestruts are difficult to

detect

A rear car window withheating wire

A heated car front win-dow with weak pointin the power feed

Inclusion of thermography camerasin fully automatic air conditioning test chambers

Mould and struts seen inthe infrared spectrum.

The struts can be clearlyidentified thanks to the difference in emissivity

Finished seat, includingseat heating, assessed

with the aid of a thermography camera.

APPLICATION: INSPECTION OF CAR SEAT SKELETONS


PRINCIPLE: Modern car seats are made up from differ-ent materials. The basis for the productionof these seats is a skeleton in steel struts,which at a later production stage is filledwith foamed plastic. The configuration ofthese components varies from one seatmodel to another. Because of the smallmaterial contrast between the glossymoulding material and the matt struts, thetraditional video image processing cannotinspect the moulding process. The use of anIR video camera produces however excel-lent contrasts between the seat mould to befilled with foam and the steel struts.

BENEFITS: Fully automatic inspection of assemblyaccording to seat model, including:

- Check for presence of elements- Position check for strut elements- Inspection of element placement

independently of operator


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APPLICATION: QUALITY CONTROL ON REFRIGERATION

SYSTEMS AND REFRIGERATORS

INDUSTRY: GENERAL HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE

MANUFACTURING

PRINCIPLE: Refrigerators need to operate continuouslyfor many years. To guarantee the quality oftheir products, reputable manufacturers arerelying on infrared cameras for total qualitycontrol. The infrared camera gives a totalimages of the situation and thanks to itsmany temperature measuring points it iseasily possible to obtain a rapid but perfectassessment of the components beinginspected. Defects such as faulty coolantvolumes, clogging of hoses or leaking pipesare immediately detectable.

BENEFITS: - Fully automatic quality control- Significant saving of time and thus

production costs thanks to shorter test times

- Detection of clogged hoses, leaks and bad connections

The heat distribution from the

cooling coils is an indica-tor of the quality of the

cooling process

The refrigeration unit in arefrigerator. If it malfunc-tions, some places may

be too hot or too cold

APPLICATION: TEMPERATURE MONITORING

IN GLASS FIBRE PRODUCTION

INDUSTRY: SEMI-CONDUCTORS

PRINCIPLE: In the production of modern glass fibres,different temperature zones are needed tooptimize the optical and mechanical properties of the fibres. The fibres are heated or cooled in various steps in a droptower, which may be as high as 25 m. Aninfrared camera can continuously monitortemperatures at every height and guaranteethe material properties.

BENEFITS: - Continuous temperature monitoring at critical heating and cooling zones

- Regulation of connected cooling and heating equipment

- Optimization of fibre production

A refrigerator. At first sight

everything seems normal

Visible light image of a glass fibre

An infrared camera cancontinously monitor thetemperature of the fibreand guarantee materials properties


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APPLICATION: AUTOMATIC SLAG DETECTION

INDUSTRY: STEEL

PRINCIPLE: In steel production it is impossible to pre-vent the occurrence of slag. However, thisby-product may only be carried through tothe following processing steps in a strictlydefined percentage. Otherwise the steel isloosing its quality. An IR camera can dis-tinctly identify the slag during casting of thecrude steel, due to its higher emissivity, andgive a control signal to interrupt the castingprocess.

BENEFITS: - Reliable slag detection in crude steel during the casting process

- Automatic triggering of alarm, independently of machine controller or operator

- Clearly improved steel quality and product quality

- Cost saving for replacement materials, such as slag stoppers, etc.

Crude steel without slag

IR image of the materialfeed. The material distri-bution between the first rollers can be clearlyrecognized

Crude steel with slag

Emissivity comparison betweencrude steel and slag

(metal oxide)

APPLICATION: PROCESS CONTROL ON

CALENDARING MACHINES

INDUSTRY: PLASTICS INDUSTRY

PRINCIPLE: Plastic sheeting is produced in a lengthycalendering process. The pre-heated rawmaterial, e.g. in the form of balls or as acontinuous extruded mass, is fed in betweenthe rollers. An IR camera can provide valu-able information to guarantee the optimumdistribution, and thus also the desired thick-ness, of the plastic sheeting. The IR imageshows a clear distinction of the plastic ballsfrom the glossy calendaring rollers, regard-less of the colour of the plastic or evenwhen the balls are completely transparent.

BENEFITS: - Automatic distribution of the raw material feed

- Product identification regardless of the material color

- Identification of transparent plastics- Higher material throughput and

production volume- Reliable material feed 24 hours a day,

7 days a week

Dark non-metals

SW 2-5 µm LW 8-12 µm

Wavelenghth (µm)

Shiny non-metals

metals

metaloxide


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APPLICATION: CAR SHREDDER INSTALLATIONS

INDUSTRY: WASTE PROCESSING AND RECYCLING

PRINCIPLE: Throughout the world vehicles of all kindsare being crushed in shredder installations asthe first step in the recycling process. Due tothe high friction that occurs during the frag-mentation process a lot of dust, but also agreat deal of heat is generated. Water issprayed on to the crusher for reducing thedust, however causing steam to develop. Theprocessing of some materials can also pro-duce smoke. Steam and smoke restrict thevisibility of the shredder charging, which amachine operator has to supervise continu-ously for possible material jams. An IR camera can distinctly identify the conveyorroller and exactly locate the position of anymaterial jam through this mist.

BENEFITS: - Continuous supervision of the installation, in spite of steam and smoke

- Rapid detection of jams using IR video image- Fewer downtimes and thus higher

productivity and profits

APPLICATION: SAFETY OF BUILDINGS, SEA RESCUE, FIRE RESCUE, ETC.

INDUSTRY: MISCELLANEOUS

PRINCIPLE: As well as night vision instruments, which workon the principle of light amplification, “real”infrared cameras are being used increasinglyin the non-military sector. The decisive factorhere is that the actual scene can becompletely dark, as the IR camera records theobject’s own temperature radiation.

As infrared cameras can also “see” throughfog or smoke, this often gives a uniqueadvantage to helpers on land or even on thehigh seas for the detection of people. Firebrigades and sea rescue forces have alreadybeen able to save innumerable lives thanksto the use of IR cameras.

BENEFITS: - Detects objects or people, even in total darkness

-“Seeing” without illuminating the scene and thus alerting the intruder

- Detection also in thick fog and smoke, both on land and at sea

Machine operatorsupervising the

installation

IR video image of a jam on

the right-hand conveyor roller side

Outline sketch of acar shredder

Detection of persons and scenes

Reliable supervisionof important areas

Rescue of ship-wrecked people,even in total dark-ness and thick fog



FLIR SYSTEMS ABWorld Wide Thermography CenterRinkebyvägen 19PO Box 3SE-182 11 DanderydSwedenTel.: +46 (0)8 753 25 00Fax: +46 (0)8 753 23 64e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS INC.Corporate Headquarters16505 SW 72nd AvenuePortland, OR 97224USATel.: +1 503 684 3731Fax: +1 503 684 5452www.flir.com

FLIR SYSTEMS FRANCE

18 rue Hoche F-92130 Issy les MoulineauxFranceTel.: +33 (0)1 41 33 97 97Fax: +33 (0)1 47 36 18 32e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS GMBHBerner Strasse 81D-60437 Frankfurt am MainGermanyTel.: +49 (0)69 95 00 900Fax: +49 (0)69 95 00 9040e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS LTD.2 Kings Hill Avenue - Kings HillWest Malling KentME19 4AQUnited KingdomTel.: +44 (0)1732 220 011Fax: +44 (0)1732 843 707e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS S.R.L.Via L. Manara, 220051 Limbiate (MI)ItaliaTel.: +39 02 99 45 10 01Fax: +39 02 99 69 24 08e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS CO. LTD

Room 1613-15, Tower 2Grand Central Plaza 138 Shatin Rural Committee RdShatin, N.T. Hong KongTel.: +852 27 92 89 55Fax: +852 27 92 89 52e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS ABUitbreidingstraat 60 - 62B-2600 BerchemBelgiumTel.: +32 (0)3 287 87 10Fax: +32 (0)3 287 87 29e-mail: [email protected]

FLIR SYSTEMS INC.USA Thermography Center16 Esquire RoadNorth Billerica, MA 01862USATel.: +1 978 901 8000Fax: +1 978 901 8887e-mail: [email protected]

www.flir.com


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