New Temperature Measurement Technology Holds Maintenance to a Minimum

Granco Clark has introduced the first non-contact temperature measurement assembly commercially available to the aluminum extrusion industry. The new probe is now available as an option on Granco Clark furnaces, and can also be retrofitted to existing Granco Clark furnaces with PLC temperature control.

Land Instruments International, a leading specialist in infrared temperature measurement systems, designed the Aluminum Billet Thermometer System (ABTS), which is a non-contact radiation thermometry system. The company enlisted Granco Clark’s expertise to develop the mechanical components necessary for the ABTS to function properly in the aluminum billet furnace chamber environment.

The new non-contact probe offers significant savings in maintenance requirements over traditional-style probes, which must be sharpened frequently in order to give accurate temperature readings. For most operations, the traditional temperature probes should be sharpened every day. Fact is, most operations are lucky if they get to it once or twice a week, or even once a month. And if probes aren’t sharpened frequently enough, it will result in inaccurate temperature readings that can potentially compromise product quality. The new non-contact probe eliminates those concerns.

“This was really a customer-driven venture,” says David Jenista, Granco Clark Systems Engineer. “Customers have been asking for a non-contact probe for a long time, and this new option allows them to reduce time spent on maintenance.”