[TheForge] HF IR thermometer <$20!

[David E. Smucker]

Jim is so right on the IR thermometers.  In my old day job, before
retirement I was part of efforts in Alcoa (Aluminum Co. of America) for not
contacting temperature measurement.  You can't pick a worst material for
this that "shinny" aluminum.  We spent millions of dollars both with
in-house research and working with suppliers to develop IR temperature
measurement.  We had very good computer models for hot rolling and it was an
important part of automatic control systems but to work right we need very
good temperature measurement.  We work with multi-wavelength units and still
could not get the results we needed.  Close but not good enough for the
required input to the control systems.  Part of the problem was also having
it work in the not so nice environment of a hot rolling mill.  At the end of
the day we when back to the good old contact measurement of a two point.
The problem with this was of course that you couldn't use contact
measurement on a moving slab.

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: TheForge [mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of James
Binnion
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2014 5:52 PM
To: Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] HF IR thermometer <$20!


On Dec 7, 2014, at 5:40 AM, Bruce . <freemab222 at gmail.com> wrote:

> As to Jim's comments on accuracy -- that's the thing:  I'm 
> distinguishing "hot" from "rather hot" from "very hot"

That is a reasonable use, the problem with these things is one of perception
"it has a digital read out it must be accurate" These things have been
flooding the market in recent years as some kind of super accurate means of
determining temperature but little if nothing is said by the vendors about
how these things need proper calibration against the desired surface to get
accurate readings.

James Binnion
jbin at well.com



______________________________________________________________
TheForge mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net

TheForge mail list group photo site is
http://www.shutterfly.com
Login: blacksmithblacksmith at hotmail.com
Password: anvil

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html