Temperature Applications
- Billet Temperature Measurement  

- Press Exit Temperature Measurement

- Quench Zone Temperature Measurements

 Billet Temperature Measurement

Improper billet temperatures make precise press exit temperature management difficult and can lead to excessive die wear and variations in product quality. Typical billet
temperature measurements include:

• Billet Zone Temperature: The fiber optic PRO 220 sensor is installed to view through existing thermocouple ports for closed loop control of billet temperatures inside gas fired furnaces. These sensors replace troublesome thermocouples, and are designed with fiber optics to mount easily onto the existing mechanical assemblies and to interface with the existing PLC controls.
• Billet Feed Temperature: The PRO 120 may be aligned to view the side or the face of the billet between the preheat furnace and the container. This measurement is used for a go/no go confirmation of billet temperature, and to adjust furnace setpoint temperatures.
• Induction Heating Furnace: The PRO 120 is usually aligned to the face of the billet while it is in the induction furnace. This measurement is used for real-time closedloop control of the induction heating system.
• Tapered Heating: The PRO 120 is aligned to the side of the billet to monitor and control the temperature taper introduced along the billet length. The sensor may be stationary as the billet travels past, or the sensor may be scanned across a stationary billet.

Press Exit Temperature Measurement

The extruded profile temperature at the exit of the press is the most important process parameter that can be used to optimize the efficiency and quality of the extrusion operation. By maintaining consistent and optimal operating temperatures at the exit of the press, it is possible to optimize the speed of the press while eliminating problems with soft metal, cracks, and blemishes. In addition, the sensor’s emissivity measurement can be used for process verification as well as an indication of the surface quality of the profile.

Quench Zone Temperature Measurement

Ever-tightening quality control requires verification of proper quench rates. Quench rates that are too slow can result in soft metal, while quench rates that are too fast can sacrifice dimensional tolerances.  Williamson’s broad temperature span allows accurate and reliable temperature measurement in the quench zone. To provide a complete quench management system, the quench sensor may be configured to communicate with the press exit sensor to automatically calculate and display the real-time quench rate which is an indication of the profile tensile properties.