Seamless Pipe
Temperature Control for Seamless Pipe Manufacturing
Seamless steel pipes are used in various critical industrial processes including those for oil, natural gas, & other chemical applications. These applications require pipes & tubes that are high-strength, can withstand significant heat & pressure, & are often corrosion resistant. Seamless pipes provide the strength, structural uniformity, & reliability that help meet increasing production burdens.
Multi-point temperature control is critical to consistently achieving desired mechanical qualities, while maximizing process efficiency throughout seamless pipe mills. High temperatures, varying furnace conditions, optical interferences, & changing surface characteristics present significant temperature measurement challenges.
Wavelength Technologies
Williamson’s advanced pyrometers utilize carefully selected wavelengths & application-specific technology to provide accurate real-time temperature feedback at all critical points in seamless pipe production.
Rotary Hearth Furnace & Piercing Station
Application Overview
Billets are preheated in a gas-fired rotary hearth furnace. Billet temperatures at the rotary hearth furnace can be used to optimize furnace conditions, establish consistent soak times, & ensure the billet has reached desired deformation temperature before entering the piercing station. Desired deformation temperature enables optimal force & speed at the piercing station.
Williamson offers non-contact temperature solutions for in-zone, furnace exit, and piercing station entry measurements.
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
In-Zone: Flames, reflections, & hot process gasses inside the rotary hearth furnace present considerable optical interferences that can significantly impact temperature readings. Williamson’s Short-Wavelength (SW) pyrometers utilize a carefully selected narrowband wavelength to accurately measure in-zone billet temperatures.
Furnace Exit & Piercing Station Entry: Surface oxidation, scale, & steam are common interferences at the furnace exit & piercing station entry. Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) pyrometers overcome surface oxidation, scale, steam & water associated with these respective temperature measurements.
Pyrometer Benefits
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Optimize furnace conditions & improve process efficiency
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Utilize optimal force & speed at the piercing station
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Ensure desired billet temperatures & establish consistent soak times
Wavelength Technology
In-Zone
- Short-Wavelength (SW) technology maximizes temperature sensitivity while minimizing sensitivity to emissivity variation
- SW-16 views clearly through furnace combustion gasses & flames
Furnace Exit & Piercing Station Entry
- Dual-Wavelength (DW) technology is 20x less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
- DW-08 tolerates heavy water & steam without error
Mandrel Mill & Dimensional Gauge
Application Overview
After the piercing station the newly hollow pipe travels to the Mandrel Mill where the pipe is lengthened as its wall thickness & diameter are reduced. Pipe temperatures at the Mandrel Mill influence mechanical properties & pipe dimensions. A dimensional gauge is also used to measure these pipe dimensions, & temperature feedback provides thermal expansion compensation. Surface oxidation, scale, water, & steam are common temperature measurement challenges associated with the Mandrel Mill.
Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) pyrometers use carefully selected narrowband wavelength sets & ESP filtering to overcome these interferences & provide accurate real-time temperature readings.
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
Dual-Wavelength (DW) Technology
- 20 times less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
- DW-08 tolerates water & heavy steam without interference
Pyrometer Benefits
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Helps control dimensional accuracy, including length, diameter, & wall thickness
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Ensures desired mechanical properties & structural integrity
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Compensates for thermal expansion
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Improves the longevity of mandrel mill components
Wavelength Technology
Pro DW-08-50
Heat Treat Furnace
Application Overview
After the mandrel mill, steel pipes undergo a crucial reheating process in a gas-fired heat treat furnace. This ensures that steel pipe temperatures are above the austenite deformation point before entering the final rolling process at the stretch reducing mill. Accurate pipe temperatures inside & at the heat treat furnace exit help regulate furnace operating conditions & overall production efficiency. Overheated pipes indicate fuel waste & process inefficiencies. Under heated pipes can crack & place additional stress on rolling components.
Williamson offers pyrometers tailored for both in-zone & furnace exit temperatures at the heat treat furnace.
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
Flames, process gasses, & hot wall reflections present significant optical obstructions associated with in-zone measurements. While scale, surface oxidation, & steam are common temperature measurement challenges at the furnace exit. Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) & Single-Wavelength (SW) Pyrometers provide unequalled accuracy & reliability across the heat treat furnace.
Pyrometer Benefits
- Optimize furnace conditions & improve process efficiency
- Utilize optimal force & speed at the piercing station
- Ensure desired billet temperatures
- Establish consistent soak times
Wavelength Technology
In-Zone
- Short-Wavelength (SW) technology maximizes temperature sensitivity while minimizing sensitivity to emissivity variation
- The 16 wavelength set views clearly through furnace combustion gasses & flames
- SW-16 is designed for enhanced accuracy in the presence of hot wall reflections
Furnace Exit
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Dual-Wavelength (DW) technology is 20x less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
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DW-08 tolerates heavy water & steam without error
Stretch Reducing Mill
Application Overview
At the stretch reducing mill, steel pipes are rolled or “reduced” to their final diameter & wall thickness. Pipe temperature is a critical process & quality control parameter that helps determine optimal roll speeds & force. Inaccurate temperatures can yield incorrect pipe dimensions & uneven deformation over the length of the pipe.
Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) Pyrometers overcome misalignment, surface oxidation, & scale to provide unequalled accuracy & reliability at the stretch reducing mill.
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
Dual-Wavelength (DW) Technology
- 20 times less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
- DW Corrects for misalignment by automatically adjusting to the hottest temperature in the field of view (FOV)
- DW-08 uses carefully selected narrowband wavelength sets to overcome surface oxidation, scale, misalignment, other common optical obstructions associated with pipe temperature measurements at the stretch reducing mill
Pyrometer Benefits
- Helps achieve desired pipe dimensions, including diameter & wall thickness
- Optimizes roll speed & force
- Ensures uniform deformation
Wavelength Technology
Pro DW-08-50
In-Line Quench & Temper
Application Overview
Some facilities include in-line quench & temper processes in order to increase strength, toughness, & fatigue resistance, ensure a consistent microstructure, & reduce distortion. Water, steam, scale, & misalignement are significant temperature measurement challenges associated with the in-line quench & temper process.
Unlike short-wavelength & two-color pyrometers, Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) pyrometers use carefully selected narrowband wavelength sets & ESP filtering to overcome these interferences & provide accurate real-time temperature readings.
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
Because of a greater separation between wavelengths, the DW technology will read hottest temperature within the field of view. This allows the sensor to eliminate inaccurate reading from emissivity variation, optical obstruction, and misalignment. The DW technology also includes ESP Filtering which is used to recognize valid temperature conditions and ignore interferences.
Pyrometer Benefits
- Ensures improved mechanical qualities, including strength & toughness
- Prevents overcooling
- Helps achieve desired pipe temperature at furnace exit// quench entry & exit of tempering process
Wavelength Technology
Dual-Wavelength (DW) Technology
- 20 times less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
- DW-08 & DW-24 pyrometers utilize carefully selected narrowband wavelength sets to overcome water & steam without interference
Secondary Dimensional Gauge, Cut-to-Length, & Walking Beam Cooling Bed
Application Overview
Walking Beam Cooling Bed: Steel pipes are gradually cooled in a multi-zone walking cooling bed. The rate of cooling determines mechanical properties & structural integrity. Accurate pipe temperatures at the cooling bed entry, mid-zone, & exit helps prevent quality defects & uneven cooling, reduces rejected batches, & improves cooling efficiency.
Secondary Dimensional Gauge & Cut-to-Length: The cooled pipe must be cut to desired length. Pipe temperature just before or as it is cut to length is used to correct for thermal expansion & ensure a clean cut. General purpose & long-wavelength pyrometers are sensitive to surface oxides, scale, & emissivity variation associated with this application
Williamson Wavelength Advantage
Walking Beam Cooling Bed: Williamson’s Dual-Wavelength (DW) pyrometers use carefully selected narrowband wavelength sets & ESP filtering to overcome temperature measurement challenges associated with this application. This enables Williamson pyrometers to provide unequalled accuracy & reliability at multiple points along the cooling bed.
Secondary Dimensional Gauge & Walking Beam Cooling Bed: Williamson’s Short Wavelength (SW) pyrometers are 4 to 8 times less sensitive to surface oxides, scale & emissivity variation compared to general purpose long wavelength pyrometers. This makes them a highly effective and dynamic pyrometer for secondary dimensional gauge & cut-to-length applications.
Pyrometer Benefits
- Ensures desired mechanical properties
- Protects structural integrity — prevents internal stresses, warping, & cracks
- Reduces or eliminates rejected batches
- Maximizes cooling efficiency & establishes uniform cooling
- Compensates for thermal expansion
- Helps achieve clean cuts – – prevents fractures & cracks
- Guarantees customer specifications are met & prevents the shipment of excess material
Wavelength Technology
Walking Beam Cooling Bed
- Dual-Wavelength (DW) technology is 20 times less sensitive to surface oxidation & scale compared to short-wavelength & two-color technologies.
- DW-24 is designed to overcome steam & water
Secondary Dimensional Gauge & Cut-to-Length
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Short-Wavelength (SW) technology maximizes temperature sensitivity while minimizing sensitivity to emissivity variation
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SW-2A accurately measures low emissivity steel pipes
Consult With One of Williamson’s Temperature Experts
We would love to discuss your temperature measurement application with you.
