Temperature Measurement for Steel Forming Processes
After steel has been mined, processed and cast, it undergoes further cutting and forming to convert it into finished products.
Shear Cutting Operations
Once molten steel is cast and cooled by water jets, it exits the spray chamber via the withdrawal straightener line and continues to the shear cutting area. A high temperature plasma torch cuts the metal to a predetermined length. A pyrometer or thermal imaging camera from Process Sensors Corporation (PSC) is used to determine the billet or slab temperature is within specification so it is not too rigid or too soft before entering the roughing stands.
Hot Rolling Mill
Once the metal billets or slabs have cooled enough to hold shape, they are run through a series of heated rollers (roughing stands). These roughing stands squeeze the metal to a desired thickness and length. At the end of the roughing stands another cutting operation cuts the metals to a preset size. The metal must be solid, but pliable, so as to not destroy the machinery and halt the flow of production. Throughout this process, infrared (IR) temperature sensors and thermal imaging cameras from PSC are used to ensure the metal is at the correct temperature.
Laminar Cooling Line
Once properly shaped, the metal is put through the cooling line where it is sprayed with water one final time before being coiled and shipped out. PSC pyrometers are recommended to determine if the product has cooled enough for handling and to detect any imperfections that were missed by other processes.
To learn more about how PSC can optimize your steel forming operation, please fill out the contact form below.
Featured Solutions
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PSC Surveyor Series Thermal Imaging Cameras
The Process Sensors Surveyor camera series offers a comprehensive range of imaging and line scanning camera systems to continuously monitor and control industrial processes. Measures temperatures starting from -20 to 1800°C
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Metis M3 Pyrometer
The Process Sensors Metis M3 Series pyrometers are available in one-color and two-color versions with adjustable focus, through lens, laser, or video sighting optics. Temperature ranges begin at 50°C and end at 3300°C. Comes with a temperature display.
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PSC-56 Series
Rich in features, the self-contained two-color model PSC-SR56N and one-color models PSC-G56N/PSC-S56N pyrometers offer a choice of four sighting methods. Has five temperature ranges spanning from 200 to 3200°C