V. Lappe, Ircon Inc., Niles, IL

Summary: Temperature is a critical parameter to control in the atmospheric furnace. The most common sensor used to measure temperature is a thermocouple. However, the thermocouple does not measure the part temperature it only measures the temperature of the tip. If the size of the product changes or the loading of the furnace changes the thermocouple will not sense a change in the product temperature. An infrared thermometer, if installed properly will accurately indicate the temperature of the product. As a result the products are all heated to the correct temperature and a record of the temperature is available for the end user of the product. A side benefit is fuel savings. It is the general tendency to overheat the product to be sure it was hot enough. This certainly wastes fuel but even worse may create scrap. The infrared thermometer can cut fuel costs and reduce scrap.