Temperature Profiling for Molten Product Pourings
Grant Squirrel SQ2010 Portable Data Logger
CHESTERLAND OH - CAS DataLoggers recently provided the portable datalogging solution to a major manufacturer who specialized in a molten product that needed to cool gradually in an extremely temperature-sensitive process. The plant's existing temperature profiling methods were occasionally inaccurate and often led to defective product that was either too brittle or noticeably discolored. Without monitoring the process at sufficient accuracy, it was difficult for supervisors to tell if the temperature was right at any given time. A new emphasis on quality control led the plant to search for a portable datalogging solution which could monitor temperature at a high accuracy for detailed temperature profiling. This solution also needed to have a large memory and alarm outputs to alert personnel whenever product temperatures suddenly went out of specification.
The manufacturer installed a Grant Squirrel SQ2010 Portable Universal Input Data Logger in a main access point in their pouring area. CAS DataLoggers also supplied the plant with 4 Grant thermocouple probes which were connected to the data logger to monitor product temperature during pourings. The compact, battery-operated SQ2010 data logger featured up to 8 analog input channels measuring temperature at a high 0.1% accuracy as well as other parameters if necessary, including humidity, current, voltage, and resistance. The Squirrel's 8 digital channels could automatically trigger or stop logging, while 2 alarm/relay outputs provided the plant with reliable alarm capabilities. The Squirrel also featured a built-in 2-line x 40-character LCD display and keypad which clearly listed current readings. World-renowned for their ruggedness and durability, the Squirrel datalogger repeatedly stood up to the extreme environmental conditions in the plant and kept logging. All readings taken from the cooling product were recorded onto the logger's generous 16 MB internal memory, storing up to 1.8 million readings and featuring USB connectivity to a PC for easy downloads as well as optional Ethernet or RS232 connections. The device's handheld portability was also a major convenience, only about the size of a small notebook. Users found the SQ2010 to be robust, dependable and very easy to use.
Free SquirrelView universal software was included with the data logger, enabling quick configuration and setup of the datalogger along with fast data downloads and direct export to Excel in real-time or as a CSV file for customizable data analysis. SquirrelView's user-friendly spreadsheet style setup and flexible data presentation allowed supervisors to quickly display and analyze real-time or historical data as a line graph, bar chart or analog gauge. Graphical alarm and event identification let users easily identify occurrences around specific analog or digital events, and downloads could be scheduled by date, time or events, saving time when looking for specific temperature data.
The manufacturing plant's temperature profiling methodology was significantly improved following installation of the Grant Squirrel SQ2010 Portable Universal Input Data Logger. Subsequent quality control metrics reported a lower incidence of unusable product, increasing efficiency and consistency. One cost-effective Squirrel data logger was all it took to continuously collect and present all the temperature profile data in an organized, convenient format and to handle all alarming. Now the plant had total control over the once-unpredictable pouring process.
For more information on the Grant Squirrel SQ2010 Portable Universal Data Logger, other Grant Squirrel dataloggers, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS Data Logger Applications Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or visit the website at www.DataLoggerInc.com.
Contact Information:
CAS DataLoggers, Inc.
12628 Chillicothe Road
Chesterland, Ohio 44026
(440) 729-2570
(800) 956-4437
sales@dataloggerinc.com
http://www.dataloggerinc.com
