Thermal Imager finds defects in torpedo cars.
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Press Release Summary:
Torpedo Car Inspection System uses single or dual Stinger thermal imaging cameras to inspect torpedo car for deteriorated refractory lining. Dual camera system inspects both sides of car as it passes on its way to pour area, and identifies hot spots on outside car wall. System includes PC, software, cameras, and rugged camera enclosures. Data can be viewed, saved, or sent to SQL database for historical information. Optional relay outputs are available.
Original Press Release:
Ircon's Introduces New Torpedo Car Inspection System
NILES, IL - Ircon has long been known for expertise with non-contact temperature measurement in steel mill applications. With the release of the Torpedo Car Inspection System, mills can now take advantage of advanced thermal imaging technology to save money and improve maintenance with their fleet of torpedo cars.
In steel mills, torpedo cars are used to transport molten steel from the blast furnace to the caster. These specialized rail cars have long been a costly maintenance issue for steel mills. Torpedo cars must be periodically taken out of service to replace deteriorated refractory lining and to expel slag that builds up inside the car with continued usage. If a car experiences too much deterioration of the internal refractory then the mill runs the risk of a break out. During a break out molten steel leaks through the sidewall of the torpedo car causing a tremendous risk to personnel, as well as destroying anything nearby the failed car. Downtime and lost production are the result. By using the Torpedo Car Inspection System as a safety/maintenance tool operators can visually see hot spots on the outside car wall. Maintenance scheduling can be better controlled and the risk of a breakout is greatly minimized.
Ircon's Torpedo Car Inspection system uses the Stinger thermal imaging Camera to provide thermal inspection of the torpedo car as it passes by. The system is capable of single or dual Stinger camera measurements. The dual camera system inspects both sides of the torpedo car as it passes on the way to the pour area. If space constrains are tight, a single camera can be mounted at the pouring area to provide thermal inspection as the car rotates during the pour. All camera outputs are fed into a single PC running the Ircon Torpedo Car Inspection Software. This data can then be viewed, saved, or sent to an SQL database for historical information. If the steel mill uses ID tag readers to track a car's progress then tag reader data can be fed directly into the Torpedo Car Inspection Software so that thermal data is mated to the correct car passing by.
Unlike line scanning systems, which rely on a tachometer to compensate for car speed, thermal imaging is able to capture an entire image of the torpedo car as it passes. Advanced algorithms within the Ircon software automatically compensate for different styles of torpedo cars, making sure that the ENTIRE thermal image of the car is captured during each pass.
The Ircon Torpedo Car Inspection System includes a Windows 2000 based PC, Torpedo Car Inspection Software, Stinger cameras (single or dual units depending on application), and rugged camera enclosures. Optional relay outputs are available for additional alarming capabilities.
For more information on the Torpedo Car Inspection System, or any of the products in IRCON's product line contact IRCON, Inc., 7300 North Natchez Avenue, Niles, IL 60714; tel:1-800-323-7660 ext. 258; fax: 847-647-0948
