PRESS RELEASE
9 November 1995
Significant breakthrough
in high temperature thermal imaging

A new thermal imaging pyrometer has been released by the Mikron Instrument Co. Inc. of Wyckoff, New Jersey, USA. The M9000 Pyrovision uses a patented, solid-state detector array camera and, according to the manufacturer, is the first, and only instrument to obtain and quantitate thermal images from the near infrared range of 0.8 to 1.0 microns measuring temperatures between 500°C and 3,000°C.
This is said to greatly reduce the impact of emissivity errors compared with competing units which operate in the 3 - 5 or 8 - 13 micron range. It also means that standard lens materials can be used to view high temperature processes through glass or quarts ports. The pyrometer is modular and can be supplied to suit varying client needs and budgets.

By combining visual and thermal images on the same camera, Mikron has created an imager with exact aiming capabilities. Narrow Band spectral response results in minimal impact of process emissivity changes and also simplifies lens material requirements and viewing through windows and viewing ports. Accuracy is maintained throughout the entire operating range with 1°C resolution. A background compensation feature further improves measurement accuracy when viewing in a furnace with a hotter background than the material being monitored.
A high resolution 640 x 480 pixel imager provides a
fast response rate of 30 frames per second. This means that blooming and light scattering from bright areas of the process image are eliminated providing clear edge temperature detection and measurement, the company reports.
The M9000 has been designed for trouble free use and, unlike line scanners, has no moving parts that can go wrong. The units are suitable for measuring temperatures in a variety of industrial processes where accuracy is crucial including heat treatment, continuous casting and rolling mills as well as in plasma and electron beam melting of high-duty alloys, forging operations and in crystal growing processes.
The pyrometer can be supplied to suit varying client needs and budgets with system modules offering simple thermal imagery or a variety of measurement options. These include multiple range and temperature profiles, curser selected point measurements and extensive menu driven computer image processing. It can be customized to user requirements and supplied as a turnkey system. A comprehensive selection of lenses is available including fish eye and wide angle which allow for full view within furnaces and provide temperature measurement over the entire image.
Mikron sells internationally with local representatives worldwide providing technical support and service./ins



Caption:
The new M9000 thermal imager from Mikron Instrument operates in the near infrared, 0.8 to 1.0 micron, range of the spectrum to measure temperatures between 500°C and 3,000°C.

For further information contact:
Mikron Instrument Co. Inc.
Douglas Frank, Vice President Marketing and Sales
445 W. Main Street
Wyckoff, NJ 07481, USA
Tel: +1 201 891 7330; Fax: +1 201 891 1205



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