Portable IRT System

Home
Up

Continuous Temperature Sensing for Production

IRT measurements for tracking the temperature of molds remotely can be built directly into a molding machine to aid in process control. As a test and demonstration of this technique, I have put together a portable version of the system that operates from a laptop. 

I had a chance to test the system a couple of times last month at molders during visits. A sample of the data collected is shown below:

Only two arms were being used on this independent arm machine. Some points to note:

Differences of wall thickness and cycle times meant that Arm 1 typically began the cooling cycle at a higher temperature than Arm 2.
The entry temperature of Arm 1 was more consistent due to fewer delays at the rear of the machine (no arm ahead during the cycle)
The temperature at the end of the cooling cycles varied within +/- 15F.
Arm 1 was slighty more consistent due to the fact that the preceding arm had no molds and the arm was always able to move into the load/unload station directly.
Cooling rates were in the range of 21 to 25°F/min (11.6 to 13.9°C/min) for fan cooling (ambient temperature 72°F (22°C)).

The intention is to conduct tests on the cooling bays of molding equipment while I am doing training or consulting at molders facilities. The objective is to demonstrate the system as a potential control method for monitoring demolding points and also to show molders how effectively their cooling operation is working. It can also highlight the effect of delays and changes in plant temperature over a period of time.

There is more information on the use of IRT for rotational molding in Articles.

If you are interested in trying this out or want more information, email me at email@paulnugent.com.

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to email@paulnugent.com with questions or comments about this web site.

Copyright © 2001-2006 Paul Nugent
Last modified: January 17, 2006