AST \ 3T development is oriented for a product, which can be the new step in the quite tight market of Infrared non –contact optical thermometers (pyrometers). And the main goal, achieved by our team was development of the system which is able to reach high accuracy temperature measurement of objects with various optical properties.

Optical properties variations of target are the fundamental problem for all non-contact temperature measurements. Different technologies have different approaches to resolve this problem.

Thus, one wavelength pyrometers are able to supply good result in case when the target Emissivity is absolutely constant and pyrometer need recalibration for each change.

Two wavelength (color) pyrometers can work with variable Emissivity without calibrations, but under very strong condition – the target should be Black or Grey physical body. As well known – it is not the most frequent case in industry, as well as in the all nature.

3T technology has started as multi wavelength, and because of original physical algorithms, the pyrometer, being initially calibrated for different target situations, after that can automatically recognize the type of the target and to use the most compatible calibration.

By this way we achieved 1% measurements accuracy. But each unit required being initially on line calibrated.

With rising of 3T sales and acquiring more and more experience in industrial applications we have developed Standard Calibration Databases for typical applications. This Database, being saved in pyrometer memory while production stage, allowed to customer to use our device as Plug & Play and avoid necessity in initial on site calibrations. We have developed Application SW, and by means of it customer got the possibility to install Database by his own, record data loggers of measurements, build Real temperature and Real Emissivity trends.

In the next stage we have found clear mathematical dependence between optical signals for different wavelength and objects optical properties, thus arise possibility to use pyrometer not only working in Discrete mode with Database, but also in Analytic Mode by using Analytic coefficients, specified for each application. It makes results more consistent, stable and allows performing of fine tuning by coefficients modification.

Now typical 3T Pyrometer measurements procedure may be described by follow:

• a) For known applications – instrument working in Analytic mode Plug & Play with standard coefficients, without any customer’s intervention.
• b) For unknown applications – initially started in Discrete mode for new Calibration Database acquisition. After that system calculates new Analytic coefficients, which can be used as typical coefficients for this application.
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High sensitivity, high accuracy and target properties independence allowed us to take a step into very difficult measurements branch of non-ferrous metallurgy – Aluminum industry, where most of the objects are very bright, low temperature and have very variable optical properties.

Further development showed us the way how on the base of existing algorithms to minimize the number of required wavelength, simplify the design, and reduce the cost of the device.

Today 3T Pyrometer working with our original technology on the base of 2 wavelength and can be used as set composed from different elements: Camera only + PC; Camera assembled with scanner; Camera + Display; Camera communicated with PLC through Analog Output or Serial output and also as the number of cameras Serial communication with one registering device..

Instrument can be accomplished with few different types of application SW.

The main amount of our pyrometers is being used as Plug & Play devices in Aluminium industry for Extrusion of profiles, Hot Rolling, Forging, casting of aluminium, Continuous casting. But our applications for brass, steel, grey iron, titanium are also successful. Technological potential of our team allowed us to participate in development of Silicon wafers processing machine, in cooperation with another Israeli companies.

We designed Reflectometer –Pyrometer for current monitoring of the Silicon wafer temperature with high accuracy. Unfortunately, the recession which has a place in Hi-Tech during early 2000 does not allow us to transform this project to the serial industrial application.

In present time we have the number of models, which are covering temperature range from 200° C to 3000°C, with measurement spot size from 2.5mm for high temperature to 20mm for low temperature (diameters mentioned for 1m distance).

The temperature range of each model is quite flexible and, by optics modification we can find the optimal model and optimal conditions for the range, required by customer.