Stages in running a survey in an IQ furnace using a ‘Hot Box’ temperature measurement system
Integrated quench (IQ) furnaces are the most common types of carburizing furnace used in the automobile and aerospace industry. Carrying out a temperature uniformity survey (TUS) can often be difficult and may involve shutting down and de-gassing the furnace. This video takes you through the stages of running a TUS using a ‘Hot Box’ system, showing how furnace downtime is greatly reduced, how RF technology gets the data from the furnace, and how software makes life easier for the technician.
See the video

Monitoring steel tube temperature during the annealing process, using a PhoenixTM 'Hot Box' system
Annealing is a heat treatment process that modifies the physical properties of a material to increase ductility, relieve internal stress, and create an homogenous structure. It involves heating the tube to above its critical temperature, soaking at this temperature and cooling at a controlled rate. When the tube is annealed in a continuous operation such as a walking beam furnace, it is difficult to get an accurate assessment of the temperature profile of the product. Using a ‘Hot Box’ system thermocouples can be inserted at critical points in the tube wall and temperatures transmitted in real time to an external PC where analysis of the process can be made.
See the video

Challenges and Benefits of Temperature Profiling in the Heat Treatment Industry
‘Hot Box’ systems are the most efficient way to gather product temperature data from inside a furnace. In this paper we see how they are engineered to get safely through such diverse heat treatment processes as low pressure carburizing, solution treatment, homogenizing logs etc., and how advantageous they can be when surveying furnaces (TUS) in the auto and aerospace industries.
Read more

Advances in monitoring internal temperature of aluminum slabs in pusher furnaces
Prior to rolling for foil or plate, aluminum slabs need to be reheated to a rigidly controlled temperature profile. Maintaining this profile through all stages of the process, including the final ‘drop out’ phase allows optimization for the type of alloy being processed. Accurate measurement of actual slab temperatures throughout reheat can indicate how effective the set temperature profile is, and can show where further adjustments may improve the process.
Read more