APPLICATIONS AND CHALLENGES FOR INFRARED TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT IN GLASS MANUFACTURING WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TEMPERING OF LOW-EMISSIVITY GLASS

摘要

Infrared thermometry has as its genesis the early experiments in fundamental physics. Since then it has been developed and refined to the point where today, IR thermometers are found in a hugely diverse sampling of industrial processes. Continued refinements have converted this interesting phenomenon into a "must have" tool for any process involving heat. The increased use of low-emissivity glass in the building industry has brought with it an increase in the challenges associated with its tempering. The system described in this paper is the first known attempt to address these problems and the only known commercially available system of its type. While the system has some 'limitations in that in cannot function on glass where the emissivity is approaching zero, it has proven to be a useful tool to increase throughput, improve throughput and reduce cost.