TPT September 2011

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100 S eptember 2011 ›
Technology Update
KIENZLE Prozessanalytik develops high-
precision, high-speed optical systems
for spectrometrical applications and
measurement of lowest concentrations.
The systems are designed for industrial
use, especially for real-time online process
control. Special light sources illuminate the
substances or surfaces to be analysed,
detectors capture the optical signal, and
a high-speed electronic unit selects the
useful signal.
The company’s Lubrivisor system will for
the first time be used on a coupled pickling
line/tandem rolling mill for measuring
the residual amount of emulsion on strip
surfaces. In future, it will be possible to use
the measurement signals for controlling
the application of emulsion and optimising
consumption of cooling lubricants. At
the same time, the amount of residual
hydrocarbons on the strip surface will
be reduced, having a positive effect on
downstream processes such as annealing.
Lubrivisor systems measure the
thickness of films of hydrocarbon-containing
substances, such as cooling lubricants, on
strip surfaces. They can also handle foreign
oils such as hydraulic oils, bearing oils or
greases. The systems are already in use in
numerous cold rolling and skin passing mills
as well as in inspection and coil coating lines.
The system consists of a pulsed
microchip laser as light source and a
photomultiplier as detector. The connection
between the measuring head and the
evaluation electronics is by fibre-optic cables.
The system operates on the principle of
laser-induced, time-integrating fluorescence
spectroscopy LIF(t). By this method, not
only the intensity of the backscattered light
but also the decay behaviour of the signal
is evaluated. Unlike IR-based systems, this
absolute measurement is not influenced by
the surface structure of the strip: it delivers
precise results independent of the surface.
The systems can also be used for inline
control of oil or emulsion application to
optimise the use of rolling emulsion. This
optimises energy consumption by the rolling
process and minimises the amount of
residual hydrocarbons on the strip surface.
In contrast to other – IR-based – processes,
the Lubrivisor is capable of measuring the
thickness of a fluid film on any surface
structure.
Kienzle Prozessanalytik GmbH –
Germany
Fax: +49 461 57029 70
Email:
Website:
Inline measurement of cold strip
The Kienzle Lubrivisor system