Cyclops 055L-2F – For accurate temperature reading of molten metal

December 13, 2019 11:00 am

Established in 1986 in Tamil Nadu, SAC Engine Components Pvt Ltd, formerly Southern Auto Casting, is a pioneer in the manufacturing of Camshaft, Balancer Shafts, Valve Tappets and Rocker Arms for  diesel and gasoline engines in specialised chilled grey iron, chilled ductile iron, ductile iron, steel forging and steel bar. For over three decades, SAC Engine Components has maintained a unique position and strong brand name in the industry for its quality of manufacture.

SAC Engine Components required an effective solution to be able to accurately measure the temperature of liquid metal in its furnace and the ladle, with high accuracy and consistency, with the information clearly displayed on the shop floor for the production team to see.

AMETEK Land recommended that engineers utilise six Cyclops 055L-2F Meltmasters with Bluetooth jumbo display installed at the factory in India near Chennai. The main advantage of the Cyclops 055L-2F is that it provides an accurate temperature reading of molten metal, which makes a fundamental difference to the quality of the casting.

The operator is positioned five to six metres away from the molten metal and points the Cyclops Meltmaster at the liquid. The trigger is then pulled when they wish to take a measurement, which is displayed in four simultaneous modes, including Continuous, Peak, Valley and Meltmaster to meet their specific requirements.The Cyclops 055L-2F Meltmaster provides accurate measurement of  liquid metal temperatures in the range 1,000 to 2,000 °C (1,832 to 3,632 °F). Accurate sighting is ensured by the clear, wide-angle field of view and small, clearly defined measurement area. All processed temperature values are shown continuously on the Bluetooth jumbo display when the trigger is pressed.

The AMETEK Land Cyclops Meltmaster paid for itself at SAC Engine Components within 12 months.Every year, the company was spending ₹12,00,000 ($17,143) on Dip type thermocouples, a cost it no longer needs to incur. The fact that the Cyclops Meltmaster uses no consumables is the main reason for the cost savings.

Also, being able to accurately measure the temperature of liquid metal, whilst delivering best and consistent mould quality, is essential. There are many other benefits of the Cyclops 055L-2F Meltmaster, in addition to return on investment. The instrument has a positive impact on health and safety because of its non-contact nature, making it much safer from an operational point of view. It is also very user-friendly and provides consistent and accurate readings.

The Cyclops 055L-2F Meltmaster offers high accuracy measurement of temperature, even whilepouring, right up to the last mould. The instrument is renowned for its ability to measure the real liquid metal temperature, regardless of high-temperature sparks, low-temperature water vapour,dust and smoke that can cause errors in temperature measurement.

The Cyclops Meltmaster features four trigger operating modes for datalogging, which are availablefrom logging a measurement for each trigger release to precisely execute pre-configured routes for consistent, long term readings. This innovative pyrometer can store up to 9,999 number readings. Emissivity compensation is provided via the icon-based menu system. The operating waveband has been carefully chosen to minimise errors due to uncertainty in emissivity and the effects of atmospheric vapour components, such as steam or hot sparks.

Its rugged instrument casing is designed to withstand harsh environments for extended periods. It also features a lens protector, which maintains the optics in good condition. The equipment is designed for single-handed operation, with contact-free measurement for excellent ergonomics and better safety in hazardous environments.

SAC Engine Components has been able to take advantage of the latest version of the Cyclops 055L-2F Meltmaster, which features a Bluetooth jumbo display. This offers greater convenience when accessing data. It also offers USB connectivity to download the data to a PC or mobile device. Consistency of measurement is assured as the Cyclops Meltmaster offers excellent repeatability.

AMETEK Land offers a NABL Calibration and technical service available locally in India, with facilities in both Bangalore and Jamshedpur. Each Cyclops Meltmaster made in India is calibrated to national standards, which gives the customer a guarantee of measurement accuracy. Kumar, Deputy General Manager of Foundry at SAC Engine Components said “We are really pleased with how the AMETEK Land solution is working and how the Cyclops Meltmaster has provided a more effective method of temperature measurement. Our production team have welcomed the consistency, reliability and accuracy that the equipment provides and from a business point of view, there have been major savings already.”

Prasath Venkatasamy, National Service and Business Development Manager for AMETEK Land in India, said: “In the past, SAC Engine Components used thermocouple tips, which are consumable and therefore an ongoing expense that builds up over the year. The company also had to check the calibration of the Dip thermocouple instrument every three months and minor issues that needed to be rectified required spare parts. This was expensive and time-consuming and meant that the accuracy of the process was not always consistent. With the Cyclops Meltmaster, the equipment is extremely easy to use and reliable and the Bluetooth display means that the readings are clear for the production staff to interpret. It is great to see that even though the equipment was only installed just over a year ago, it has already paid for itself.”

Venkatasamy continues “For any foundry in India, the Cyclops 055L-2F can provide major cost savings by reducing thermocouple tips, highly accurate and fast temperature measurements, reduction in quality defects, energy savings with immediate furnace control and operator safety improvements, plus its performance is proven throughout India with more than 250 new users in the
last 5 years.”