Steel production and processing are accompanied by numerous thermal processes. For quality assurance purposes, the temperatures of the steel itself are recorded and evaluated during production.

Careful attention must also be paid to the tools and equipment needed for production, including the cranes used to transport the ladles of pig iron. The crane ropes are exposed to great heat when filling the converter (charging). If the ropes become thermally overloaded and simultaneously subjected to strong mechanical stress, they can break, causing molten steel to leak into the production hall. In order to reliably eliminate the likelihood of such a disastrous scenario, a thermographic camera provides a continuous real time temperature measurement and threshold alarming. This allows the reliable early detection of weak points through non-contact monitoring of the temperature of the crane ropes.

Requirements for a thermographic system are very high in this environment. Thermal anomalies must be detected from a great distance despite dust and steam on the very small structures of the rope. Furthermore, the ropes themselves are in front of a hot background.

InfraTec Crane Rope Monitoring Camera Head - ©InfraTec

InfraTec provides a solution to this task with the VarioCAM® HD head. The camera is protected from adverse environmental conditions by a special protective housing with cooling and air purge and equipped with special tele-optics as well as an interface to the control system of the steelworks. Temperature measurement is carried out fully automatically with two cameras on each converter – one for monitoring directly during charging and one for a repeat inspection after this process.

The data is transmitted to the control system where it is displayed on a screen. If the pre-configured temperature thresholds are exceeded, an automatic warning is issued by the system and then, if necessary, an alarm is issued for each crane. The special software required was especially adapted for this process and its demands and is based on the INDU-SCAN 4.0 software from InfraTec.

InfraTec Crane Rope Monitoring - Thermography - ©InfraTec

Benefits of Thermographic Crane Rope Monitoring

  • Full automatic operation without stopping the crane
  • Monitoring and thermal characterisation of the crane rope even under difficult visibility conditions for the safe prevention of accidents or damage
  • High-resolution thermographic camera technology in a robust protective camera housing that protects against dirt and heat
  • Reliable alarm release at defined pre and main alarm limits
  • Customised system alignment and adjustment
  • Software for parameterisation, supervision, operation, display, evaluation and playback
  • Easy to operate data presentation in the steel plant network
  • Remote access available
Get in contact with InfraTec thermography division

Would You Like to Know More?

It is not unusual for tasks to be associated with special requirements. Discuss your specific application needs with our experienced engineers, receive further technical information or learn more about our additional services.

Europe & Rest of World

InfraTec GmbH
Infrarotsensorik und Messtechnik
Gostritzer Str. 61 – 63
01217 DresdenGERMANY

Use of Crane Rope Monitoring for these Industries & Applications

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Infrared Cameras for Crane Rope Monitoring

  • InfraTec radiometric infrared camera module PIR uc 605
    PIR uc 605

    PIR uc 605

    Category

    Industrial thermal cameras

    Image format (IR pixels)

    (640 × 480) IR pixels

    Detector
    Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array
    Field of View Calculator
  • Stationary thermographic camera PIR uc LWIR for industrial use
    PIR uc LWIR 600

    PIR uc LWIR 600

    Category

    Industrial thermal cameras

    Image format (IR pixels)

    (640 × 480) IR pixels

    Detector
    Uncooled microbolometer focal-plane array
    Field of View Calculator
  • Infrared camera VarioCAM® HDx head seurity from InfraTec
    VarioCAM® HDx head 600

    VarioCAM® HDx head 600

    Category

    Industrial thermal cameras

    Image format (IR pixels)

    (640 × 480) IR pixels

    Detector
    Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array
    Field of View Calculator
  • infrared camera VarioCAM HD head of InfraTec
    VarioCAM® HD head 800

    VarioCAM® HD head 800

    Category

    Industrial thermal cameras

    Image format (IR pixels)

    (1,024 × 768) IR pixels

    Detector
    Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array
    Field of View Calculator
InfraTec service
Comprehensive Service from InfraTec

Comprehensive Service

Our Company’s own service department accompanies you even with complex automation solutions far beyond the actual sale. In the event of malfunctions, your enquiry is forwarded directly to the employees via a hotline. By remote maintenance, you will receive an initial diagnosis. Together with you, we analyse the cause of the problem and quickly find a solution.

InfraTec Service - Technical Support
InfraTec Service – Technical Support

InfraTec Service – Technical Support

For more than 30 years, InfraTec has been implementing thermographic solutions with partners worldwide. Based on this wealth of experience, a thorough analysis of the initial situation is one of the first steps in cooperation. We prepare feasibility analyses and advise you on the planning of your future thermographic system. Afterwards, you will receive an offer adapted to your specific requirements.

Thermography trainings
Training of your Employees

Training of your Employees

In our training centre in Dresden, you can attend practical thermography training courses. After the transfer of the turnkey system, upon request qualified employees of our service team will introduce you step by step to your automation solution and instruct future users on your premises.

Camera protective housing for infrared cameras by InfraTec
Wide Range of Protective Housings

Wide Range of Protective Housings

The InfraTec product range includes numerous protective housings. The all-weather and robust metal housings allow the use of the thermographic cameras in harsh environments and protect against mechanical stress, dust and splash water. Depending on requirements, users can also choose ATEX-certified protective housings that can be used in potentially explosive atmospheres.

InfraTec camera equipment
Ask for your suitable accessories

InfraTec IR Camera Equipment

InfraTec offers high-quality accessories for all camera series. This allows users to flexibly adapt their camera to changing test and measurement environments and optimize it for daily indoor and outdoor use. The corresponding components are specially designed for the corresponding model and open up new possibilities – for current applications and new tasks.

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