Sensor heralds new vision in IR thermometry

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Sep 12, 2005

The Marathon MM provides enhanced continuous remote temperature monitoring, video surveillance and documentation capabilities for a wide range of industrial process applications.

Billed as the first high-performance IR sensor platform of its kind, the Marathon MM provides enhanced continuous remote temperature monitoring, video surveillance and documentation capabilities for a wide range of industrial process applications.

The "new vision" in IR thermometry, the Marathon MM Series offers both through-the-lens and laser sighting methods that make correct sensor operation much easier.

This premium IR sensor family is also available with simultaneous real-time video sighting and automated image recording and storage.

The thermometer incorporates an optional live video feed into its data acquisition and sensor programming software that allows for active frame capture information at a lower price than competitive products.

Rugged and reliable, the Marathon MM Series features an advanced electro-optical design, digital electronics and a user-friendly pushbutton operator interface.

The sensor can be easily set up for stand-alone operation, or configured for a multisensor network.

The unit is housed in sealed NEMA 4 enclosure that withstands the most demanding process environments.

Ideal applications for the Marathon MM Series sensors include: steel and metals processing (foundry/forging operations and heat treating); glass bending, forming, tempering, annealing and sealing; paper processing (ink drying/curing and lamination); plastics processing and thermoforming; and semiconductor processing.

According to Frank Schneider, Raytek's IR Thermometry Product Manager, the Marathon MM Series is a cost-effective solution enabling significant performance improvements temperature measurement requirements.

"Using the Marathon MM's remote monitoring feature, engineers can continuously observe and record temperature variations in their process in order to take immediate corrective action", said Schneider.

"Automatic image capture allows users to document exactly when temperatures fall outside of accepted parameters, and shows which products were affected".

He added: "With the Marathon MM Series, manufacturers can ensure a consistent manufacturing process and improve efficiency by allowing tighter tolerances that reduce variation and heating costs".

The Marathon MM Series platform, which covers a temperature range of -40 to +300C, consists of five IR temperature sensor models, each with a specific measurement wavelength and temperature range appropriate for either low- (-40 to +80C), medium- (25 to 110C), or high-temperature (30 to 300C) production monitoring.

All sensors feature identical installation hardware and include Raytek DataTemp Multidrop software to enable easy and consistent installation, configuration and data capture across the full breadth of an application.

The Marathon MM sensors provide multiple fixed-focus settings for fast and easy validation of correct aiming and target location.

Superior optical resolution of up to 300:1 enables targets with a spot size as small as 0.6mm to be measured accurately from a distance of 150mm with a response time as fast as 2ms.

Each rugged Marathon MM sensor is IP65 sealed to prevent contamination and damage during installation, setup and use.

Standard analogue, digital and discrete relay outputs are included for simultaneous transmission of data and triggering alarm and control signals.

Using the built-in RS485 interface, up to 32 sensors can be networked in a multidrop configuration.

Remote monitoring, sensor control and data acquisition can be managed easily from a single PC using the Raytek software.