Monitoring Preform Temperature

Customer Needs

Fiber optics filaments start out life as a large glass tube on a rotating lathe. The tube, called a preform, is heated to allow chemicals to deposit on the inside of the tube forming a reflective core. A carriage runs up and down the length of the tube to uniformly heat the tube so the core will form evenly up and down the length of the tube.

Monitoring the temperature of the tube is critical during the chemical deposition process. A nitrogen or helium based atmosphere is induced to aid in the heat transfer effects of the flames. Measuring the temperature up and down the length of the preform can be accomplished by a spot pyrometer (most common method), a line scanner, or a thermal imaging camera. The thermal imager holds the most promise since it is able to provide a complete temperature profile of surface of the preform.

Features/Benefits

Product

• Emphasize offering a complete system with the Stinger thermal imager and Preform Software.
• The Thermal Imager looks at the “complete” preform not just a line (scanner technology), or a point (spot pyrometer technology).
• Cost of thermal imager is the same or less then scanning technologies.
• Depending on project:
  
1. Stinger Thermal Imager (5 μ, 25 mm lens, Preform software)
2. Modline 3 (5 μ)
3. Scan IR II (5 μ with Spot software)

Application

• Better quality product for the customer through better temperature control.
  
• Money is saved with less scrap fiber optics cable, less expense in heating at the lathe, less expense in gas usage.
  
• Save batch profiles to look at changes in preforms as manufacturing process changes. Better record keeping.