AMETEK Land helps SAC Engine Components

SAC Engine Components Pvt Ltd, valve train IC engine components manufacturer has chosen AMETEK Land’s Cyclops Meltmaster high-precision portable non-contact thermometers to optimise the quality of their molten metal, while saving on consumables every year.

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 INR ($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 while pouring, 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 available from 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.

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.

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.”