Metal heat treatment furnaces

Measuring dew point in furnace gas

Successful metal heat treatment requires dew point measurement

Are you involved with industrial processes such as sintering, brazing, annealing or some other metallurgic process? Metal heat treatment is a complex and critical process that requires precise control of the furnace atmosphere.

The moisture content in the furnace atmosphere affects the quality and consistency of the heat treatment process, as well as the properties and performance of the final products. Therefore, it is essential to measure and control the dew point of the furnace atmosphere accurately and reliably.

What does it take to measure dew point in metal heat treatment furnaces?

Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor in a gas condenses into liquid water. It indicates how much moisture is present in a gas. A low dew point means a dry gas, while a high dew point means a moist gas. Different heat treatment processes require different dew point levels depending on the type of metal and the desired outcome.

Because of the wide variety of thermal heat treatment processes, target dew point temperatures can range from –60°C (–76°F) to elevated levels of +35°C (95°F) and even higher. Due to the extremely high oven process temperatures typically involved in heat treating, a sampling line from the furnace to the dew point probe is normally required to cool the process gas before reaching the sensor.

Vaisala DRYCAP®: The ultimate solution for dew point measurement in metal heat treatment applications

To measure dew point reliably in the sampling line, you need high-quality dew point measurement instruments and sample cells that can withstand the demanding conditions. They need to be leak-tight, easy to install and maintain, and compatible with various types of furnaces and gases. Moreover, the instruments provide accurate, stable, and fast readings that can be transmitted to a display or a control system.

Vaisala DRYCAP^® dew point measurement instruments meet the criteria for high-quality metal heat treatment applications. Find the instrument options with DRYCAP sensor technology below.

Instruments for measuring dew point in metal heat treatment furnace sampling lines

Probe head and probe body of the DMP6 for very high temperatures

Dew Point Probe DMP6

Vaisala DRYCAP® Dew Point and Temperature Probe DMP6 is designed for in-line humidity measurement in industrial drying applications with very high temperatures and a wide dew point range.

Dew Point and Temperature Probe DMP7

Vaisala DRYCAP® Dew Point and Temperature Probe DMP7 is made for tight spaces and low-humidity applications.

Dew Point and Temperature Probe DMP8

Vaisala DRYCAP® Dew Point and Temperature Probe DMP8 is designed for industrial low-humidity applications with pressure up to 40 bars.

Vaisala Insight Software gives quick access to the configurations and data of the Indigo family measurement probes and other supported devices.

Insight PC Software

Vaisala Insight PC Software gives quick access to the configurations and data of the Indigo family measurement probes and other supported Vaisala devices.

Indigo80 Handheld Indicator for portable measurements with Indigo-compatible probes

Indigo80 handheld measurement device

The latest addition to the Indigo family of transmitters and probes, the Indigo80 is a compact, handheld indicator and data logger.

DMP80 DRYCAP® handheld probe for dew point and temperature

DMP80 DRYCAP® Handheld Dew Point and Temperature Probes

Ideal for spot-checking applications and field calibration with accurate measurements for industrial dew point applications

Indigo500 Series Transmitters

The Vaisala Indigo500 series transmitters are host devices for Vaisala Indigo-compatible, stand-alone smart probes. The Indigo500 series include multi-functional Indigo520 transmitter and Indigo510 transmitter with basic features.

Indigo300 transmitter

Vaisala Indigo300 transmitters are host devices for Vaisala Indigo-compatible, stand-alone smart probes.

Metal manufacturing measurement resources

Blog authors Jarkko Ruonala and Joni Partanen with the Indigo520

Do I need an Indigo transmitter or just an Indigo probe?

There are many probe options to choose from measuring several parameters: humidity, temperature, dew point, CO2, moisture in oil, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide. The probes can be attached to Indigo500 or Indigo200 series transmitter. When is a probe sufficient on its own – and when do you need both a probe and a transmitter?

Compressed air sampling for moisture detection

To get a representative sample of the process gas and avoid potential sources of error caused by incorrect sampling practices, a few aspects should be considered. Read about the best practices and download a pdf with Vaisala sample cells included.

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Chemicals and allied products

We are also specialized in inline process refractometers and optical process analyzers for refractive index-based concentration measurements. The instruments range from compact probe models for small pipeline and bypass lines to rugged heavy-duty long probe versions.

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Acid passivation of stainless steel parts

Monitoring of concentration of nitric acid, citric acid in stainless steel passivation process.

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Metalworking and machining application note

Concentration measurement of hydraulic fluids, cutting oils, cooling lubricants and washing liquids in metalworking and machining.

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