Temperature measurement and thermal control of die casting processes using CCD cameras
Abstract
A non-contact temperature measurement system for the die casting process is developed, using low-cost, charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras. Factors present in an industrial setting that affect non-contact temperature measurement are identified, and a system is developed to overcome these factors. A temperature control system for the die casting process is also developed to minimize temperature variance in the die casting process by controlling the water cooling lines. The temperature measurement system is tested experimentally, using an experimental die that incorporates the identified factors. The measurements from the system are compared to ground truth measurements from thermocouples, and also to the performance of an industrial infrared camera. The experiments show that the measurements from the system closely correlate to the thermocouple measurements; moreover, the developed system outperforms the industrial infrared camera. Finally, the temperature control system is experimentally tested, and it is concluded that it can minimize temperature variation in a simulated casting process.