Temperature Sensing in Brass Billet Forging with Electric Press Machinery

Ensuring Consistent Brass Billet Temperatures in Automated Forging Applications

Hot forging of brass involves heating cylindrical billets to around 800 °C until they become soft enough to be formed in a fully automated electric press. At these temperatures, it is crucial to maintain the correct billet temperature. If the brass is too cold, it may not fill the die properly or could crack. Overheating can harm the material and reduce the lifespan of the die. Consistent billet temperature is essential to ensure proper metal flow, mechanical properties, and parts without defects.

To achieve this, the temperature of each billet must be checked just before forging. Since billets move quickly in the automated process, manual checks are not feasible. A sensor with a very fast response time is needed to capture accurate values in the split second before the press closes.

The forging environment presents additional challenges. The enclosed cell experiences radiant heat from the billets and tooling, while oil mist, scale, and dust can contaminate unprotected optics. For safety and design reasons, the pyrometers must be placed several hundred millimeters away from the billets. Measuring such small targets from a distance requires high optical resolution; otherwise, the measurement spot would extend beyond the billet and capture cooler background areas, leading to inaccurate results.

Brass also makes infrared temperature measurement more complicated. Its emissivity is both low and variable, particularly in the long-wave infrared range. Shiny surfaces or partial oxidation can confuse conventional broadband sensors, causing significant errors. For this reason, accurate monitoring of hot brass billets needs short-wavelength pyrometers that reduce emissivity-related uncertainty and provide reliable, consistent readings.

Improved Brass Forging Quality and Cycle Time of Machinery due to Optris Pyrometers

Optris CTlaser 2M pyrometers offer a dependable solution for brass billet forging by combining accuracy, durability, and easy integration. Their short-wavelength design provides precise measurements on reflective brass surfaces, preventing the errors common with long-wave sensors. The high optical resolution lets the pyrometers capture small target areas from a safe distance, and the dual laser sight ensures precise alignment with the billet surface. Continuous air purging keeps the optics free from oil, dust, and heat, allowing stable operation with minimal maintenance. The rugged stainless steel sensing heads withstand high ambient temperatures, making them ideal for the tough conditions of press machinery. Standard analog outputs connect directly to the press control system, providing real-time data for automated process adjustments.

Without reliable sensor input, the machinery cannot operate consistently. Billets that are too cold can damage the forging press, while overheating wastes energy and shortens tool life. Thus, continuous and precise temperature monitoring is essential for both process stability and equipment protection.

With a quick one-millisecond response time, the sensors monitor moving billets, verifying each one before forging. This leads to consistently accurate temperature measurement, improving product quality, reducing scrap rates, and boosting overall process efficiency.