Shifting Gears Smoothly…from Design to Market with Testo Measurement Solutions for Automotive Industry

Out of tradition, with modern technology: Testo offers precise measurement technology for various applications in automotive industry.

Research & Development

In many applications in research and development, the measurement of temperature and temperature curves is essential. Because unfavorable temperature developments, e. g. on electronic components, can reduce the quality of the product. The use of a thermal imager, which presents the infrared radiation of the measurement as an image, allows the reliable measurement of surface temperature, even on the smallest objects in the micrometre range. Thermal imagers thus already support the maintenance of the quality and specifications of the final product at the development stage.

On the long path from the idea to the product, the risk of inconclusive test series must be minimized in the interests of economic viability. However, it is possible to guarantee constant parameters as a prerequisite for successful research and development. Precise Testo measurement technology supports you reliably when you are recreating corrosive environmental influences in a laboratory, simulating loads on an engine test bench or testing integrated circuits elsewhere. The optimization of the heat flow in assemblies and components is a central topic in product development. With the thermal imager testo 890, you not only measure surface temperature, you also record thermal processes exactly in real time. The data of the thermographic video recording can be stopped and analyzed at any point: at any moment, all temperature measurement points per pixel are available.

Project Planning

With Testo measurement technology, you develop innovative and energy-saving solutions for all areas of industry. For the purposes of lowering costs in production and in the final product, industry is reliant on resource-efficient processes, on machines whose mechanical, electric or pneumatic drives consume as little energy as possible. The expression used is “green automation”. This includes grippers made of lightweight materials or pneumatic systems with low compressed air consumption, or even intelligent control and ventilation systems.

Compressed air is generated internally and distributed without knowing how much is consumed in total and in individual areas. Without this knowledge, however, there is no motivation to repair leaks or to aim for more economical consumption. An expensive error. Independent research has shown that up to 40 % of compressed air produced is wasted. In an average industrial company, this waste adds up to several thousand rupees per year.

The compressed air flow meter testo 6441 serves to record, monitor, control and document the compressed air consumption, thus ensuring transparency. This increases the motivation of those responsible for the process to undertake cost reduction measures and to save energy.

Production & Quality Assurance

In the end, only quality counts. With Testo measurement technology, you achieve this safely and efficiently. You manufacture goods with a consistently high standard of technology, and invest in the most modern equipment. You are reliant on permanent system availability and process security. One of the most important prerequisites for this is the monitoring of all parameters which influence quality, such as temperature and humidity, but also flow velocity, pressure or gas concentration. Testo offers you absolutely reliable measurement systems with which you can consistently monitor and regulate the production climate and the optimum adjustment of your systems. You increase product quality and reduce energy consumption.

Paint Shop

Quality of the automobile is first based on its look. The look in-turn is based on the quality of paint. While the quality of painting is based on the air supplied for spraying. This air is to be pure dry and hence measurement of Dew-point becomes essential. Dew point transmitter testo 6740 checks for the dryness of compressed air in the painting lines and prevents glewing of material.

Maintenance

Large automotive manufacturers demands from machine suppliers guaranteed statements on the maintenance costs and the system availability to be expected. Downtimes cost hugely, not to mention production losses. Testo measurement technology for industrial thermography simplifies the monitoring of critical areas which threaten to disable operation. With a temperature resolution of < 30 mK, the thermalimager testo 885 makes even the smallest difference visible, its 30° lens records the heat distribution in large image sections. You thus prevent malfunctions and fire risks, and never have to wonder whether, behind the deceptive calm, the system might not just be going out of control.

To know more solutions for your industry, click here to contact us or visit www.testo.com/en-IN.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY – 5th June 2013

Here are some ways we, testo, can help you conserve energy and contribute our bit towards preserving our environment.

Here’s how you can conserve energy in commonly used industrial equipment/applications:

Boilers: The motive of the industry should be to generate the required quantity and quality of steam at minimum cost. By measuring oxygen level in exhaust, Testo’s Flue Gas Analyser helps to adjust air to fuel ratio, thereby reducing & optimising fuel consumption and minimising energy costs. At the same time, it also restricts release of hazardous emission in the atmosphere.

Compressed Air: is used as a power source for various tools & equipment and accounts for a major share of the electricity. Even the smallest leakage points waste energy and money. Testo’s Compressed air flow meter measures the consumption of compressed air and detects such leakages and helps optimize its consumption across different sections of the plant. At the same time, Testo’s Dew Point Transmitter keeps a check on the moisture present in the compressed air.

HVAC & Refrigeration: An air conditioning and a refrigeration plant are efficient when all its system components are monitored, serviced and maintained well.  Testo’s all-rounder HVAC analysis instrument 480 monitors ambient climate conditions – in offices, malls, hospitals, etc. and serves an important role in energy optimization and savings. Testo also offers complete refrigeration efficiency monitoring solutions from digital manifolds to refrigerant leak detectors.

Electric Motors: Of the total electricity consumed in the industrial sector, electric motors account for approximately 70%. Electricity consumption in these motors can be reduced if the cooling is improved and are regularly maintained. Testo’s thermal imager identifies areas of overheating and prevents further energy losses.

Diesel Engine: Exhaust analysis of a diesel engine directly points to two benefits: 1. Complete combustion of fuel thereby fuel saving and 2.  Achieving its optimum efficiency i.e the working point of the engine.

Click here for more info or write to us at info@testoindia.com.

The Revolutionary SuperResolution Technology for High-Resolution Thermal Images from Testo

All objects warmer than minus 273 degrees centigrade (absolute zero) emit infrared heat radiation which cannot be seen by human eye. Thermal Imagers, however, can convert this infrared radiation into electrical signals and present them as a thermal image. The heat radiation is thus made visible for the human eye.

Thermography finds applications in:

·       - Electrical Maintenance for poor connections, unbalanced loads, etc

·       - Preventive Mechanical Maintenance of motors, compressors, pulleys, etc

·       - Quality Assurance & Production Monitoring

·       - Variable High Temperature Measurement

·       - Building diagnostics

·       - Automotive Climate R & D Testing

   

Image 1: Thermal Images from Testo Thermal Imager

In many industrial or trade applications, it is necessary to reliably thermograph even the smallest or extremely distant measuring objects. In such cases, the better the image resolution and the more readings in the thermal image, the more detailed and clearer the representation of the measuring object. And especially when you need to measure from great distances in your application, high resolution image quality is indispensable. Because the more you can see in the thermal image, the better is your analysis.

With the revolutionary SuperResolution technology from Testo, you improve the image quality of your testo thermal imager by one class in no time. Four times more measurement values and a geometric resolution improved by a factor of 1.6 mean for you even more details, even more security in your measurement and better analysis as well. For example 160 x 120 pixels are turned into 320 x 240 pixels at once with a simple firmware upgrade in your testo imager. This means simply better thermography on systems with - Testo SuperResolution upgrade.

This innovation from Testo uses the natural movement of your hand, and records several images, slightly offset to each other, very quickly one after the other. These are then calculated into one image using an algorithm. This allows you to take thermographic measurements easily, quickly and reliably at a great distance, for example using the large rotatable display and optional telephoto lens of the testo 876 – and to analyze the even more detailed SuperResolution thermal images precisely and conveniently on a PC.

The Testo SuperResolution technology makes it possible to depict more real temperature measurements without using a large detector, and thus to correctly measure smaller measuring objects. It provides four times more readings – comparable with a higher detector resolution.

Image 2: The image on the left shows a thermal image with 320 x 240 pixels; the image on the right shows a SuperResolution thermal image with 320 x 240 pixels (corresponds to 640 x 480 pixels).

This is not a simple interpolation procedure, such as bilinear or bicubic interpolation, in which artificial intermediate values are generated without obtaining additional information. Such artificially generated values can never exceed the neighboring values. In contrast, SuperResolution increases the measurement resolution and the level of detail. Real readings are therefore calculated, which are comparable with the photo taken by an imager with a higher detector resolution. The geometric resolution of the SuperResolution thermal image is clearly improved.

Testo's SuperResolution technology combines two well-known recognized methods:

1) Super Sampling

2) Deconvolution

Super Sampling technology uses the natural hand movements and takes multiple image very rapidly one after another.

Image 3: Testo SuperResolution Technology

The ‘deconvolution’ process improves the image quality through the calculation of the imaging properties of the lens with the thermal image.

Testo SuperResolution Technology in a nutshell:

·     - Improves the image quality of your Testo thermal imagers by one class with a mere firmware upgrade

·      - More correct & real temperature measurements without using a large detector

·   - Four times as many readings in the thermal image - Geometric resolution (IFOVgeo) of the thermal image improved by a factor of 1.6

·     - Measurable objects are 1.6 times smaller (IFOVmeas)

·     - Far more details for PC-based analyses and thus qualitatively and quantitatively improved

evaluation options in the thermography report

Click here for more info or write to us at info@testoindia.com.

Safety For You With Parallel Measurements Of Ambient CO and CO₂ With Only One Instrument!

In the past we have had separate instruments to measure CO in ambient air (testo 317-3), and instruments to measure CO2 in ambient air (testo 435, testo 535, testo 480). Both CO and CO2 pose serious health hazards, if found in large quantities in the ambient atmosphere. We felt the necessity to have a single instrument to measure trace levels of CO & CO2 both and that’s how testo 315-3 was born.

CO and CO₂ concentrations occur in dangerous quantities especially in the boiler houses, heating rooms, large kitchens with gas boilers and extractor hoods, or in industry and warehousing.

Previously, often only the CO content was recorded. However, the CO₂ concentration caused by say blocked flue gas exhausts is also damaging to health. It is an important early indicator for the evaluation of a functional heating or air extraction system.

Now profit from the parallel measurement of CO-/CO₂ with only one instrument with testo’s newly launched 315-3.

The testo 315-3 can be used for ambient measurements in many areas:

• Boiler houses
• Heating rooms
• Restaurants, larger kitchens and canteens
• Ventilation and air conditioning systems
• Industry and warehousing

With testo 315-3, you can measure both values simultaneously and directly! You can conveniently ensure safety, and measure with an instrument which corresponds to the European Standard EN 50543. This standard lays down technical requirements for CO / CO₂ measuring instruments. In addition to this, the testo 315-3 corresponds to British Standard BS 6173:2009 and is TÜV-tested.

Highlights of testo 315-3:

• Parallel and direct CO-/CO₂ measurement
• Complies with European Standard 50543
• Convenient, easy operation
• Measurement values transferable to testo 330 (V2010)
• Data printout on site
• TÜV tested        

Be equipped for the future and ensure your safety.

Click here for more info, or write to you at info@testoindia.com

Optimising Combustion Efficiency in a Boiler

Getting into the basics of combustion, the ideal amount of air required to burn a given quantity of fuel is referred to, as stoichiometric  air. This is calculated based on the fuel composition. The level of mixing of air and fuel, that is required for complete combustion, is practically never achieved. If we supply the stoichiometric quantity of air for combustion, we would almost ensure that the combustion is incomplete. Hence the burners are designed with a particular level of excess air that ensures proper combustion.

Normally boilers are designed with excess air levels at around 20% for oil and gas fired unit at full load conditions.

The extra air that is supplied carries with it some heat which is not recoverable. So higher the excess air, higher are dry flue gas losses. Though a boiler is designed for a particular level of excess air, when a unit is commissioned, it is tuned to a particular load. Over a period of operation of the unit, there is a tendency for deviations from the tuned values, due to:-

- Variations in the fuel quality like density, viscosity, flash point etc

- Variations in the fuel pump outlet pressure, firing rate etc

- Normal wear and tear of fuel system components

- Vibrations

Conventionally, there is no feedback mechanism to regulate the combustion air inflow, to account for the variations and the firing rates. Due to the above reason, we end up with high fuel consumption.

With undesired high excess air, one may end up burning extra fuel. Also the monitoring of oxygen levels is also equally important. Too low quantity of air supply will lead to unburnt/incomplete combustion and subsequently soot formation in the boiler. Thus, it is very important to optimize the air flow for efficient combustion.

The losses in a boiler are:

Stack loss or Heat loss (highest 8 to 10% in a well tuned burner)

Moisture and Hydrogen loss (depends on the fuel and hydrogen & moisture content in it), Radiation loss (about 0.5%)

Unburnt fuel loss (negligible in liquid and gaseous fuels), etc. 

When total of all the losses is subtracted from 100, we get efficiency. Typical boiler efficiency for liquid/gaseous fuels is in the range of 88 to 90%. Thus all the losses put together will be in the range of 10 to 12% of which the stack loss is around 8%. 

Thus stack loss is 67% of total losses put together, and most important to monitor.

Testo Solution: 

For combustion efficiency optimization , it is always O2, CO, and CO2 that are monitored. O2 tells us the type of combustion, either complete or incomplete. The CO levels tell us how much fine tuning is required for the air to fuel ratio.

Hence, for all small boilers, testo 320 flue gas analyzer and Testo Flue Gas Analyzer 330 LL is the best solution. While for large power plants and bigger boilers & furnaces, testo 340 - Flue gas analyzer for emission measurement in industry and testo 350 MARITIME - Exhaust gas analyzer for marine diesel engines are the right solutions. Ofcourse with O2 and CO sensors, CO2 is always calculated.

For more information, click here or write to us at info@testoindia.com.

Detecting Electrical Unbalance and Overloads with Thermography

Thermal images are an easy way to identify apparent temperature differences in industrial three-phase electrical circuits, compared to their normal operating conditions. By inspecting the thermal gradients of all three phases’ side-by-side, technicians can quickly spot performance anomalies on individual legs due to unbalance or overloading. 

Electrical unbalance can be caused by several different sources: a power delivery problem, low voltage on one leg, or an insulation resistance breakdown inside the motor windings. Even a small voltage unbalance can cause connections to deteriorate, reducing the amount of voltage supplied, while motors and other loads will draw excessive current, deliver lower torque (with associated mechanical stress), and fail sooner. A severe unbalance can blow a fuse, reducing operations down to a single phase. Meanwhile, the unbalanced current will return on the neutral, causing the utility to fine the facility for peak power usage. 

What to check?

Capture thermal images of all electrical panels and other high load connection points such drives, disconnects, controls and so on. Where you discover higher temperatures, follow that circuit and examine associated branches and loads. Check panels and other connections with the covers off. Ideally, you should check electrical devices when they are fully warmed up and at steady state conditions with at least 40 % of the typical load. That way, measurements can be properly  evaluated and compared to normal operating conditions. 

What to look for? 

Equal load should equate to equal temperatures. In an unbalanced load situation, the more heavily loaded phase(s) will appear warmer than the others, due to the heat generated by resistance. However, an unbalanced load, an overload, a bad connection, and a harmonic imbalance can all create a similar pattern. Measuring the electrical load is required to diagnose the problem. 

Testo Offering: 

Testo Thermal Imager 875i offers you an entry into professional thermography. It quickly and reliably quickly and reliably detects anomalies and weak spot in materials and components. Thanks to an imaging process, energy losses and cold bridges as well as damage or overheating in industrial systems are detected without contact. Whereas with other methods, cable or pipeline systems must be exposed over a large area, with testo thermal imager 875i, a single glance is enough.

Click here for more information or write to us at info@testoindia.com.

Optimise Your Indoor Climate With Easy HVAC Analysis Like Never Before !

When it comes to energy, a building is a self-contained system, which can only be optimised as a whole. 

The HVAC All-Rounder - testo 480

Testo measuring technology supports HVAC tradesmen, facility managers, architects, supply engineers, experts and energy consultants for the same.

You probably come across this situation often: employees can no longer concentrate due to a lack of fresh air. It's either draughty in the workplace or it's too hot. This results in less efficiency and high energy costs for the company. A naturally pleasant climate and air of a high hygienic quality are key to a healthy working environment. That is why air technology system (VAC system) experts measure and evaluate climate and air quality. Testo measuring technology for all relevant parameters helps you to carry out this work efficiently, safely and with time savings.

HVAC is one of the fastest growing industries in India. As the number of buildings, green buildings, greenhouses, commercial complexes, malls, hospitals, high rise buildings and offices increases, more is the requirement of HVAC.

By 2050, the International Energy Agency in Paris expects a global increase of more than 300% in building areas, –which will have to be heated, ventilated and cooled. This makes the efficient and environmentally sound use of energy even more important. Current and future legislation prescribes strict measures to reduce consumption. Companies are optimizing energy control in order to lower costs. The job of the Facility Manager is now becoming “Facility Energy Manager”.

Values for flow, temperature, humidity, pressure, illuminance, radiated heat, turbulence and CO2 concentration can be recorded with our high-end testo 480 climate measuring instrument in a single step. Its intelligent probes give you accurate measuring values, with deviations being automatically eliminated after calibration. The robust multitaskers from Testo such as testo 480 and testo 435 enable you not only to carry out measurements in compliance with standards, but also to produce professional reports quickly using PC software.

Testo offers you, as specialists, accurate, quick and easy to- use measuring instruments to ensure thermal comfort when it comes to air conditioning in work areas. That way, you ensure a constantly controlled climate in store rooms and cold rooms, in production halls and server rooms. Click here for more information or write to us at info@testoindia.com