Thermocouples are one of the most commonly used types of temperature sensors worldwide. They are popular in various fields due to their economy, durability and versatility. Thermocouple applications range from ceramics, gases, oils, metals, glass and plastics to food and beverages.
You can use them anywhere to accurately monitor or record temperature data. Thermocouples are known for producing temperature measurements with fast response and excellent resistance to shock, vibration and high temperatures.
A thermocouple is a sensor used to measure temperature in scientific, manufacturing, and technology applications. It is created by joining two dissimilar metal wires together to form a junction. The junction creates a predictable voltage over a given temperature range. Thermocouples typically use the Seebeck or thermoelectric effect to convert voltage into a temperature measurement.
Thermocouples have many applications in the food and beverage industry such as pasteurization, refrigeration, fermentation, brewing and bottling. You don’t have to worry when using a thermocouple temperature gauge as it provides accurate frying and cooking temperature readings to make sure your food is cooked.
Thermocouples are often used in restaurant equipment such as grills, toasters, deep fryers, heaters, and ovens. In addition, you can find thermocouples in the form of temperature sensors in kitchen equipment used in large food processing plants.
Thermocouples are also used in breweries because beer production requires precise temperatures for proper fermentation and to prevent microbial contamination.
Accurate temperature measurement of molten metals such as steel, zinc and aluminum can be difficult due to the extremely high temperatures. Temperature sensors commonly used in molten metals are platinum thermocouples types B, S and R and base metal thermocouples types K and N. The choice of the ideal type will depend on the temperature range of the specific application associated with the metal.
Base metal thermocouples typically use US No. 8 or No. 14 (AWG) wire gauge with a metal shield tube and a ceramic insulator. Platinum thermocouples, on the other hand, typically use #20 to #30 AWG diameters.
The production of plastic products requires precise temperature control. Thermocouples are often required for temperature control in various areas of plastics processing. They are used to measure the melt or surface temperature in injection molds and injection molds.
Before using thermocouples in plastics processing, you should know that there are two types of thermocouples in the plastics industry. The first category includes measurements. Here, thermocouples can be used to determine the heat transfer function of plastics depending on their cross section. Remember that the thermocouple must detect the difference in applied force, mainly due to its speed and direction.
You can also use thermocouples in product development in the plastics industry. Thus, the second type of application of thermocouples in the plastics industry involves product design and engineering. In product development, you must use thermocouples to calculate temperature changes in materials, especially over the life of a product.
Engineers can select thermocouples that are suitable for the materials they use in the manufacture of their products. Similarly, they may use thermocouples to test the performance of a design. This will allow them to make changes before the production process begins.
Furnace conditions largely determine the appropriate thermocouple for a high temperature laboratory furnace. Therefore, in order to select the best thermocouple, several factors must be considered, such as:
In most cases, extruders require high pressure and high temperature. Thermocouples for extruders have threaded adapters that help position their probe tips in molten plastic, usually under high pressure.
You can manufacture these thermocouples as single or double elements with unique threaded housings. Bayonet thermocouples (BT) and compression thermocouples (CF) are commonly used in low pressure extruder components.
Various types of thermocouples have many applications in various industries. So if you work in engineering, steel, food and beverage, or plastics processing, you will find that thermocouples are widely used for temperature measurement and control.