The PaneraTech team recently validated the SmartMelter® RTS Sensor on a container glass furnace at Vidrala. The furnace was scheduled to be drained for cold repair. The company approached PaneraTech under the International Partners in Glass Research (IPGR) to perform a blind trial of the RTS Sensor before the furnace drain.
Blind Trial Details
Five days before the drain, PaneraTech measured 11 spots on the furnace on both sidewalls, a doghouse, and the area between the throats. These measurements were taken with no prior knowledge of the actual wall thickness. Measurements were submitted to Vidrala before the furnace was drained.
Results
After the furnace was drained, Vidrala recovered the original blocks and measured the actual residual thickness. These actual measurements were compared with PaneraTech’s measurements from the SmartMelter® RTS Sensor. The overall thickness of the wall at the glass line was within 4 mm (0.15 inch) of the measurements taken by the SmartMelter® RTS Sensor.
