Ircon Inc., Niles, Ill., has developed the Preform Inspection System, a thermal imaging system
specifically designed for use in fiber optic filament production. The system provides real-time
temperature and preform diameter control in the initial stages of manufacturing, during heating of
the hollow glass preform on a rotating lathe. The systems Stinger thermal imaging camera provides
thermal images of the preform at a speed of up to 60 frames per second. The user-configurable Ircon
Preform Software stores the image data, including temperature and dimensional data, for playback at
varying speeds. Numeric data can be stored in graphical or numeric format. Areas Of Interest (AOI)
can be configured using the AOI drawing tool for display of minimum, maximum and average
temperature data.Third-party systems can receive the production data via TCP/IP, or the data can be
sent using an optional analog output module.
May 2002
