A major European car manufacturer was able to upgrade humidity and temperature control on an existing ventilation system within their paint spraying facility using a customised solution from Michell Instruments to measure relative humidity and temperature.
Cars are sprayed with several different coats to protect, seal and prime as well as a coloured base coat and clear finish coat with the whole process taking up to 12 hours to complete. During the entire process, it is important to ensure the relative humidity in the facility is kept stable at 60% RH for a tough and flawless finish. A consistent temperature is also needed for the paint to dry completely between each stage.
Michell’s DT282 duct mount relative humidity and temperature transmitter was selected for the upgrade because of its I7000 Hygrosmart sensing module. The sensor is accurate to ±2% RH and ±0.2°C, and is highly stable with less than 1% RH drift over a year to maintain the ideal conditions within the painting facility.
The I7000 sensor’s high chemical resistance allows it to function reliably for long periods in spite of exposure to the high level of fumes from the painting process, unlike other, less resistant sensors that would need replacing. Maintenance is also simplified with the I7000’s interchangeable ‘plug and play’ system, ensuring there are no stoppages during production processes.
The customer was worried that an older product, which had been upgraded, would no longer fit the ventilation system. Michell’s engineers worked quickly to adapt the standard product so that it would work in the system.
Michell’s customisation ensured the customer was able to replace and upgrade their climate control system at minimum capital outlay and very little disruption to their plant.
Michell’s customisation projects help to future-proof processes and systems by ensuring new versions are compatible with existing plant equipment during upgrades.
Michell Instruments’ relative humidity and temperature transmitters are available in Australia from AMS Instrumentation and Calibration.