BBT Vision Research

MicroCert
Process Control Monitoring

BBT Vision Research has developed MicroCert Sensors and integrated systems for real-time control of the final cooling phase of rapid metal forming processes. MicroCert systems produce a pseudo-color visual map of microstructural transitions resulting from cooling operations. This visual mapping of final product microstructure is constructed from radio-frequency electromagnetic measurments of the surface volume macrostructure that forms during the cooling process. The information obtained from this thermal history map can be accurately associated with the final microstructural texture of the product as well as the quality parameters of hardness and tensile strength. In addition, it can characterize the coating weight of surface scale. The ability to visualize a critical process operation like cooling in real-time can save expensive product losses during mill set-up and enhance response efficiency to custom orders.