Prototype Design & Testing of a 3D Camera Housing for Extreme High-Temperature Environments

REQUIREMENT

Our client was developing an advanced 3D camera for operation in extremely harsh, high-temperature environments. To make deployment possible, the system required a robust, industrial-grade protective housing.

PROJECT ACTIVITES

We partnered closely with the client to industrialise the technology, co-designing and testing a water cooled prototype housing for the camera which was engineered for real-world steel plant conditions.

The prototype was trialled by imaging the lining of a pre-heated steel ladle (~1200°C).

A full 360° section was captured, measured, and reconstructed in 3D - with lining defects identified through advanced image processing software.

CHALLENGE

Operating in a steelmaking environment means facing:

• Temperatures up to 1700°C
• Intense radiant heat
• Slag splash and molten metal spatter
• Dust, smoke & vibration
• Strong electromagnetic interference

These combine to make it an extremely harsh industrial environment

MAIN OUTCOMES

Testing in a live steelmaking environment provided far greater validation than any controlled ‘hot’ laboratory simulation.

The water-cooled housing demonstrated clear advantages:

• Active removal of radiant heat
• Stable, long-duration operation
• Improved system reliability under extreme conditions

By collaborating alongside experienced R&D instrumentation engineers who have significant steel plant expertise, the client was able:

• Accelerate time to market
• De-risk progression through upper TRLs (Technology Readiness Levels)
• Bridge the gap between innovation and industrial deployment