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3D Camera Housing for Extreme High-Temperature Environments

When developing a novel 3D camera system for use in molten metal environments, protection is essential.

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.

Operating in a steelmaking environment means facing:

• Temperatures of 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.

We worked 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.

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

Taking advanced sensing technology from concept to operational reality — in one of the world’s toughest environments — requires the right engineering, the right testing, and the right collaboration. By collaborating alongside experienced R&D instrumentation engineers who have significant steel plant expertise, the client was able to:

• Accelerate time to market

• De-risk progression through upper TRLs (Technology Readiness Levels)

• Bridge the gap between innovation and industrial deployment

17 February 2026