Thermometer Manufacture
Handcrafted Precision Thermometers
Our eXacal precision thermometers are handcrafted in our manufacture in Fulda, Germany – even customized to your specific requirements upon request. We can individually implement your requests for modifications regarding handles, connectors, or even the length of the probe and the connection cable for you.
The thermometers have been optimized for the precise measurement of temperatures. Depending on the model, they are used in a temperature range from -200°C to 1200°C.
In addition to the design of the thermometers, another focus lies in the development of our own tools and production processes. For design, production, and final accredited calibration according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 (DAkkS), no external suppliers are required besides the raw materials. This independence ensures the high quality of the thermometers.
You can see a tour of the thermometer manufacture in the video:
Overview of the Manufacturing Process
Mechanical Production
Required components, such as handles or prototypes for further development, are produced through machining.
Precious Metal Welding Process
Thermocouple wires and connection cables are welded by hand with pinpoint accuracy. The required fuel gases, hydrogen and oxygen, are not stored in cylinders but are generated from water by electrolysis in a 2:1 mixing ratio. This guarantees the purity of the fuel gas.
Laser Welding
Particularly delicate connections, such as the lead wires of the temperature sensors, are welded under a microscope using precision lasers.
Thermal Treatment of Thermal Material
One of our core competencies is the targeted thermal treatment of thermocouple wires. Our aging processes ensure a metallurgically stable and thermoelectrically homogeneous state for eXacal thermocouples.
Aging of Resistance Thermometers
Resistance thermometers are fully aged according to our adapted aging cycles in a specially designed aging furnace with oxygen purging.
Winding Wire Coils
For our SPRT temperature sensors, high-purity, ultra-thin platinum wire is wound into a fine wire coil using a specially designed winding machine.
Cleaning Ceramic Components in a Tube Furnace
All ceramic components installed in our precision thermometers are cleaned at high heat in a tube furnace before use.
In-House Temperature Sensor Production
The production of temperature sensors is a complex craft and requires a very precise process, which we perform ourselves in our manufacture. Our experienced employees manually thread ultra-thin platinum wire onto a ceramic or quartz carrier body under a microscope. Before this step, the platinum wire passes through the winding machine to be formed into a fine coil. In our thermometer manufacture, we further process these extremely sensitive temperature sensors into precision thermometers.
3D Printing Process
Insulation elements and complex plastic parts inside the handles, such as strain reliefs, are produced using a modern 3D printing process. This offers us many advantages. Complex designs are produced without manual detours and without expensive tools. This saves a lot of time and money. Through 3D printing, eXacal thermometers can be custom-manufactured as a modular system.
Inhomogeneity Scanner
Possible inhomogeneities in eXacal thermocouples are examined with the help of an inhomogeneity scanner. A movable heat source tests the entire thermal material of the measuring point for local inhomogeneities.
The inhomogeneity scanner is an in-house development by Klasmeier. It allows for significant improvements to the thermocouples from the eXacal manufacture:
More realistic consideration of measurement uncertainties
Verification of thermal treatment
Improvement of quality and manufacturing processes
