LEDs incorporated into sight glass system for tank illumination

L.J. Star has extended its MetaClamp and METAGLAS sight glass window technology with new LED lighting technology that is said to provide the industry’s strongest and most compact solution available for viewing inside tanks and vessels.

Designed for sanitary/hygienic applications in pharmaceutical, food/beverage, brewery and biotech industries, the new MetaClamp LED Ring Light Series SGL is a powerful yet compact illumination system that provides both illumination and viewing through the same window, L.J. Star says.

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The unique combination sight/light glass incorporates the MetaClamp system with METAGLAS safety windows. They can be used to view the interior of either new or existing sanitary processing equipment.

Unlike other solutions that used separate viewing and fibre optic light assemblies, the MetaClamp LED Light Ring’s innovative and compact design mounts directly onto sanitary ferrules for use in combined sight and light ports (single port). The design is both less expensive and more durable for industrial settings, since it uses fewer sub-assembly components.

It is suitable for illuminating bioreactors, mixers, brew kettles, filters and the interior of tanks, hoppers, silos, agitators, separators, pipelines and other, usually closed, containers in non-hazardous areas. The unit is approved for ambient temperatures ranging from 0° to 50°C at the cable entry gland.

METAGLAS uses a special formulation of glass that resists chemical corrosion and physical erosion, while meeting Factory Mutual (FM), DIN 7079 and DIN 7080 quality standards and USP Type I standard. METAGLAS is the only window in the industry that is certified and able to meet DIN 7079.

The SGL LED technology used is particularly powerful and reliable for processing illumination. For the largest size, the LEDs provide 399 lumens, which is equal to a typical 80 W halogen light. Its 5000K cool white colour temperature is ideal for stainless steel vessels used in these applications. The LED lasts far longer than halogen bulbs even while capable of continuous operation. The unit is vibration and impact resistant, and its cold light output emits no heat radiation into the process.

Three sizes of the SGL light attach directly to either a 2-1/2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 in. MetaClamp view port, which eliminates separate mounting of the light source. The polished housing is made of 316 stainless steel, which carries NEMA 4X and IP68 ratings.