For nearly every cement manufacturing process, one of the most critical steps take place within the rotary kiln. Because of this, it is imperative that users understand the condition of the refractory material coating the kiln to extend its operating life, as well as to prevent any disastrous failures. Since users have no way to measure temperatures from inside of the kiln, looking at the outer surface is the only way to determine the refractory condition of the kiln. To aid operators in this task, Fluke Process Instruments has developed a continuous infrared process monitoring solution – the CS400 Kiln Shell Imaging System – which is designed to help users continuously detect hot spots, reduce set up times, avoid costly damage, optimize the kiln’s operational life and more, even in the harshest cement manufacturing environments.